Illustration.
Grand Lagoon · Shell Island · The Gulf at Sunset
Sunset Dolphin Cruise in Panama City Beach
Two hours on Island Time's sailing catamaran at the end of the day: dolphin watching in the water near Shell Island, then the sun going down over the Gulf, with music and a bar on board.
- 4.9 / 5 2147+ Reviews
- 2 hours Duration
- 2 hours On the Island Time catamaran
- No swim Stay dry, watch the sunset
- Free Cancellation
Sunset cruise at a Glance
- Where boats leave from
- The marinas on North Lagoon Drive, the ferry dock in St. Andrews State Park, and the St. Andrews marina for private boats
- Sunset
- About 4:45 p.m. in December, about 7:48 p.m. in late June (Central Time)
- Time on board
- 90 minutes to 2 hours; no swim stop
- Who it suits
- Couples, families with young children, anyone who wants dolphins without getting wet
- Tours
- Island Time's sunset catamaran from $41.73 a person (checked October 2026)
The Experience
What the Island Time Sunset Cruise Covers
Two hours from The Dock on North Lagoon Drive, timed for the sunset.
Highlights
- Dolphin watching in the Gulf waters near Shell Island
- Timed for the sunset, so the departure moves with the season
- Rum punch and other drinks for sale on board
- No outside food or drink
What's Included
- Captain and crew
- Taxes and fees
Not Included: Food and drinks (for sale on board), Gratuities (18% added for parties of 15 or more)
How a Sunset Dolphin Cruise Works
The departure follows the sun, so check the time on the date you book.
Book for the Season's Sunset
Departure times move through the year: Island Time sailed at 4:30 p.m. in late October 2026, 3:30 p.m. in November and 6 p.m. in its August 2027 calendar.
Check In Early
Arrive 30 minutes before departure at The Dock on North Lagoon Drive, past Captain Anderson's and the Lighthouse Marina.
Dolphins First, Then the Sun
The boat looks for dolphins near Shell Island while the light is still good, then settles for the sunset over the Gulf.
Bring a Layer
A light layer helps on the water in the cooler months. No outside food or drink is allowed on Island Time; the bar sells rum punch and other drinks.
Photo Gallery
Evenings on St. Andrews Bay
Photos from the Island Time sunset listing.
Book Your Experience
Check Dates for the Sunset Cruise
Dates, times and the live price open on the tour's Viator page.
Island Time Sailing
Dolphin Sunset Cruise on the Island Time Catamaran
- 4.9/5 from 2,147 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor
- 2 hours
- From $41.73 per person (checked October 2026)
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- The Dock on North Lagoon Drive, past Captain Anderson's and the Lighthouse Marina, Grand Lagoon
Four Sunset Dolphin Cruises Compared
All sail at the end of the day and look for dolphins. Prices from the listings, with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Island Time Catamaran | 45-Foot Catamaran | Small Pontoon | From the State Park |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From $41.73 per person (checked October 2026) | From $37 per person (checked October 2026) | From $37 per person (checked October 2026) | From $29 per person (checked October 2026); plus park entry |
| Time | 2 hours | 90 minutes | 90 minutes | 90 minutes |
| The Boat | Sailing catamaran, restrooms | 45-foot catamaran, bathroom | 32-foot pontoon, at most 18, no restroom | Double-deck motor catamaran |
| Leaves From | The Dock, North Lagoon Drive | Lighthouse Marina | Lighthouse Marina | Ferry dock, St. Andrews State Park |
| Drinks | Bar on board; no outside drinks | Sodas not included | Drinks for sale | Beer and wine for sale |
| Check dates | See the cruise | See the pontoon | See the park cruise |
Other Sunset Boats
More Sunset Dolphin Cruises
A 45-foot catamaran with a restroom, a small pontoon, the cruise from the state park and a private boat for four to six.
45-FOOT CATAMARAN90-Minute Sunset Dolphin Cruise from Grand Lagoon
Ninety minutes at sunset on a 45-foot catamaran with a restroom, from the Lighthouse Marina on Grand Lagoon: dolphins along Shell Island as the sun goes down over the bay.
FROM THE STATE PARKSunset Dolphin Cruise from St. Andrews State Park
Ninety minutes at sunset on a double-deck motor catamaran from the ferry dock inside St. Andrews State Park, reached by tram from the Pier Store. Park entry is extra.
AT MOST 18 GUESTSSmall-Boat Sunset Cruise with Dolphin Watching
Ninety minutes at sunset on a 32-foot pontoon for at most 18 guests, along St. Andrews Bay and Shell Island, with bottled water.
PRIVATE, 4 TO 62-Hour Private Dolphin Boat for 4 to 6
A private two-hour boat for four to six guests from C.S.S. Yacht Basin in St. Andrews: dolphins in St. Andrews Bay, around Shell Island and out into the Gulf, with a sunset departure.
The Guide
Panama City Beach Sunset Cruises: Which Boat, and When It Leaves
The light changes the trip more than the boat does. Here is how to time it.
A sunset dolphin cruise in Panama City Beach is the shorter, drier version of a dolphin tour: 90 minutes to two hours on the water at the end of the day, with no swim stop, looking for the bay’s bottlenose dolphins around Shell Island while the light is good and then watching the sun go down over the Gulf. The boats leave from the same marinas on Grand Lagoon as the daytime trips, plus one from inside St. Andrews State Park.
