CoastLine Dolphin & Snorkeling Excursions — Attraction in Bradenton

Briefly: this is a GREAT company, with PROFESSIONAL and FRIENDLY employees, and we had a wonderful time on a 2-hour boat tour, during which we saw several dolphins and amazing scenery of Anna Maria Island. Also, do give them a CALL to book, as opposed to booking through the web.

Here's a more detailed account...

While on spring break in the Bradenton area, we spontaneously decided to take a 2-hour boat tour. Their website was informative, easy to navigate and I'm guessing one could easily book a tour through it without much hassle. The only weird thing was that it was just the three of us, and, for the time that we were looking for, the website allowed booking of tours for groups of four (other time slots offered more flexible options). Some time slots were even disabled, with a note indicating to call to book. I would highly recommend booking any tour by CALLING them. When I called, they didn't pick up, but I left my contact information, and they called me back within five minutes and very clearly explained the whole process. Moreover, the person that answered was super friendly and helpful, and I think we even saved a few $$ by booking over the phone, since booking online incurs a convenience fee.

On the day of the tour, we showed up for a 3 - 5pm tour at 2:30 and were immediately met by one of the captains of another tour. It took a few minutes to sign waivers, and we boarded our tour boat a few minutes early. Our Captain was Captain, who is a super friendly guy, very laid back but also incredibly knowledgeable and he didn't poke fun at us too much for being non-boaters from up north :-) It seemed like he had a sixth sense, knowing exactly where to go to find dolphins, and we did end up seeing quite a few. Captain John suggested that we sit in the back and then he maneuvered the boat so that the dolphins would follow along in our wake. During the middle of the tour, we stopped at a sandbar and were able to get out, walk along the sugar sand, and hunt for shells. Then, we went out a way into the Gulf looking back at AMI (very cool!), circled back around to see more dolphins, and eventually headed back. At one point, on the way back, we came upon what looked to be a stranded boat. Captain John slowed down to check if they needed help, but the driver of the other boat indicated that all was well, so we just kept going. To me, this seemingly insignificant act speaks to the professionalism of the company and the crew.

I highly recommend a tour with Coastline Dolphin ... Excursions. Especially if you're staying at the Compass Hotel -- just walk on over! I also highly recommend Captain John, although I'm confident that you will have a good time with their...

coastline excursions completely blew us away. we booked a 2-hour trip at 10am and were lucky enough to have captain john—who was absolutely phenomenal. we could immediately tell he genuinely cared about both our experience and our safety. when an unexpected storm started closing in around us (lightning and all!), he quickly pulled into a local dock, helped us get under safe cover, and stayed calm, kind, and reassuring the entire time. he even went out of his way trying to help us spot dolphins, despite the weather!

but the best part? the owner, captain casey, worked with us directly to reschedule for later the same day—and that’s when the magic really happened. we got to go back out, and this time, captain casey took the wheel himself. he didn’t just drive the boat—he crafted an unforgettable adventure. we saw dolphins up close (like really up close), snorkeled at a stunning sandbar full of sea life, and even got to safely hold a sea urchin thanks to captain casey hopping in the water with us! he made sure we felt safe the entire time, and it honestly felt like we were exploring the ocean with a friend who knew every secret spot.

we saw tons of shells, beautiful crabs, sea urchins, fish, and more. captain casey even went above and beyond trying to track down some manatees for us—they were hiding, but the effort alone says everything about how passionate this team is about creating an amazing experience.

every single part of this was worth every penny. if you’re visiting florida and want an excursion that’s personal, exciting, and full of heart—book with coastline excursions. i’d recommend them to absolutely everyone. hands down, one of the best things we’ve ever done...

What an amazing time my friend and I had! From the start, we received wonderful customer service from Kasey (and I hope I’m spelling that right) He informed me that the water had been choppy, but they were going to try to make it out the next day.

We went out on the 3 hour tour, and it flew by so fast. We were greeted by Paul, as he smiled and waved at me from a distance. Paul. Oh, Paul. You wonderful captain, you. He really made us feel so welcome. We stopped twice, and he gave us history on the sites we were looking at. He was very patient with me. He gave me a few different sizes of flippers to try on, only for me to not use them in the end. (Sorry, Paul) Snorkeling was a lot of fun, and we found some very pretty shells.

We had seen a few dolphins out in the water, but you could tell Paul really wanted to give us the full experience. Before we went back to the docks, he waited and circled the boat and found a group of them. They rode the wake when he sped up, and oh wow was that very adorable. Paul didn’t have to do that for us. Did I mention Paul is cool yet?

Kasey was there to greet us in the end, and you could tell that both of these brave men that sail the high seas really love what they do. It shows.

If you had a great time like I did, show it. Tip your captain! They are...