You can swim with Panama City's wild bottle-nose dolphins on your trip in super-fast boats that are specially built for visiting and finding them. We are located on Panama City Beach near Seaside Beach, Rosemary Beach Santa Rosa, Destin and Mexico Beach & Cape San Blas, as well as all of South Walton FL 30A and Beaches.
A dolphin tour can also be a great sightseeing opportunity. All tour boats depart Adventure at Sea in Lower Grand Lagoon. They cruise south and cross the pass between St. Andrew Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and Shell Island. While you can take in the beautiful view, spot seabirds and possibly a turtle, keep your eyes open for dolphins.
Dolphins can appear curious but many behaviors they exhibit are misinterpreted as "friendly". Do not approach dolphins in the sea, nor pursue them. 28 September 2021
Panama City Beach is located just east of Destin, on Hwy 98. This beach marks the end to the beaches of South Walton. These beaches are widely regarded as the most pure and clear in the country. The area has almost no runoff from the rivers and the St. Andrew Bay filters most of the sediment.
In order to protect the well-being of these wonderful marine creatures, Florida law prohibits swimming with dolphins as well as touching or feeding them. Officers from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission are on the water to ensure that these rules are followed. However, you may be lucky enough to have dolphins approach the tour boat quite closely, giving you an excellent view and great photo opportunity. If you would really like to have the possibility of encountering wild dolphins in the water, taking one of our Shell Island Snorkel Tours is a good option as the dolphins sometimes swim near snorkelers.
Dolphins don't really have a set schedule. However, they do tend to be most active in the morning when the sun is shining on them.
PANAMA CITY BUSH -- It is rare to see whales at Panama City Beach. One will occasionally appear near shore, particularly in winter months. Many whale species live in or visit the Gulf of Mexico's off-shore waters.
These marine mammals communicate messages to each other by using distinctive sounds and body language. They snap their jaws, make squeaks, and then slap their tails on water. Every dolphin has a unique whistle, similar to a human's name.
Additionally to being found in colder oceans, killer whales have also been seen in warm waters like Florida, Hawaii. Australia, the Galapagos Islands. The Bahamas.
St. Andrew Bay's dolphins are wild animals. Therefore, it is difficult to predict when they will be most active. The season, weather, tide cycles and availability of prey all influence dolphin behavior. There is generally a good chance that dolphins will be seen when the sun is shining and the water is clear and calm. Feeding activities can usually be seen at an outgoing tide. You are best to find a dolphin tour operator such as Panama City Beach Boat Tours, which is available almost every day of the year.
Shell Island has an amazing variety of local wildlife such as dolphins, loggerhead turtles green sea turtles ghost crabs and beach mice. There are also nine-banded armillos, alligators living in the island's lake, marsh rabbits, racoons, and many other animals.
Orcas are apex-predators, meaning that they are at top of the food chains and have no predators. Killer whales can take on any predator, making them the largest and strongest animals in the sea.
From Panama City, FL to Destin FL is 56 miles or 91 kilometers.
The Gulf of Mexico's marine mammals include dolphins, whales and one species of coastal sirenian: the West Indian manatee (Trichechus Manatus). The Gulf of Mexico does not have sea lions or fur seals and no sea-going otters like in many other parts.
Dolphins don't swim or "kiss," people, or tow people around in the water. They do it because they must. They are all not natural behaviors. Every captive dolphin is taught to correct these behaviors.
Shell Island is technically an island only at high tide. However, the public can walk the footpaths that cross it. 17 May 2016
The wildest dolphins will bite when they're angry, frustrated or afraid. They will bite if they see people swimming with them. Dolphins who have become career hustlers can be aggressive, pushy and threatening if the handouts they aren't getting are not forthcoming.
Henderson Beach State Park, Destin, Florida. Bay St. Louis Beach in Bay St. Louis (Mississippi). Padre Island National Seashore Corpus Christi (Texas). Siesta Key Beach. Siesta Key, Florida. Orange Beach, Orange Beach. Shell Island, Panama City Beach. Florida. St. Pete Beach, St. Pete Beach, Florida.