Guaranteed to see dolphins on my boat?
One of the great joys to hear from returning customers is, “We saw dolphins today!” That sighting is always rewarding and it seems to never grow old or lose its impact on people. We have seen hundreds and still love seeing them. They are very commonly found in the Gulf, the ICW, and bays in the Tampa/St. Pete/Sarasota region. Would I guarantee seeing them when you are out of one of our boats? Almost, but maybe not quite. It is actually rare that we don’t spot some, sometimes a dozen or more, but we’re not ready to guarantee it.
Where and when to look? Anywhere there is saltwater really. Close to shore, out in the open, dusk, dawn, anytime during the day are all times and places where you will see the playful yet docile mammals porpoising in the surface waters. They tend to like playing in the wakes of boats, prompting boaters to drop their trim tabs to increase their wakes and attract playful dolphins to follow them. Also, stopping the boat and drifting in the water will prompt dolphins that are curious to come around and check you out, giving boaters a fairly close-up encounter.
It is important to remember always as visitors, we never bother the dolphins. Don’t touch them, don’t try to swim with them, don’t attempt to feed them, and certainly don’t try and chase them down. They are beautiful, but they are wild animals in their own habitat meant ONLY to be observed, admired, video taped, and photographed, but then it’s time to move on and respect their environment. We hope you see many dolphins when in Florida and certainly when out on one of our boats.
