Gulf of Mexico Cruise: Manatees and Dolphins

Discover dolphins and manatees on a sunset boat tour at Anna Maria Island. Enjoy breathtaking views and wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Longboat Key - The journey will continue unless dolphins are spotted along the way.
  • Anna Maria Island - Experience a breathtaking sunset on Anna Maria Island, Florida, from this exceptional water-based viewpoint. Conclude your day perfectly by witnessing the sun’s stunning reflection on the water as it gradually disappears beyond the horizon.
What's Included
  • Experienced Guide
What's Not Included
  • Bring sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses with a retaining strap.
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • In the spring and fall, a light jacket is recommended.
  • Tipping your captain is a great way to say thank you if you enjoyed the tour.
Additional Information

The Gulf Coast and its stunning back bay await exploration. Enjoy a cruise through the crystal-clear waters, where you might spot manatees grazing (seasonally) and dolphins frolicking. During low tide, wading birds are often visible on the exposed grass flats. Conclude your day perfectly by witnessing the sun’s magnificent reflection on the water as it gently sets beyond the horizon.

Location
Waterline Villas & Marina, Autograph Collection
Marina Drive
Our address is 5325 Marina Dr. Holmes Beach. Parking is located behind the two buildings anywhere in the gravel lot and the check-in station is around the front near the marina itself. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to departure. We look forward to seeing you all!
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(261 Ratings)
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1 star
Chrispy52
Nov 5, 2025
Delightful - Had a wonder trip..CJ & Jim were informative plus entertaining. Got to see dolphins & a beautiful sunset. HIGHLY recommend for families & couples.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E3650vskimberlyw
Oct 23, 2025
Best sunset dolphin tours! - We scheduled a Sunset Dolphin Cruise, unfortunately the dolphins didn’t cooperate. Our Captain, Gunner was great! They guarantee you’ll see dolphins or you get another tour; the next morning was amazing we saw dolphins! They jumped around us, showing off and ran alongside the boat. We also went to a private beach to go shelling! The day was perfect! Thank you Gunner!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D7745zpmichellef
Oct 19, 2025
Great experience - Very fun. Amazing sunset views. Mike was a great skipper. We were with some fun people. Great way to celebrate our anniversary.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Skoosh1
Oct 14, 2025
Wonderful boat trip - Our skipper Chris was incredibly knowledgable - the whole experience was wonderful - great boat saw lots of dolphins and the sunset from the boat was gorgeous i would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leraanne
Oct 9, 2025
Anticipated greatness, so we booked back to back! - We had originally booked a sunset dolphin cruise for the last week in September/early October 2024, and unfortunately hurricanes Helene and Milton had other plans for us. Because AMI became inaccessible after the storms, employees at AMI Dolphin Tours worked very closely with me. They offered me the option of a refund for my booking, but asked if, as an alternative solution, I'd be open to taking an "email voucher" as a credit for a return trip. Since we tend to visit FL frequently, I agreed. I honestly wouldn't have asked for a refund either way - figuring they were dealing with WAY bigger problems than I. Skipping ahead to this summer, when we booked our flights to FL, I connected with them to see if they'd still honor our purchase from last year, and they happily rescheduled us. I was so impressed with the communication and service from them, that before we'd even had a chance to do our sunset cruise, I booked a Noon cruise for the same day! I'm happy to say that we had a fantastic experience on both cruises - and Captain Ben was a fantastic host. Since he grew up on the island, he knows his stuff. On our afternoon cruise, we spotted dolphins early on and traveled alongside a larger yacht that the dolphins were following and playing in the wake. We even got to see a manatee, which was unexpected. On our sunset cruise, unfortunately the sun did hide behind some clouds as it set, but the real beauty was what the sun was doing to the clouds in the opposite direction. The colors of orange, pink, and purple were some of the most brilliant I've seen. Unfortunately our sunset cruise only gave a tiny glimpse at a few dolphins, and it was mainly dark, but that's how it goes sometimes. Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to book with AMI Dolphin Tours again in the future. They are a great group of people and offer some amazing cruises!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robert_b
Oct 8, 2025
Sunset Dolphin boat cruise - This is a very beautiful sunset and dolphin boat tour! We saw dozens of dolphins and a beautiful sunset! Our tour guide was knowledgeable, kind and caring!
Review provided by Viator
Mark_r
Oct 5, 2025
We were able to see a lot... - We were able to see a lot of dolphin activity. The captain of our boat was very knowledgeable and courteous.
Review provided by Viator
Cummingsj88
Oct 3, 2025
Great boat ride - Great boat ride. The captain was very knowledgeable and shared lots of interesting information about dolphins and Anna Maria Island. The only bummer was that the clouds decided to come out right before we went out on the water, so we didn’t see much of a sunset. Still had an awesome time and would recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aktumbleweed
Oct 2, 2025
Great Boat Tour - This was a great tour! It was cloudy, so no spectacular sunset views, but our captain, Chad, was very knowledgeable about dolphins, and we saw quite a few of them!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisa_r
Oct 2, 2025
Sunset with Dolphins- couldn’t think of anything better, - Perfect night, Chad knows his stuff and was spotting wildlife a very far distance away. We got to see groups of dolphins- some were swimming up to the boat. 2 hours goes by quickly, so sad to see it come to an end. Will definitely be signing up for another tour, when I am back in Florida.
Review provided by Viator
From $58
up to 7 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).