Island Explorer

Captain Kathy is awesome. We took the sunset cruise, saw lots of dolphins, and was provided a wealth of information about Hilton Head. Well worth the trip. If you plan in advance, during the summer months, book the Tuesday sunset cruise and you get to see the fireworks as well.

Great time for the whole family. Captain Rich was great and had us watching dolphins within the first 30 minutes. He was great with the kids and the fireworks on Tuesday night were a lot of fun. It was also really nice to see a side of the island we hadn’t explored.

We had a great time on the vanishing island tour which also included sunset and Dolphins. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the local history and the birds and Dolphins. I really appreciated the small group size vs. one of the large tour boats. We will certainly plan to do this again next year.

I really have to give Island Explorer full marks.
We set off on one of their large boats with Captain Rich at the helm. We went on the longer 3-​hour tour which included Dolphin watching as well as she’ll collecting and exploring of Hilton Head’s «Vanishing Island,» a large sandbar that appears only at low tide.
Captain Rich steered our boat out and we soon saw dolphins that would peek at us and even come up next to our boat to get a good view. My kids loved the experience! On our way to the Vanishing Island, Captain Rich was a constant source of interesting information about Hilton Head, its history, and the people and species that call its waters «home.»
Upon reaching the Vanishing Island, we hopped off. the boat into maybe 2 feet of warm water. Captain Rich let us know that the tide would be coming in, but would sound out and let us know when our time was up. It was time to explore!
I’ve never been on a sandbar before, let alone one of this scale, and so had no clue what to expect. It was an odd feeling of isolation knowing that just out «there» is the Atlantic Ocean and nothing else. We were directed to leave all living things alone and armed with that, my family and I went to see what we could find.
I’m the span of 40 minutes or so we came across living starfish, sea dollars, horseshoe crabs, mussells, hermit crabs of all sizes, and some other species of crabs as well. We were able to collect a lot of large shells (compared to those found at Colligny Beach for example) and many Sand Dollars with a few even ranging in size up to 3 ½ inches across. When the time came to leave, we knew it as the water was rising just a bit.
On the return trip, Captain Rich allowed the kids to take turns driving the boat and they all loved the experience. When we returned it didn’t feel like we had been gone for over 3 hours, and everyone had a great time.
If you want to see some great sights, go with Island Explorer.
Ask for Captain Rich.

Amazing! Captain Chris is a superb tour guide. Our dolphin tour was a spectacular treat. Lots of dolphins and wildlife. Captain made the tour interesting and fun!

Excellent dolphin tour. Ask for Captain Rich!

Our group of 12 had a good experience with Island Explorer during our sunset cruise. We saw several dolphins and was able to take many pictures of the sunset. Captain Rick did a great job, he was very informative.

Captain Kathy is an amazing tour guide. She really knows her stuff about the island and makes you feel like a local too. She is well-​versed on everything from the history of the Gullah people on the island to conservation measures for Atlantic bottle-​nosed dolphins. We had a fabulous time, and it was well worth the modest price. We saw plenty of dolphins, even though she didn’t have a humongous megaphone and ship like some of the other tours on the creek. This is a much more intimate experience with the Dolphins and wildlife.

Kathy was an even better tour guide than I could’ve imagined! She is extremely knowledgeable about all things Hilton Head, whether it’s real estate or weather or animals or the habitat, she knows her stuff.
First of all, she greeted us so kindly when we arrived, she could make anyone feel comfortable. We started out going inland a little and saw some impressive oyster beds and learned all about them. I don’t want to share too much-​Kathy is a much better teacher than me-​but it’s crazy how much filtration an oyster can do in a matter of hours!
We started to head the opposite direction, toward the sound, and that was when things got even more exciting! She maneuvered the boat like a pro and we saw Dolphins! A few were from a distance throughout the 2 hour tour, but there was one that actually came right up to the boat. It actually startled me when it jumped a mere foot or two behind me. It was just spectacular!
We also saw the beauty of Hilton Head, many Pelicans (they were stalking a crabbing boat), and Harbour Town Lighthouse. The views were spectacular, but an awful tour guide could’ve easily ruined the experience. Thankfully we had Kathy, I couldn’t imagine a better guide and teacher. Thank you so much Kathy!

