l o c a l b u s i n e s s
Touring Through the Changing Tides of Time b y C a r o l B a d a r a c c o P a d g e t t
W e are busier than ever since May 2020,” states the manager of 30-A’s Blue Dolphin Tours in Panama City Beach. The 30-something-year- old family business continually draws repeat customers and maintains a loyal, knowledgeable staff. Blue Dolphin Tours is known for its focus on the purity of the local environment, its no-stress, family- focused approach, and its fabulous tours to see the wildlife living in the blue placid waters. It’s about looking outward, and it’s about the journey. Although Blue Dolphin Tours and its offerings haven’t changed since the world did in 2019, the home states of its patrons have. “We’re getting lots of new visi- tors from states like Virginia, Illinois, D.C., Michigan, Washington, Oregon, and California,” the business’s manager confirms. Regulars, too, remain continually among the mix, with about 50% of Blue Dolphin Tour’s business being repeat, and many of its returning guests’ faces have been long since etched into the minds of the Blue Dolphin Tours staff. In a world where so many things are in flux over time, Blue Dolphin Tours offers visitors something steady: friendly faces, experienced Coast Guard Captains, custom-built boats, the beautiful waters of the Gulf Coast, and many sea creatures that make the stunning 14 miles between the Bay and Gulf waters their homes. But even though the customer service that Blue Dolphin Tours delivers is reliably constant, its tours re- main delightfully different each time a boat leaves the dock. “We go out, swim and snorkel, and before too long
inquisitive dolphins will come to watch us,” he de- scribes. “We observe in the wild and have encounters. The experience is 100% different every single time.” One of the reasons that Blue Dolphin Tours has consistent success giving visitors extraordinary experiences is that several hundred wild dolphins live in the area of Panama City Beach—an ample amount of the inquisitive mammals to interact with the boats that are out on the water all day long. The dolphins have made this stretch of waterway their home due to the 45-foot depth of the shipping channel, which provides an abundance of fresh food. “Deep water means lots of different marine life,” the business manager confirms. And for the dolphin, it’s like having the perfect buffet waiting for them in their own backyard. In addition, the surrounding area’s rich bays and estuaries are icing on the cake for the dolphins that travel all through the waters back and forth between Panama City, Destin, and Apalachicola. Although the connection to nature that families get to experience on a Blue Dolphin tour is rare, so is the chance to connect with one’s own family, in the moment—a moment where family members don’t want to blink for fear of missing something extraordi- nary. Families on Blue Dolphin tours get to meet oth- er families in the form of bottlenose dolphin pods, and many tourists, in particular, have never experi- enced such a thing. At present, numerous dolphins are joined by turtles, different birds of prey, shells, starfish, and sand
dollars to make up the cast on guests’ tours. Manatee, too, are joining the lineup of late. Yet, Blue Dolphin Tours is careful to ensure that the presence of its boats and families doesn’t interfere with this wildlife. “Our Captains respect the dolphins and their natural habitat, and avoid disturbing them,” he em- phasizes. Respect is something the Blue Dolphin Tours team seeks to instill in every visitor to its business, as well, leaving them with these lessons, “Protect our envi- ronment and enjoy your family and friends—as well as the great outdoors that God has blessed us with.” Count- ing blessings and paying them forward, the Blue Dol- phin Tours business donates to several local and foreign non-profits. Circling back to the present moment, the business manager considers the incredible creatures that make Blue Dolphin Tours so special. “They’re just naturally inquisitive creatures. You see mothers teaching babies how to feed. We’ve witnessed birthings. People from all over the country come here to see what a dolphin acts like in the real world.” And for anyone who hasn’t yet witnessed these wonders—many across the country live a lifetime without experiencing them—the manager of Blue Dolphin Tours extends an open invitation: “We are experts in family fun. Come see why!”
Blue Dolphin Tours, 3601 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach, Florida 32408, www.bluedolphintour.com
2 6 | T H E T H I R T Y - A R E V I E W | S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 21
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs