Mile Isle Beachcomber Tour: Private Dolphin Sightings

Embark on a private dolphin sighting adventure on the Mile Isle Beachcomber Tour. Collect sand dollars, sea shells, and even sharks teeth while exploring the mile-long sandbar. Perfect for families and small groups.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Harbour Town Lighthouse and Museum - On the way to the Mile Isle, we’ll cruise past the iconic red and white striped lighthouse.

The Harbour Town Lighthouse is a lighthouse at the Harbour Town Marina at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It was privately built and is a private aid to navigation.

  • Daufuskie Island - We’ll continue down the beach line of Daufuskie, looking for wild dolphins as we go.

Daufuskie Island, located between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, is the southernmost inhabited sea island in South Carolina. It is 5 miles long by almost 2.5 miles wide

  • approximate surface area of 8 square miles.
What's Included
  • Expert narration by a Licensed Captain and Master Naturalist
  • All fees and taxes included
  • Exclusive private vessel for your family tour
What's Not Included
  • Gratuity
Additional Information

Enjoy a two-and-a-half-hour adventure on your own private boat. Your Master Captain will guide you safely through the Calibogue on a falling tide to the isle. This mile long sandbar is exposed for only a couple of hours per day, allowing beachcombers the chance to collect sand dollars, seashells and the occasional shark’s tooth.

We’ll stop along the way to look for wild dolphins playing in the sound. We’ll share information about the island, the salt marsh and the surrounding ecosystem. Your Captain is also a Lowcountry Master Naturalist, and will assist you in identifying the various shells, mollusks and other invertebrates to be found on this tour!

This is an ideal outing for families and small groups. With up to 6 passengers, there’s plenty of room onboard and a comfortable seat for everyone.

  • This trip does require some level of mobility, as it involves stepping down onto a step and wading in two to six inches of water
Location
68 Helmsman Way
Helmsman Way
Enter the parking lot of Cross Island Boat Landing, just under the Cross Island Parkway. Plenty of parking available. Walk down to the docks to meet your Captain.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(78 Ratings)
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Carissac642
Aug 23, 2024
Once in a Lifetime Experience - Captain Mark created such a wonderful experience for us. We learned lots of fun facts about the island, sea life, and more. This was such a fun and exciting trip to a vanishing isle that is so fascinating and unreal! He was a great guide and ensured that we would have an unforgettable experience. He went out of his way to show us everything that we were curious about. Overall, I highly recommend booking this tour because this experience is hard to come by!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bukj333
Jul 27, 2024
Fantastic Tour! - Our family went on the vanishing mile isle tour on our trip to Hilton Head, and it ended up being the highlight of our trip. Captain Mark was so knowledgeable about the area ecology, and the history of the area in general. He also took a detour to show us dolphin families swimming around. It was a wonderful experience. We plan to take the tour again the next time we are in HH.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ellen_c
Jul 22, 2024
Captain Mark made the trip so much richer and more memorable than a boat ride - We had moms getaway of 6 women and they all had such a great time. The comment was that this was so much better and richer than just a looking for dolphin ride as captain mark talked about the stuff we were seeing (worms, imprints in sand from starfish) and about the island (neighborhoods, traffic and tourist patterns).
Review provided by Viator
Y173fwrobm
Jul 21, 2024
10/10 day with Captain Mark! - We had the best time with Captain Mark visiting Vanishing Isle and seeing many dolphins along the way! The kids loved their first boating experience and Captain Mark did a great job answering all of their questions! They came home with so many sand dollars and got to hold starfish and crabs! We would love to get back for another trip someday soon!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lee
Jun 28, 2024
An Absolute Must for Families and Kids - Captain Mark was an incredible Captain and guide for our private tour. We booked about three months in advance to make sure we were able to have this experience with our two young children. Mark communicated a few days in advance to make sure that we knew where to meet him, what the trip would be like, the weather, and to bring a bag for shells. He was easily accessible for questions and genuinely wanted to make sure that we had a good experience. The vanishing island is a touristy spot but Mark got us there first before it got busy (and it does get busy). We checked the area for shells, got a few pictures, and then left for some exploration in the saltwater marshes. We saw dolphins up close, checked a crab pot, and learned about the local ecosystem. After a stop for some extra shells, we headed back. The tour is fun and informative. Mark is phenomenal and was a hit with our kids. The whole time it felt less like tour and more like family friends going out on the boat.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
879danad
Jun 9, 2024
Best tour on Hilton Head! - We did the Vanishing Mile Isle Tour and Private Dolphin Tour with Captain Mark this week and both were amazing. We had a four year old and two six year olds and Captain Mark was so patient and engaging with them it really made the trip that much better. We had a fantastic time. We can't go to HHI now without seeing Captain Mark!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F1022qctamaraw
Jun 9, 2024
The most interesting shelling and dolphin cruise - This was the most interesting cruise I have ever been on. The captain was so friendly and informative. We saw so many dolphins, I learned more about dolphins than ever, and we are from Florida! If you want to experience an island full of starfish and sand dollars, Captain Mark will get you there first, before the crowds. Choose Captian Mark, you will be happy you did!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Regina_a
Apr 9, 2024
Best tour, with the best Captain - Captain Mark was very informative along our tour to the sandbar. He gave us history of the area, shared with us about the sea life, and birds that we saw along the way. It was a very enjoyable, relaxing trip. Once at the sandbar he helped us find sand dollars and identify shells, jelly fish, and crabs. My family and I had a fantastic time, and we will do this again.
Review provided by Viator
N4816iukaties
Apr 9, 2024
Wonderful tour! - Great tour! Absolutely beautiful area. Captain Mark was full of great information. Found some great shells and had a breathtaking boat ride. The experience was enjoyed by the whole family! Definitely want to do this again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Faceplantr
Nov 9, 2023
Great Time with Captain Mark - At the end of October 2023, our family took the Vanishing Isle Tour and the Sunset Dolphin Tour, on two different days. They were both spectacular, and Captain Mark was wonderful. The entire group loved both tours, but all were especially impressed with the Vanishing Isle Tour. If either or both interest you, I would highly recommend them. Captain Mark was incredibly knowledgable and made the entire process a delight. We would absolutely do both tours again, if we are in the area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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