Marco Island 2 hour Dolphin, Birding and Shelling tour
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Naples, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover some of coastal Florida's loveliest scenery, and its wealth of wildlife, on this small-group tour of the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge from Marco Island. Pick from several daily departure times, and set off with just a small group for company. Go on a naturalist-guided boat tour to spot animals like dolphins, pelicans, spoonbills, manatees, sea turtles, and more. Then, disembark at an uninhabited barrier island for a shelling expedition.
- Explore with just a small group for a personal, hands-on experience
- This boat tour offers a passport to the Ten Thousand Islands region
- Your certified naturalist guide will share more about the wildlife you see
- Relax on board, look out for marine animals, and go shelling
What's Included
- We provide Captain and all necessary safety equipment.
- Bags for your shells.
- Bottled water
- Gratuities
- Parking FeesThe Goodland Boat Park charges a $10 parking fee. FREE parking is available outside the gate.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 750 Palm Point Dr, Goodland, FL 34140, USA
Please meet to the left of the building under the covered pavilion.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 17 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Perfect way to get on the water with a family for some South Florida beauty, wildlife, and culture. Good for young kids. Captain Ryan was a local with vast knowledge and expertise. Beautiful blue green waters along the mouth of the Gulf. Spotted Dolphins, Manatee and many species of birds. Shelling on a secluded island was a great way to break the trip up. Well worth it and don’t forget to tip!
Reviews
4.8
based on 544 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Wow, it was a wonderful experience, first time in Marco Island. 10 thousand islands is a must, our tour guide was very knowledgeable, he stopped when we were interested to see something, he was friendly and respectful. Watching the dolphins was the cutest thing and he made sure we did took our pictures and videos, he even recommended us the time to take it while he was driving.
Great tour! Saw dolphins, manatees and tons of birds. Shelling was amazing and guide was extremely knowledgeable and so nice!
Captain Joe was great and the tour was just the perfect thing for our one day around the 10 Thousand Islands. It was just four of us on the boat and everyone was nice and the dolphins were SO cool to see up close :)
Love the tour!! Kim and Joe are excellent guides. The shelling is extraordinary. Found my first ever sandollar out in the wild. Bring a hat and sunscreen!!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for the review, Leslie! Captain Joe and Kim truly love what they do and it shows! Glad we could put you on your first sand dollar!
We were really looking forward to the boat cruise, shelling and seeing dolphins and manatees. What a great experience! Our guide was Captain Mike. He is very knowledgeable about the history of the area, they types of shells and different marine life and birds of the area. I did the cruise with my 2 sisters. We are from up north and rarely get the chance to go on a boat, so this was so much fun for us! I would definitely do this again when we come back! 10 out of 10 stars to you, Captain Mike!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're so happy you all had a great time with Captain Mike. He loves to share his passion and knowledge with everyone that comes out. Thank you for the 10 out of ten and we home to see you all back soon!!
What a great tour!! Kevin U was the best captain! Very knowledgeable, courteous, and fun! We got to see things in the ten thousand islands first hand and the dolphins surfing with us was priceless. Five dolphins behind the boat surfing was amazing. The shelling was great! When we come back we are requesting Captain Kevin!
Bring mosquito spray for the wait in the parking lot!!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for the lovely review, James. There's nothing like watching the dolphins jumping behind the boat. So glad you all had a great time with Captain Kevin. Hope to have you all back soon!
We were warmly welcomed at our meeting location by Captain Kevin and First Mate Chris. We had a terrific time seeing all the nature and wildlife Capt. Kevin pointed out. There were dolphins, osprey, pelicans and various mangroves. The open boat allowed us to capture many photos. We stopped for 30 minutes at a sandbar to go searching for seashells. Capt. Kevin happily identifiedmany of the shells and answered all our questions. There were only 6 adults and 1 small child on our tour, which made the experience very personalized! We all had a great time. If you have a choice between this tour and another, this is the one you should choose!!
This was a 2 hour boat tour. Arriving 30 minutes prior to leaving sped up the check in process so we could all leave on time for the tour.
Be sure to bring your own water and a towel.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for the great review! So glad you had a wonderful time with captain Kevin and first mate Kristina! We greatly appreciate your kind recommendation and your helpful advice for future guests. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to see you on the water again soon!
We couldn’t have asked for a better experience on our dolphin, shelling, and birding tour. We took the 8:00 AM trip, and it turned out to be the perfect time for shelling—the beach on the tour was loaded with shells due to a SW wind.The highlight of the day was definitely the wildlife. We were lucky enough to spot a mother and baby dolphin right near the boat; seeing the little one nursing was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. To top it all off, we actually saw a manta ray leap completely out of the water! It was truly a breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime sight.The crew was top-notch. Our Captain and the guides were incredibly knowledgeable, patiently answering every single question we had about the local ecosystem and the birds we spotted.The shelling lived up to the hype, too! We found some great treasures, and it was a nice touch that we were able to keep our shelling bags as a souvenir. With perfect weather and expert guides, this was a fantastic trip from start to finish. Highly recommended!
Joe was a great guide. He was knowledgeable. Saw dolphins and found lots of shells. It was a wonderful experience
We booked this tour after scanning the multitude of options, and this tour became the highlight of our week in Marco Island.
• Excellent communication from booking through post-tour follow-up.
• Honored the time offered, even tho only 2 of us booked it, they just turned it into a private tour for 2!
• Good boat safety, comfort, and sailing etiquette.
• Listens to what customers are seeking and adapted the tour to give us what we had hoped for.
• Above and beyond service and kindness.
