Tours/Panama City Beach/3 Hour Dolphin Tour and Snorkeling in Shell Island
Viator · Private tour

3 Hour Dolphin Tour and Snorkeling in Shell Island

4.6(106)Panama City Beach1 hour
VIATOR4.4(47)TRIPADVISOR4.8(59)

Description

The trip is a 3 hour snorkeling/dolphin tour guided by Capt. Ashley Bishop, a former marine mammal trainer. Customers will get to experience dolphins up close and personal and explore parts of our area that are only accessible by boat. We typically spend half the trip exploring Shell Island, a 7 mile long uninhabited island. You can relax on the beach, look for sea shells, snorkel, or any number of activities. Come enjoy a relaxing experience away from the crowded beaches and shopping areas and enjoy a dolphin tour on our 27ft boat the largest and fastest private tour around.

Tour Options

3 Hour Dolphin Tour and Snorkeling in Shell Island

Highlights

Use of Snorkelling equipment

What's included

Included
Use of Snorkelling equipment
Not included
Bottled water
Please bring your own snacks and BYOB

Traveller Ratings

4.6
106 reviews
5
94
4
1
3
1
2
2
1
8

Important Information

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Reviews(106)

R
Richard_S
August 7, 2026
They double booked and I am having trouble getting a refund

They double booked we didn’t go out as they tried pushing us to the next day. They said they would refund my money but have not done so. I don’t recommend booking with Viator or the operator.

A
Amber_P
August 5, 2026
Look for the pink boat!

There’s no place to check in, per se, so look for the pink boat! Logan and Kaden did a great job with the tour and are very knowledgeable with the area. It’s fun to have a private tour with stead of a group for a family. Highly recommend!

T
tracybH8848DV
July 30, 2026
Excellent snorkeling for the family!

We had a great experience seeing dolphins and exploring 2 snorkeling locations which each had fantastic sea life! Captain Logan ensured we had a great time and helped us find some incredible sea creatures! We would definitely recommend this experience!

J
Jacob_S
July 29, 2026
Awesome experience

One of kind experience.. it's a nice change of pace from the busy beaches.. Logan did everything he could to find us some dolphins and we had several swimming right up next to the boat.. he also took us to see some turtles which was a really cool experience.. we really wanted to swim with the dolphins but the water was just to murky at that time and it would of been hard to see anything in front of us otherwise I'm sure Logan would of made it happen.. overall everyone from mom and dad down to the 3 year old all had a blast.. we would def book this trip every year we are in pcb!

D
Deborah R
July 24, 2026
Great activity for the family

The private boat ride is great for a family trip. The tour guide is very helpful and we appreciated that they had a focus on safety during our trip. You will see dolphins and have a nice shell hunting trip and snorkel session at Shell Island. The price is very reasonable and it is a nice long activity for the family.

S
samanthahE9888HB
July 20, 2026
It feels like a scam

We booked a week an advance. When the day came we waited 20 minutes and nobody showed up. I called and she said that she didn’t have us in the schedule and that sometimes booking is messed up when booking 3rd party. She offered to do a 2 hour instead of a 3 we could not make that work . So we did they 2 hour. Her captain rolled in after 20 minutes, clearly hung over. As far as the actual island there are literally no shells and it’s over crowded. We also had to swim out to get to the island which was exhausting if you aren’t a strong swimmer. We found more shells at the public beaches. We did she a few dolphins. I asked if she would refund the difference for price. She was rude but said she would. I had to remind her multiple times just to get $34 back. Don’t waste your money.

M
Michael_M
July 19, 2026
I booked the snorkeling...

I booked the snorkeling and dolphin tour after waiting for hour two more groups showed up for the same boat I booked, So it was tripled booked which was my last day with my family which completely messed my last day at the beach up, my kids were upset they really looked forward to Shell Island so not only did they not get to go to the island they looked forward to the whole time we were there they also lost there last day at the beach.

D
Desiray_M
July 16, 2026
Amazing Experience

This exceeded our expectations. Our captain Logan was exceptional and went above and beyond to make it an awesome experience.

E
EvelyneLeaAnn_T
June 17, 2026
Family Fun Half Day

Logan did a great job making sure we got to see lots of Dolphin activity. He is so knowledgeable about local wildlife and we enjoyed learning about the local environment from him. We went snorkeling and came back with tons of sand dollars and saw some cool fish and sea turtles. Well worth the time and money. Highly recommend for a half day family trip.

V
Victor_M
June 15, 2026
Family fun

A fun private trip for my family. The captain was extra nice by going the extra mile to make sure my kids can find sand dollars while we were snorkeling.

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