Uncharted Waters — Attraction in North Myrtle Beach

We booked a dolphin tour with Uncharted Waters through groupon for our vacation to Myrtle Beach. On June 25th we went for the tour, on a double decker boat with 13 of us, including small children. When we were going out the channel, we expressed concern for a darkening sky approaching and told it was going another direction and not to worry about it. Before we got to the mouth of the ocean it was raining and we were all in the boat getting cover. Then it was pouring, hard. We attempted to help the 2 person crew zip up the windows, but they were broken so we were unable to sit on the benches along the side. As the water got choppier and the boat rocked harder, I asked for life jackets for my 2 small children, ages 5 and 7. Very quickly we found ourselves now in the ocean, with waves crashing into the boat due to the windows being broken, standing in water with lightning flashing around us. The entire boat wanted life jackets, and were handed them not ready to use and told to just "hold it on your neck, that works fine." During the next hour and some, the Captain stood at the wheel and said absolutely nothing. The young man with her stood by her and recorded the storm and said nothing. The other young man attempted to walk around and reassure and be helpful, but clearly was in over his head. It was absolutely terrifying, we could not see out at all and had no idea where shore was, my elderly parents were on board as well as 7 children of mine and my best friend's, ages 5-16, some of which could not swim. My younger 2 screamed in terror and could barely stand with the boat rocking, and there was a mother with 3 toddlers locked in the bathroom, 1 autistic and screaming the entire time. All I could think as a nurse is will I be doing CPR on my parents or children if we get struck by lightening, or if this gets worse will my children be able to make it to shore before drowning. Thank God the storm eventually did subside and the captain took us back to the dock, again in complete silence. As soon as we docked she stated that was the "worst storm she has been in since 1999," and then she disappeared. As we got off, our families and others asked for a refund from the 3 men on the dock and were met with condescending and rude behavior how "life jackets shouldn't of come out, you don't need them until the boat is sinking," and "those were just 2 foot waves we can't control the weather," and "no one was ever in danger." It took 15 minutes or so for them to even admit that their crew having no idea how to apply life jackets was unacceptable, and they would not admit we should of not gone out in the first place, when all other tours on that channel had turned back.  They eventually agreed to a refund, Ian pretended to take our names. During the next couple of days I called to inquire and was ignored. My best friend (she was on the boat) called and they answered immediately, and she was told they absolutely were not refunding a dime and Ian told him that we were "told to leave the dock"- none of that happened. She attempted to leave reviews on their instagram- they were deleted and she was blocked. I emailed the company email asking to speak to the owner, and was responded to ONE time and was told his crew "acted accordingly and did everything correct"- once again not admitting there was ZERO safety exercised. He did say we could have a refund we just had to contact groupon, since they did not have the money yet. Groupon was contacted and I forwarded his email- however they stated they tried to reach out to them repeatedly and each time they turned around and denied the refund. This has been dragging on for weeks.  We now are going through our CC companies for refunds, and reported them to the coastguard. Absolutely horrible company, completely unsafe and NO customer service...

We recently had an unforgettable experience on the early morning dolphin cruise with Uncharted Waters. We departed on time from the marina in North Myrtle Beach after waiting for a late-arriving family (hey, it's beach time, right?). From the moment we boarded, the crew made us feel welcome and excited for the journey ahead. Tammy, our boat pilot, and Adam, the crewmate, were not only incredibly knowledgeable but also warm, engaging, and full of fun facts about the area and its wildlife. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and their professionalism ensured a smooth and enjoyable ride. The boat itself was immaculate, offering comfortable seating and great views throughout the trip.

Cruising north along the Intracoastal Waterway and out into the open ocean toward Cherry Grove Beach was absolutely breathtaking. The peaceful morning light, the cool ocean breeze, and the thrill of spotting dolphins made for a perfect morning. The crew’s attention to detail truly elevated the experience. I wholeheartedly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area—it’s a perfect blend of relaxation, adventure, and coastal charm.

We are locals and I asked for this tour as a birthday present. My husband and I plus our two sons (teen and older kid) had a fun time and took so many photos! We initially wanted to tour the intracoastal to get familiar with the area and then see Cherry Grove Beach from the ocean since we always are looking at the ocean from the beach :) Since this first time, we have already gone two additional times and each time was a unique experience.

For example, on our second excursion, we went in the afternoon, and the ocean was a bit rough so we opted to cruise up to Sunset Beach. It was fun because there was an outdoor concert happening and we really enjoyed the music as we cruised past and all the friendly waves from everyone onshore.

We just returned from our third excursion, this time early morning again, and with the hint of cooler fall weather we enjoyed a very smooth morning on the open ocean and saw some wonderful dolphin activity. We are already thinking about excursion #4.

Why choose Uncharted Waters? For us: Great crew, easy to get to marina location (right by the swinging bridge and Captain Archie's, large parking lot), the boat has an upper deck that you can get up higher for better views as well as a covered lower deck to protect from sun and weather if needed, crew has lots of knowledge about the area and are easy to talk to, and they are very professional but friendly and relaxed.

NOTE - the captain and crew work for tips, so please keep them in mind if you are so inclined. We didn't bring any cash for our first trip and...

This is the tour to take!! From the first phone call to the end of the tour, the company was so helpful, super friendly and accommodating. Our family of six with two adults two teens and two youngins booked a dolphin tour. First of all it was private which was such an amazing and personal experience as a family. We have been on other tours...but this was our first private and man was it so worth it. Anyone with little ones knows how unpredictable they can be and the private tour was great to not have to worry about them bothering others. In addition to that bonus one of our kids got a little woozy and the captain was compationate about it and helped her then he made the tour a little easier on her and she had a great rest of the time. He was so knowledgeable and took time out to tell us all about the different local stories and recommended the best seafood place..which we went to after the tour and it was delicious. Ohhh and amongst this great time...DOLPHINS!! YES we saw plenty of dolphins and it was just a wonderful tour!! Thank you to our captain and everyone that worked hard for us to have...