The short answer
Book Island Time’s sunset cruise, in the booking box on this page. It is two hours on the same large sailing catamaran as its Shell Island trip, with restrooms, music and a bar that sells rum punch and other drinks, from The Dock on North Lagoon Drive. Adults pay from $41.73 and children 12 and under $31.03, rated 4.9 from 2,147 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor (checked October 2026).
Check dates for the sunset cruise
No outside food or drink is allowed, and an 18% gratuity is added for parties of 15 or more. For a smaller, quieter boat or your own group, see the cards below.
Pick by the evening you want
Dolphin Sunset Cruise on the Island Time Catamaran
Two hours on Island Time's sailing catamaran: restrooms, music, a bar, dolphins near Shell Island and the sunset over the Gulf.
Check dates →Sunset Dolphin Cruise from St. Andrews State Park
Ninety minutes on a double-deck motor catamaran from the ferry dock inside St. Andrews State Park, reached by tram. Park entry is extra.
See the park cruise →Small-Boat Sunset Cruise in Panama City Beach
Ninety minutes for at most 18 guests along Grand Lagoon, the bay and Shell Island at sunset. Drinks for sale, no restroom.
See the pontoon →2-Hour Private Dolphin Boat for 4 to 6
A private two-hour boat for four to six from the St. Andrews marina, with a late-afternoon departure for the sunset.
See the private boat →Prices, ratings and review counts from the Viator and GetYourGuide listings (checked October 2026; GetYourGuide checked October 2026). Operators price by season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
When the sun sets, and when the boats leave
Panama City Beach is on Central Time. The sun sets at about 4:45 p.m. in early to mid December and at about 7:48 p.m. at the end of June, so the sunset boats leave at very different times through the year. Island Time’s calendar showed a 4:30 p.m. sailing at the end of October 2026, 3:30 p.m. in November, and 6 p.m. for August 2027, when its adult fare was higher than the October price (checked October 2026). Flipper’s Adventures and Good Jibez Only list sunset departures between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.; pick the one closest to the sunset on your date.
The boats
- Island Time’s sunset catamaran: two hours, the largest boat, with restrooms and a bar, from $41.73.
- Flipper’s Adventures’ sunset dolphin cruise: 90 minutes on a 45-foot catamaran with a bathroom, from the grey ticket booth by the Lighthouse Marina, $37. Its daytime twin, Dolphin Cruise Co.’s 90-minute cruise on GetYourGuide, is $34.
- Good Jibez Only’s sunset pontoon: 90 minutes for at most 18 on a 32-foot pontoon, $37; no restroom on board. The same company sells a sunset cruise on GetYourGuide at $40.
- The park's sunset dolphin cruise: 90 minutes on a double-deck motor catamaran from the ferry dock inside St. Andrews State Park, $29, beer and wine for sale on board; the park entrance fee is extra.
- Beachy Boat Rentals’ private boat: two hours for four to six guests from the St. Andrews marina on Beck Avenue, $70 a person, with a 5:15 p.m. departure among its four.
Viator checked October 2026; GetYourGuide checked October 2026.
Sunset or daytime?
Take the sunset trip if you want dolphins without getting in the water, with young children who will not snorkel, or as an evening out. Take a daytime trip if you want to stop at Shell Island: the sunset boats sail past it without anchoring. The Shell Island dolphin tour page covers the three-hour trips that land.
The light is kind to photographs in the last hour, and the crews look for dolphins first, while there is still light to see them by. Whatever the boat, the dolphins are wild: the wild-dolphin rules page explains why a good crew keeps its distance and never feeds them.
Dolphins, Then the Sunset
Island Time's sailing catamaran from Grand Lagoon: two hours, music and a bar on board, timed for the sunset over the Gulf. Starting from $41.73 per person.
Check dates on ViatorMore Boats with Open Dates
Other Panama City Beach Boat Trips with Open Dates
Dolphin, snorkel and sunset trips around Panama City Beach with live availability. Times and cancellation terms are on each listing.
Sunset Dolphin Cruises: Questions
Times, prices and what to expect on an evening trip.
It follows the sunset, so anywhere from mid-afternoon in winter to after 6 p.m. in summer. The sun sets at about 4:45 p.m. in December and about 7:48 p.m. in late June (Central Time). Island Time's sunset sail left at 4:30 p.m. at the end of October 2026 and at 3:30 p.m. in November (checked October 2026).
From $29 for the 90-minute cruise from St. Andrews State Park, plus park entry, to $41.73 for Island Time's two hours. Flipper's Adventures and Good Jibez Only charge $37 and $37 for 90 minutes (checked October 2026; GetYourGuide checked October 2026).
Often, but not on every trip. The bay's dolphins are a resident group, and the boats look for them first while the light is good. No operator can promise a wild animal.
No; they sail past it. For a stop to snorkel and swim, take a three-hour daytime trip: see the Shell Island dolphin tour page.
Not on Island Time, which sells drinks at its bar. The park's sunset cruise sells beer and wine on board. On a private boat, ask the captain when you book.
Yes. Beachy Boat Rentals runs a private two-hour boat for four to six guests from the St. Andrews marina, at $70 a person, with a 5:15 p.m. departure (checked October 2026). The private dolphin boats page has more.
Still have questions? Email us at info@panama-city-beach-dolphin-tour.com