Shell Island Dolphin Tour

Shell Island is the undeveloped barrier island across St. Andrews Pass from St. Andrews State Park, almost seven miles of sand and dunes between St. Andrews Bay and the Gulf. A Shell Island dolphin tour is a boat trip that does two things: it anchors off the island so you can snorkel, swim and walk the beach, and it spends the rest of its time looking for the bottlenose dolphins that live in the bay. The trips that do both run three hours; the shorter cruises sail past the island without stopping.

The short answer

For most groups, book Island Time, in the booking box on this page. Its large sailing catamaran leaves The Dock on North Lagoon Drive, anchors at Shell Island for about an hour with snorkel gear and paddle boards on board, and spends the other two hours on dolphins. It has restrooms and shade, which matters because the island itself is undeveloped, and it costs from $52.43 for adults and $41.73 for children aged 3 to 12, rated 4.9 from 5,074 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor (checked October 2026).

Check dates for the Shell Island cruise

It is a busy boat on summer days. For a quieter trip, take a pontoon that carries 18 or 6; for children who will not sit still for snorkeling, the water-park catamaran below has trampolines and slides moored off the island.

Pick by what you want at the island

Prices, ratings and review counts from the Viator listings (checked October 2026). Operators price by season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.

Where the boats go

From Grand Lagoon the run to Shell Island is short: Paradise Adventures puts it at about ten minutes from its dock behind The Bayside Resort. The boats anchor in the shallow, sheltered water off the island and go looking for dolphins in St. Andrews Bay, along the jetties and out into the Gulf when the water allows; Paradise Adventures notes that red flags on the beaches do not stop its trips, because it works in the calmer bay.

What you do at the island

• Snorkel. The water off the island is shallow and clear on calm days; the boats lend masks and snorkels. Expect sand bottom with starfish, hermit crabs and small fish rather than a reef.
• Swim and paddle. Island Time carries two paddle boards; Paradise Adventures adds kayaks and its inflatable park.
• Walk the beach for shells. Sand dollars and shells wash up along the island. A shell with a live animal inside has to stay.
• Bring what you need. The island is undeveloped, so bring water and sun protection and carry everything back out; a boat with a restroom is worth more than it sounds on a three-hour trip.

The boats, side by side

Island Time’s Shell Island snorkel and dolphin cruise is the large-boat choice, from $52.43. Good Jibez Only’s snorkel and dolphin trip does the same three hours on a pontoon for at most 18, from $55, and Salty Fins’ two-hour trip lets you bring your own drinks and snacks, alcohol included, from $48.99. Flipper’s Adventures runs a three-hour Shell Island snorkel trip on a boat with a restroom, checking in at the Dolphin Cruise Co. kiosk at the Lighthouse Marina, from $50 (checked October 2026).

On GetYourGuide, Paradise Adventures’ Footloose catamaran makes the same kind of trip, snorkeling at the island and then a sail into the Gulf to look for dolphins, with one drink included, from $49 a person (checked October 2026).

Without a guide

Two other ways to the island suit different trips. AAA Jet Ski’s guided jet ski tour crosses the bay behind a guide, looks for dolphins in the Gulf and stops at Shell Island for free riding time, at $159 per jet ski for up to two riders (checked October 2026); drivers must be 18 with a driver’s license. And if you want a full beach day rather than a tour, the ferry and the shuttle drop you on the island and collect you later: the Shell Island shuttle guide covers both. On any boat or board, give the dolphins room: the wild-dolphin rules explain what that means.