Paradise Boat Tours — Local services in Brandenton Beach

Paradise Boat Tours company cancelled my tour 10 minutes before the scheduled tour. The reason they gave and the way they handled the cancellation make us believe they cancelled the trip on purpose, because there weren’t enough reservations and they simply did not want to send out the boat. Details below: We arrived 30min prior to the scheduled boat tour. We didn’t find Paradise Boat Tours office so walked all the way to the fish pier. We saw an empty tour boat. While we were heading back and looking for the office, I received a call from a woman from the office 15min prior to the scheduled tour. She told me to look for a yellow building next to fish poles. A few minutes later, when I arrived at the office, she told me the tour was cancelled. The reason was Coast Guard suddenly randomly picked up boats to check to ensure the boats were safe after last hurricane. Paradise boat was in line for checkup. I asked if we could take the next tour today, she said the checkup would take hours and they couldn’t guarantee a tour would be available for tomorrow morning either. They didn’t offer a new date. We accepted their explanation and left. It was peaceful. However, after coming back, I realized the reason they gave simply didn’t make sense: it’s been 5 months since last hurricane, why would Coast Guard ensure boats were safe now? Coast Guard would disrupt businesses in such an abrupt way? Why was there an empty tour boat at the pier? They didn’t have proper customer service either: they didn’t offer rescheduling. I think the reason they didn’t take payment when I reserved the tour online was because it would be easier for them to cancel the trip in case there won’t enough people. I doubt on their honesty to customers.

UPDATE: I saw the owner’s response. He claimed they knew I would leave a bad review. We were polite in their office. I didn’t hear from him. I gave one star because of the fact they cancelled the tour 10 minutes before the scheduled time and didn’t offer a different time. I shared my doubts openly for the...

I was absolutely blown away by this dolphin boat tour. The atmosphere was intimate as we were joined by only one other small party. Justin and Christina, our guides, were simply amazing. Their extensive knowledge and ability to present information in a fun way made the tour even more enjoyable. Not only did they provide us with great recommendations for local eateries and activities, but they also shared fascinating historical facts about the city.

The highlight of the tour was undoubtedly the opportunity to observe both baby and adult dolphins, along with manta rays and other marine creatures, all from a safe distance. I was particularly impressed when Justin noticed a plastic bag floating in the water and Christina promptly retrieved it. Their enthusiasm and dedication to preserving marine life and educating others on the importance of doing the same were truly commendable.

The boat itself was in excellent condition, and I felt completely secure with Justin and Christina at the helm. I cannot emphasize enough how remarkable this experience was. I wholeheartedly recommend this boat tour to anyone seeking an...

I think we chose the wrong day to go. My husband took his sister and parents before and had a different experience. The boat was full to capacity this time. I counted 43 passengers plus the captain and the attendant. 45 people total. They told the people they needed to scoot to make room for new people coming in. People who were coming together got separated. I heard people complaining. My mother in-law reserved a spot so we didn't get separated. The max was 3 people per seat. We barely saw any dolphins. The people behind me were complaining about not seeing any dolphins. The attendant was mentioning facts about the dolphins but I think that she was miserably hot and tired and didn't keep the people entertained enough to make it fun, and the microphone stopped working halfway through. I was so bored I fell asleep but it started raining and the rain woke me up. I had to stand in the middle of the row because I was getting soaked. I couldn't wait to get off the overcrowded boat. I do not want to repeat this experience let alone pay for...