Tour Operator

Captain Johnny's Dolphin Watch

Small-boat dolphin-watching cruises departing right from Manteo's downtown waterfront

(752)

Manteo, NC

About

Captain Johnny's Dolphin Watch operates out of downtown Manteo, launching from the Shallowbag Bay waterfront rather than the barrier-island beach strip to the east. Tours head out onto the sound waters around Roanoke Island, an area known for its bottlenose dolphin population, giving passengers a chance to watch them surface and move alongside the boat.

Being based right in Manteo's walkable waterfront district makes this an easy addition to a day spent around Shallowbag Bay, without a drive back out to the beach towns for time on the water. As with any wildlife-watching boat trip, sightings can't be guaranteed on a given outing, but the sound's shallow, protected waters make it a solid bet for a look at dolphins in a more sheltered setting than the open ocean.

The operator keeps weekday hours, Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm, and is closed Saturday and Sunday. Call ahead or check the website for current trip times, boarding details, and pricing.

Reviews (752)

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4.8

752 reviews

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Harold W.

a month ago

If you want to see dolphins, this is a must do on your bucket list. Staff is great, friendly and just all around wonderful people. And guess what saw lots of dolphins. Price is actually unbelievable. Only $37 a person for 2 hour tour. Very relaxing on a covered boat, plenty of room to move around. Even have snacks and drinks on-board. Our experience was all around great. Pictures and videos, dont do the experience justice, you got to see it in real time. Worth every penny and minute. And they even have T-shirts to buy so you can always remember the day you went with Captain Johnny.

Deborah Rinehart

2 months ago

This was our 2nd Sunset Cruise with Captain Jamie. First time was in 2023; just my husband and I. Saw lots of dolphin but the sunset was hazy due to Canadian wildfire smoke. This time we brought our entire family. Saw more dolphin this time than the last, and the sunset was amazing!! It was so much fun watching the kids faces when the dolphin would surface around the boat!! Captain Jamie does a great job of providing information about the dolphins and making the whole experience fun for everybody!! I would recommend this cruise to anybody traveling to the Outer Banks!

Carmen Stone

2 months ago

I had such a great time! Captain Jamie is super knowledgeable about the dolphins, as well as the area in general. He and his first mate welcomed all my questions. I’m already recommending them to friends and family! Plus, they leave out of the quaintest town of Manteo, so make sure you leave some time to explore Manteo afterwards too.

Margaret Gay

3 months ago

Excellent adventure! Highly recommend the sunset cruise with Capt Jamie...he was very entertaining with his knowledge of dolphins and worked hard to make sure we saw many on our adventure. He then cruised us to a perfect spot to see the sunset. If you are shopping around for a dolphin cruise...THIS IS THE ONE TO PICK!

Becky

a month ago

We saw tons of dolphins on this trip with Captain Johnny's. The Captain also took us into the Pirates Cove dock area to show us all the big boats and Marlin fisherman in the area. It was pretty nice. We saw soo many dolphins "dating ". I would highly recommend this tour.