This was our 8th summer visiting Hilton Head Island with my extended family, and although the majority of our annual visit is spent relaxing together at the beach or by the pool, we usually try to do an outing or two while we are there. It had been at least 5 years since we had gone on a boat ride so we decided to do a sunset dolphin cruise.
There are many options for dolphin cruises leaving from various points around the island. We narrowed it down to a private sunset cruise and ultimately booked with Dolphin & Nature Tours. For $300, we chartered the SS Pelican for our group of 10.
The hour and a half tour left from Broad Creek Marina. There were several other sunset tours leaving at the same time and when we saw the other boats jam packed with people, we were glad that we had booked a private tour.
Before we even boarded the boat, we were treated to a close up of a dolphin! This guy seemed to be a regular and stopped by to “chat” with the captain of one of the boats. This was actually the first time I had seen a dolphin surface for an extended period and it was amazing to get to see him so up close.
The tour went down Broad Creek, past the neighborhoods of Long Cove, Wexford, and Spanish Wells and their gorgeous houses. It wasn’t long before we spotted some dolphin fins poking up through the water. Our captain (and the kids!) were great at spotting them, and then he tried to follow along with them, anticipating where they would surface next.
After leisurely exploring Broad Creek, we headed out into Calibogue Sound as we were nearing sunset. Aside from a stunning sunset, we were treated to views of Harbour Town Lighthouse and Daufuskie Island.
As we turned and headed back down Broad Creek, our captain let each of the kids take a turn at the helm.
In addition to the many Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, we saw quite a few birds, including osprey, herons, egrets, and pelicans. Before getting back to the marina, our captain turned the boat around for us to get a beautiful view of the sun setting beyond the Cross Island Parkway Bridge. He even lined it up so we could get a shot of an egret enjoying the sunset too.
Overall we thought this was a great tour. Our captain wasn’t especially chatty but he was friendly and knowledgeable, answering all our questions about the area and its wildlife. We really appreciated being on our own boat (especially during the pandemic) and being able to follow our interests and go our own pace. We saw plenty of dolphins and birds and were treated to a gorgeous sunset. I highly recommend a private sunset dolphin cruise – its a great activity for family members of all ages.