A dolphin came right up to the boat! Our guide was very informative and loved hearing some random facts about the area and different marinas even. We almost booked with another company since there are so many to chose from but we chose this one because of the price and small number of people.
Being in a smaller boat with only a few other people made it more enjoyable that being on a big boat with 20 people and a tour guide heard through a mic. Plus those were double the price! One hour was just enough to see some dolphins and it did get very hot so 2 would have been too much for us. They also provided some waters for free if we needed them. We will for sure use them again!

Island Explorer was an amazing experience I’ll never forget! It’s great for all ages, has friendly intelligent captains who know lots about the area, and you’ll be able to view dozens of Dolphins! The private boats allow you to get close to the Dolphins and the nature around. Island Explorer a 5 out 5 stars-​best dolphin tour in Hilton Head! Island Explorer is highly recommended

Jim was our guide and he knows everything about the area. He knew about the ecosystem, the building trends, the dolphin behavior and who lives in what house on the water… very pleasant guy. He even ran the tour a little longer so we could see the sunset. Very cool.
We saw a great number of dolphins (10+) and got a ton of pictures. You can byob on the boat which is also nice. The bo at seats 10 – 12 so it’s a more personal experience than some of the massive tour ships you see next to you in the waterways. Wonderful night on the water for my family and me, Highly recommended!

My group of 8 had a great time. We did the disappearing island and we seen so many star fish, sand dollars, and crabs. The kids had a blast. The boat ride was very enjoyable as well. Our guid John was fun, friendly, and relaxed. Our tour was three hours and I would have paid more to stay out on the boat and island longer I prob would have booked another three hours. Bring sunscreen and a sand bucket. This tour would honestly be great for any age.

Fantastic. Had a blast out on the water and learned lots about the island. Captain Bobby was fun, experienced and knowledgeable. Boat was clean and well maintained. It’s as close as you can get to dolphins without actually swimming with them! They are one of the few boat tours open Sundays too. Highly recommend Island Explorer. They were the highlight of our trip.

We took the 9 am 1 hour dolphin tour. We have nothing but praise for Captain Jim. He chartered our party of 8 this morning (as well as a young couple) and was so kind, helpful, and an all around wonderful teacher. We learned SO much about the oysters, creek, tides, dolphins, general island info, sharks, etc etc! We could not be more pleased or more grateful. 5 stars simply aren’t enough! (Especially since we took 4 rowdy toddlers out!)
Worth every penny (99 $ for a family of four, 48 $ for a couple)

Captain Kathy was terrific. Customized the tour for our family, very knowledgeable and skillful. When we asked for recommendations to an urgent care (unrelated to the tour — my daughter had a skin lesion), Kathy guided us to the closest one. Can’t wait to see her again. Next year!

Owner Ken is great… very nice guy. His boat pilots all seemed knowledgeable and happy to answer questions. Our guy did his best to help w/​dolphin views (while observing the rules of such activity). Happy happy, would go again. They have a cool 3 hour cruise that includes an hour of beach combing.

Hat tip to my wife for getting referred to this tour. Admittedly, was not optimistic about three kids under 11 and four grandparents on a three hour tour, but was I wrong! Review is based on the Invisible Island Tour.
Captain Rick did an excellent job of providing us with timely and interesting facts about HHI during the trip out to the island and his flexibility to stop and interact with the dolphins. Upon getting to the island, he allowed us to mosey around while he took the time to find sand dollars for the kids which he surprised them with when they got back in the boat.
Pleasant ride back which included gorgeous sunsets which we hadn’t seen all week and he even let my nine year old drive the boat for a little bit. He is now insisting we call him «Captain Joel».
If you’re spending a week in HHI and your days consist of back-​n-​forth to the beach and managing your kids, do yourself a favor and take this tour. It’s three hours of beauty and enjoyment with the kids contained and excited about nature. Bring your in-​laws as well, there is something for everyone!

My family really enjoyed our tour with Captain Dave. He was extremely knowledgable about the area and its wildlife. He let each of the kids drive the boat for a few minutes which was great fun and an excellent photo opportunity. The «vanishing island» was a great place to pick up sand dollars. We were the only ones there and had 45 minutes to explore and pick up shells. A great day was had by all. I would definitely recommend this trip. Bring cash as you get a per person discount.

Jim was a great guide. A virtual Hilton Head Island lifer, he knew the waterways. There was a dolphin and her calf near the cast off at the Old Oyster Factory. Calf was born in April so they will still be visible together for a few more months.
Their «vanishing» island was a little sandbar that was a little sparse with shells, but of the three or four boats of shellers, everyone seemed satisfied. It was a nice little excursion while on vacation at the beach. A really fun time for everybody.