Choose from daytime and sunset cruise options. Come aboard Destin's Original Dolphin Cruise! Celebrating over 25 years of family fun and more than 10,000 dolphin sightings! Enjoy a 90 minute relaxing, fully narrated tour of Destin Harbor and the pristine beaches of the Emerald Coast. Witness a variety of sealife and observe Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins in their natural habitat as you cruise the sugar-white sand beaches and emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Children can feed the seabirds alongside our Crew, and are given the opportunity to meet our Captain. Sunset cruises offer breathtaking views of our glorious sunsets. You are sure to see something extraordinary aboard our 80' Glass Bottom Boat! Also available for groups, weddings, private parties, and special events. Visit us online for more details. Come have fun with us! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
For a complete list of all Frequently Asked Questions and Answers, please visit this link to our website: https://southernstardolphincruise.com/faq/
What do you do on the cruise? We begin with a narrated tour of the Destin Harbor. The captain will point out some of Destin’s local spots and tell you about the history of the area. The mates will assist guests in feeding a variety of sea birds on our way out of the harbor. We then head out to the East Pass of the Gulf of Mexico. If seas are calm enough, we cruise into the gulf to watch the dolphins in their natural habitat. If the waters are too choppy to cruise comfortably in the Gulf, we cruise under Destin’s Marler Bridge and into the Choctawhatchee Bay in search of the local dolphin pods. Once we spot the dolphins, we spend time watching, observing, and encouraging the dolphins, as well as educating you about the area pods. When is the best time to see dolphins? Any time is a great time. We have a 98% success rate with dolphin sightings, so the best time to go is really up to your personal preference and schedule. The water is typically clearer during the high tide (before about 2:00 p.m. in the summer). That is when we have the greatest chance of seeing other sea life such as sharks, stingrays, turtles, etc. We still see dolphins and other varieties of sea life in our afternoon cruises as well, but once the tide changes, the water turns brackish and the dolphins can be observed when they breach the surface. Are we guaranteed to see dolphins? The dolphins we observe are wild animals, and we are observing them in their natural habitat, so nothing is guaranteed. However, they are native to this area and we have a 98% success rate seeing them year-round, and our captain and crew are well-trained at spotting dolphins. How big is the boat? The Southern Star is an 80-foot double-deck, glass-bottom boat, and is U.S. Coast Guard approved for a maximum of 149 passengers. We have two restrooms, a covered upper deck with a drop-down enclosure, and a climate-controlled cabin for your comfort. How far offshore do you go? Do people ever get seasick? We do not go far enough offshore that you lose sight of land, and if the Gulf is too rough, the captain will cruise in the Choctawhatchee Bay, where it is calmer. If you tend to get motion sickness riding in the backseat of a car, we suggest you take something like Dramamine in advance. We sell MotionEaze onboard, which is a natural oil rubbed behind the ears to alleviate the symptoms of motion sickness. It is fast-acting and has no side effects, so the crew highly recommends it. If you do get nauseated on board, notify the crew and they will know what to do for you. Are strollers allowed? Strollers are welcome aboard, and we recommend using the brakes once on board. Please remember children ages 3 and younger must be included in your reservation, as they are included in the total headcount reported to the U.S. Coast Guard. Do the kids need life jackets? There are life jackets for the kids on board, but they are for emergency use only. The rails are 42” high as required by the USCG for passenger vessels. Are you wheelchair accessible? The main deck is accessible to manual wheelchairs only. Scooters and motorized wheelchairs are too large and too heavy to accommodate on our vessel. Is there food? We have a galley that offers hot dogs, chips, sodas, smoothies, and other small snack items available for purchase. Do you serve drinks? We sell sodas and smoothies. Water is complimentary. B**r and w**e are available for those 21 and over. We are a family cruise, and as such we ask that you please enjoy in moderation and responsibly. Coolers and outside alcohol are not permitted on board. What should we bring? We recommend bringing sunscreen, a camera, a hat, sunglasses, and cash (for snacks and for tipping the mates). During spring and fall months, you may want to bring jackets as our sunset cruises tend to be cooler in temperature.
