Dolphin Paradise Tours' US Coast Guard-inspected boats whisk sightseers off into the ocean to encounter a wide spectrum of Atlantic wildlife. Long-beaked pelicans swoop for fish, enormous manatees lumber gracefully through the saltwater, and smooth-fleshed dolphins play beneath the waves. After sailing the Cocoa Beach intercoastal area, captains dock the boats at a remote island where passengers can disembark to collect seashells and children can chase skittering lizards or bedraggled shipwreck survivors across the sand. A particularly memorable part of the tour comes next: groups swim out into the water, using underwater microphones to hear the whistles and clicks of dolphins as they communicate with each other. Although groups swim at a distance from dolphins and manatees so as not to disturb their natural habitat, the animals are naturally curious and may swim closer to do some sightseeing of their own—make sure to jump through a hoop at that point. In addition to sightseeing tours, the company regularly chauffeurs passengers to deep waters for chartered fishing trips.
