Fins to Feathers Dolphin Tours — Local services in South Padre Island

This was a very unique experience and I really enjoyed it. I don't think this kind of tour is for everyone though, so here are the details from our dolphin tour:

This is a very intimate, personal tour onto the water to see dolphins, birds and more.. You're on a small private boat with the owner and he is full of personality and endless conversation. We did the 1.5 hour tour which was the perfect amount of time, but was a little long for my kids because they got a little hungry. I didn't know we could bring snacks/water, but your guide is very welcoming to that so if you're going out with little ones, prepare them for a good hour and a half on the water! If you're an introvert, this isn't the tour for you. I absolutely love getting to know new people and hearing different perspectives on life, so it was great for me. My kids are extremely shy though, so they were overwhelmed at times. It took time for us to find the dolphins (~1 hour) but once we did, it was incredible! Again, remind little kids to be patient if they're antsy! And there is plenty to see along the way, such as the Space X rockets and an awesome array of birds.

Overall, if you're looking for a laid back personal experience that is much more like being on a boat with a friend than being on a vacation tour, this is well worth the cost. If you're looking for something more touristy, or just want to have a quiet ride out to see dolphins without a lot of chatting, this isn't for you. This is definitely the Bed & Breakfast of dolphin touring, not the...

We had a fantastic time on our dolphin cruise. We loved the small group setting and our family was the only party on the boat. Captain Paul maintained social distance and offered sunscreen while he told us fascinating details about the local birds and of course the dolphins. We very much appreciated that he does not trawl the bottom and pull up unsuspecting sea creatures to be poked at and instead conducts a true "eco-tour" which involves not harassing the wildlife. As with all dolphin tours, feeding the animals is illegal and it is always their choice to show up or not. That being said, he was able to show us many dolphins and pointed out their unique fin shapes that helps him recognize the individuals and told us about their growing families. We were able to see the SpaceX facility and a partially constructed rocket, as well as passing close by a ridiculously enormous freighter from Hong Kong loaded with huge blades for the wind farms, complete with dolphins jumping in the bow wave. Captain Paul is a man of wide experience and knowledge and we appreciated all the information he had to share. Our whole family loved the experience and we will for...

We took the Dolphin and Birding Cruise on Dec 17th, 2018 with two other couples (6 total), and really enjoyed ourselves. We saw 22 species of birds on the trip including really close up views of various spits of land where the birds were packed together. Our trip included many White and Brown Pelicans, 6 types of herons, closeups of Osprey, Harriers, Rudy Turnstone, 3 types of terns, Common Loon, and more! Twice on the trip we got great views of Common Bottlenose Dolphins. Captain's approach is one where he has befriend the dolphins, so on one occasion, three dolphins swam right up to our boat to give us awesome views. In addition, we had numerous views of tail waving, jumping, blowing, and more! The dolphin show was amazing, including watching the dolphins race in front of a trawler. Captain kept it lively and interesting throughout the 2.5 hour trip, which I would recommend highly. You need the extra time to see all that's...