Our Trip - 11am (low tide) on a week day
Two customers (aunt and neice)
We wanted to see dolphins and birds, and were partial about the shelling. So Captain Kevin stopped at various bird sightings, and took us to where dolphins usually hang out at low tide. It ended up being phenomenal as a pod of dolphins were showing us ALL their antics. The dolphins do seem familiar with the captains and when he said “come on guys!” and started a wake in the water they were so excited to come play! They got super close before one of the pod who was further back, began breaching (jumping out of the water) and seemed to be calling the ones who had been porpoising behind the boat to go back. Captain Kevin kindly turned the boat around to lead them back to their family and then the pod seemed to set off for their lunch at a sandbar nearby. We went off to a barrier island and got to see Sandpipers and Black Skimmers and picked up a couple of stunning shells, but we wanted to see the dolphins again! Captain Kevin said he was pretty sure we could see them again, and set off back. Sure enough they had just left the sandbar and a couple other boats were enjoying seeing the pod. The three captains set about gently moving with the pod at respectful distances, as we watched a mama dolphin teaching its calf how to porpoise, while the older dolphins darted under and around, popping up very close to the boats to get the free ride on the wake. A pelican flew in to join the entourage, and it was just everything Florida promised to be!
Absolutely the highlight of our visit to South West Florida!
We saw tons of dolphins, birds, and found some cool shells. The water was beautiful and it was a good experience.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for coming out with us! We’re so glad you enjoyed seeing so many dolphins and birds, and that you were able to find some great shells along the way.
Knowledgeable captain that maximized the fun and educational factor by telling stories from his experience. Beautiful tour, a very playful dolphin, and some sweet shelling was seen.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the mix of fun and learning—our captains love sharing their knowledge to make each trip extra special. Thank you for coming out with us!
Captain Kevin was a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable and great with my kids! Next time we are in Marco we will definitely book again!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the great review!! Glad you all had a wonderful time with captain Kevin. We'd love to have you all back soon!
The tour was less than we expected for the price, and the boat captain was in a big hurry to rush us back to the starting point at 60 mph, while Ignoring our protests
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your feedback—we’re really sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet expectations. Your safety and enjoyment are our top priorities. I'm sorry it felt like you were going that fast, but our boats will maybe be 20-25 miles at max speed.
It was a chilly day but Ryan our captain was really great! We had a nice ride to the island and found some amazing shells. We saw a dolphin and he was able to get it to follow our wake for a while.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! Even on a chilly day, we’re so glad to hear you had a great time out on the water with Captain Ryan. A peaceful ride to the island, amazing shell finds, and a dolphin playing in the wake—sounds like a pretty special trip!
This was an OUTSTANDING experience. It's 2 hours so not an all day thing. We got the coolest dolphin experience and the shelling was so fun. Our captain did talk, but while enjoying the boat ride it was quiet, just the wind in your hair and the sound of the water! Literally could not have picked a better activity.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for such an amazing review! We’re so happy to hear your trip was an outstanding experience. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to have you back out with us again for another perfect day on the water!
We had a great morning seeing a lot of dolphins playing and swimming around us! We then went to a beach with so many amazing shells! The captains were friendly, knowledgeable, and safe! A great activity for kids and adults!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled you had such a great morning spotting dolphins and exploring the beach! It’s great to hear that our captains made the experience educational for both kids and adults. We’d love to have you back for another fun adventure soon!
Ed and Kim are familiar with the dolphins and their behaviors. They added to experience with shell facts/information to make this a learning experience. We appreciated their time.
Small boat with no bathroom do plan accordingly
Great trip with very knowledgeable captain and first mate zKim
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Glad you all had a great time!!
Very good trip. Thoroughly enjoyed our guide. We took my 10 month old granddaughter, which she loved the boat ride.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the review!! We've had new borns up to 100+ year olds that come out and have a blast! Glad you all did as well!
The captain and first mate were extremely knowledgeable and very nice. We had an Awesome time on our excursion!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the review!! All of our guides are extremely knowledgeable and love to share their passion with everyone that comes out!
Captain Mike was wonderful. We loved the trip. Great wildlife. Great shelling. Coming again with all my guests.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you all for coming out with us! Glad you had a great time with captain Mike!
Very friendly crew and objectives met. We saw a number of dolphins and some followed the boat. Birding and shelling was good, also.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for the review, Bob!! It's always a treat when the dolphins surf behind the boat..
We had a great time and our guide was very knowledgeable and provided a wonderful experience. We would recommend.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for the recommendation!! Glad you all had a great time!
Captain extremely knowledgeable, we saw and did everything the tour promised. Relaxing and perfectly timed and very enjoyable morning!
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you all for coming out with us!! Glad we could give you all a great morning.
Ed was a great guide, and so knowledgeable. He found plenty of dolphins, and even got some to swim in the boats’ wake
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for the great review!! Captain Ed is a true dolphin whisperer!! Thank you all for coming out with us!
We saw dolphins, a manatee, various birds and went shelling which was fun. Wished we had more time....
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Glad you all had a great time! There's never enough time out in the 10,000 Islands!
Capt. Colt was great. He has extensive knowledge of the wild life and the different types of shells. You can tell he loves his job.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the review! Captain Colt loves to share his passion and knowledge of the 10,000 Islands with everyone that comes out!! He definitely knows his stuff! Glad you all had a great time. Thanks for coming out with us!
Great experience. Great tour. Love watching dolphins. Captain was knowledgeable and answered all our questions.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the review!!! All of our guides love to share their passion and knowledge of the 10,000 Islands and the Everglades with everyone that comes out!
Awesome time and great captain! We so tons of wildlife and enjoyed the tour! We went early in the day and the weather was perfect!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the review! Glad you all had a great time.
Member Pricing
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$93.05
per personWas $97.95(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Marco Island 2 hour Dolphin, Birding and Shelling tour
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