Hilton Head Dolphin Tours
Every dolphin cruise and tour on the island, shared or private, with prices and where each one leaves from.
Book a Hilton Head Dolphin Cruise
Dolphin tours with live availability. Booking opens here on HHI.com, with the operator’s own booking system.
Booked through FareHarbor, the island operators’ own booking system. HHI.com may earn a commission.
Dolphin Cruises: Buy a Seat
Narrated trips on bigger boats, sold by the seat. The cheapest way to see the dolphins, and the easiest with small children.
Dolphin Seafari at Shelter Cove Harbour: a family-run 90-minute dolphin cruise on Broad Creek from $40, plus donut mornings, sunset and fireworks trips.
Captain Mark's Dolphin Cruise: narrated dolphin, sunset and Tuesday fireworks cruises on the Holiday from Shelter Cove Harbour, Monday to Saturday.
Vagabond Cruise runs sightseeing boats off the Harbour Town dock in Sea Pines: dolphin trips, sunset dinners, the Daufuskie ferry and a Savannah day trip.
Bike and beach gear rentals delivered island-wide, plus dolphin tours on the Island Explorer.
H2O Sports runs parasailing, jet skis, dolphin tours and kayak trips from its booth by the lighthouse at the Harbour Town marina in Sea Pines.
Island Head on Hilton Head: pontoon boat rentals, parasailing, water skiing, kayak tours, hibachi dinner cruises and the Daufuskie ferry, from two marinas.
Private Dolphin Boats
Just your party, usually up to six, priced per boat. The captain sets the route around the tide and what you want to see.
Cross Island Cruises at Shelter Cove Harbour, Hilton Head: private dolphin, sunset and strand-feeding trips with a naturalist captain.
Native Son Adventures at Shelter Cove Marina: private tiki-boat dolphin tours, fishing charters and custom days on the water for up to six people.
Salt Marsh Sailing at Shelter Cove: private dolphin, sunset and fireworks sails for up to six on a 27-foot catamaran on Broad Creek, from $359.
Anchors Away Sailing Charters at Skull Creek Marina: private monohull sails for up to six, or twelve on Seas The Moment, from $385, plus half days.
Carolina Breeze Charters at Broad Creek Marina: private dolphin tours, sunset cruises and custom trips for up to six on a 31-foot boat with a bathroom.
Private dolphin, shark-fishing and shelling trips from Broad Creek Marina, built around the family.
Hilton Head Dolphin Tours
Book on their site ↗Private dolphin tours and Disappearing Island sandbar trips with Captain Brody.
Inshore fishing and dolphin trips from the Hudson Road docks on Skull Creek.
Inshore fishing and nature trips for families, with a captain who knows the local wildlife.
Captain Moto Adventures
Book on their site ↗Private boat trips from Hilton Head Harbor on Jenkins Island.
Drive Your Own Boat or Paddle
Guided tours where you steer a small catamaran or boat behind the guide, or paddle a kayak out to the dolphins.
Bluewater Adventure at Shelter Cove: guided two-hour tours where you drive your own two-seat catamaran, $135 for adults, plus sunset and fireworks tours.
Jet skis, kayak and paddleboard tours and dolphin trips from Palmetto Bay Marina.
Outside Hilton Head at Shelter Cove Harbour: kayak and paddleboard rentals, guided kayak tours, dolphin tours, fishing and pontoon rentals, how to book.
Hilton Head Outfitters at 80 Queens Folly Road: Palmetto Dunes bike rentals, kayaks, paddleboards and beach gear, with free delivery on 3-day bike rentals.
Dolphin Cruises for Children
A treasure hunt on a pirate ship at Harbour Town, or a cruise from Broad Creek where children meet a mermaid, often with dolphins alongside.
Pirates of Hilton Head sails the Black Sparrow from the Harbour Town dock in Sea Pines: a 90-minute treasure hunt for children, water cannons included.
Dolphin cruises where children meet a mermaid, plus private sunset charters, from Broad Creek Marina.
Where You See Dolphins on Hilton Head
Atlantic bottlenose dolphins live in the creeks and sounds around Hilton Head all year, so a dolphin cruise here is close to a sure thing. Boats from Shelter Cove and Broad Creek Marina work Broad Creek, the tidal river that cuts into the middle of the island. Boats from Harbour Town go out into Calibogue Sound toward Daufuskie. The north-end boats run Skull Creek and Port Royal Sound. Most trips also pass waterfront homes, the Harbour Town lighthouse or the marsh, and the captain narrates.
Hilton Head’s dolphins are known for strand feeding: a group herds fish onto a mud bank at low tide and slides up out of the water after them. Only a few places in the world see it. It happens on the falling and low tide, so the private captains time their trips by the tide chart. Ask when you book if seeing it matters to you.
What a Hilton Head Dolphin Tour Costs
Shared dolphin cruise: about $40 for an adult for 90 minutes on Dolphin Seafari, less for children. The big Harbour Town and Shelter Cove boats are in the same range.
Drive your own: Bluewater Adventure’s two-hour guided catamaran tour is $135 for adults and $115 for children; drivers must be 18.
Private boat for up to six: priced per boat, from about $350 for two hours. Salt Marsh Sailing’s private Dolphin Day Sail is $359.
Shared Cruise or Private Dolphin Tour?
A shared dolphin cruise is the cheapest seat and the easiest with small children: a big, stable boat with a restroom and shade. A private dolphin tour costs more per person for a couple but less for a full boat of six, and the captain will chase the dolphins, stop at a sandbar or run to lunch on request. Morning trips are calmer and cooler in summer. The evening ones turn into sunset dolphin cruises, and a few boats serve dinner. For a bigger group or a whole day, see private boat charters.
Seeing Dolphins From a Kayak
Dolphins come right up to kayaks in the quiet creeks. Guided kayak tours leave from Shelter Cove, Palmetto Dunes and Broad Creek; every outfitter is on the Hilton Head kayaking page. The rules are the same as from a boat: watch, never feed or chase them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best dolphin cruise on Hilton Head?
For families, a 90-minute shared cruise from Shelter Cove (Dolphin Seafari or Captain Mark’s) or Harbour Town (Vagabond). For a couple or a group of six, a private boat, which can wait out the tide for strand feeding.
How much is a dolphin tour in Hilton Head?
About $40 for an adult on a shared 90-minute cruise. Guided drive-your-own tours are $135, and private boats for up to six start at about $350 for two hours.
Will we see dolphins?
Almost certainly. Bottlenose dolphins live in Broad Creek, Calibogue Sound and Skull Creek all year, and Vagabond guarantees a sighting on its Harbour Town dolphin cruises.
When is the best time for a dolphin tour on Hilton Head?
Any time of year. Mornings are calmer and cooler in summer, and the falling tide is best for strand feeding. Evening trips add the sunset.
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