Humans attempted to implement an exchange program with dolphins until a lack of echolocation skills had landlubbers lurching into the salty slums of vulgar sharks. Safely embrace nature with today's Groupon: for $10, you get one admission for a high-speed boating tour on the Dolphin Racer Speed Boat (a $22.95 value, including tax). The Dolphin Racer departs daily at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. from Pasadena Avenue South in St. Petersburg.
The tour experts at Dolphin Racer Speed Boat whisk dolphin-searching sightseers through the pristine surf during the 60–90-minute captain-narrated expedition. Board the 125-passenger boat and get jetting to high velocity as the vessel churns up 3–4-foot wakes. The large waves jostle marine mammals away from their underwater wiffleball tournaments, bringing them to the surface to show off their dives, flips, and envious skin that's smoother than a balloon slathered in Barry White's sweat. Dolphin Racer Speed Boat guarantees dolphin wake-surfing and swimming on every trip and offers a free tour for any adventure that doesn’t produce visual stimulation in the form of bottlenose interaction. The aqua exploration is an inimitable outing for families, groups of friends, or retired dolphins basking in glimpses of their heyday.
Dolphin Racer Speed Boat
The thrum of the Dolphin Racer—Florida West Coast Cruise's speedboat—carries through the water like an ice-cream truck's jingle. A 4-foot-high wake trails behind, fanning out into a fork as the speed increases and the passengers ready their cameras. Soon, a glistening fin breaks the surface. The first bottlenose dolphin seems to levitate on top of the wave while it bodysurfs for the sheer fun of it, then disappears back into the sea. Its pod follows suit, leaping, splashing, and riding the swells, soaking up the attention of the human spectators.
Sights like this are typical on the Dolphin Racer Speed Boat. The sunny yellow craft skirts across the waterways of the Gulf Beaches on 60- to 90-minute trips while up to 125 people lounge on the open deck and the captain narrates the sights of the passing beaches. Ample viewing space ensures that cameras can capture split-second jumps and spins when the dolphins heed the call to play. Whether it's because of the thrill of breaching, the pride in their celebrity status, or an underwater bet to see who can communicate with humans first, the dolphins' presence is virtually guaranteed—the boat offers a complimentary future cruise in the case of no-shows.