Don't let the fact that she has less than 10 reviews fool you. Captain Victoria has been giving tours in the Keys for more than 35 years. In fact, we just went a couple of weeks ago, my second time with her - after my first trip with you 21 years ago!! And it was way better than the first! She was recommended to me by my colleague who worked as the Environmental Horticulture agent in Monroe County, so he got around and knew folks. He was completely correct that Captain Vicki (as she was known then) was on top of her game. I went with two HS friends and it capped off a very memorable road trip. Fast forward to Sunday morning (July 10), when I'm wondering how in the world I'm going to figure out a snorkeling trip for my kid on our one day in Key West and we're up late (around 9:30 am). So of course, I check Yelp to figure out of all the brochures I have from the kiosks, which company do I have the best shot with. Imagine my surprise when I saw Dancing Dolphins. I REMEMBERED that aspect of her tour. So I took a chance, dropped her a message off her site - and not more than 5 minutes later, I had a phone call. Miracle of Miracles, she had the morning free. 45 minutes later, we met her First Mate, Erin, on the dock and away we went! We really didn't have an idea of what we wanted to do beyond snorkel, so Capt Vicki filled in the rest. She isn't kidding when she says that the Dolphins know her call sign. Three minutes after she put it out there, we had mother and baby come to say hello - we were very concerned when they were under the boat as we were moving. They didn't stay long, Vicki seemed to think they took a break from fishing, but it was way cool that they were so close to the boat. The snorkeling was marvelous! Thankfully, I had invested in a pair of prescription goggles, so I fulfilled a bucket list item to snorkel the reef and be able to see. I couldn't believe how many lobster were hiding. And to see this cobalt blue welk making a meal of one was just fascinating. There were the typical angel fish and wrasses, sea urchins and coral (though you could see how Florida's reefs have taken a beating). It was so way cool to see a 5 foot ray come whizzing by! Another special point for Erin and Vicki is that they work with people with mobility issues. So they had an idea of how to get Grandma (81 years young) into the water once she decided to go for it. Erin did an outstanding job of accompanying her so she wasn't afraid and felt secure. And Erin also provided all the pictures we would want, all included in the cost of the charter. We were out for four hours, the perfect time. We'll definitely be back. Count yourself lucky if you can score a charter with these gals. They work primarily on word of mouth, so like I said, don't let the small number of reviews fool you. They're the best kept secret in the lower Keys! Not everyone can afford a charter, but if you have four to six people, it's so worth it to book them as a charter for the personal touch. read more

What an adventure...what a mystical day with the oh so knowledgeable Captain Victoria... She IS the Dolphin Whisperer I will treasure the memories made that day! I went with my oldest friend and her 94yr.old Dad We did the full day excursion read more

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Captain Victoria Private Key West Adventure I was lucky enough to hear about Captain Victoria from a business client after mentioning that I was headed to Key West Florida. (lucky me) What an incredible private adventure my wife and I had along with 2 close friends..... we had the most beautiful peaceful journey which included views that looked like we were in a story book adventure. We snorkeled, hung out on our own little beach, cruised around Key West viewing and visiting some of the surrounding keys...... awesome! Thanks Captain Victoria for sharing your backyard and all your passion with us... PS the cost of the half day trip was less than the Dry Tortuga Ferry trip with a group of 4 people. read more

We were lucky to have 2 days with Captain Victoria. Her wisdom and expertise of the Keys made our time aboard extremely fun and informative. We got to meditate in nature, snorkel, float, and of course, dance with dolphins. Seeing the dolphins dance under and around the boat wasn't our main takeaway, but it sure made us dance with joy when they did. read more

Capt Victoria and Erin really took care of us. We wanted to shell, and they totally delivered. We had their attention because they wanted us to have a great experience. Very patient with us and taught us how to snorkel and see the most in the areas we went to. They were super knowledgeable about the area. Capt Victoria grew up on this water and shared all kinds of interesting facts and stories. 3 of us went out and LOVED the experience. We would go back every day if we could. They worked as a team with great skill and confidence on their boat. So thankful for our time and experience. read more

We spent a fantastic half day out on the water with Captain Victoria last week. Great day and a lot of fun had by all. The entire family went out including my 87 year old mother-in-law - everyone loved it, definitely a highlight of our trip to Key West. The boat she has is very speedy and you'll be out exploring the private islands and reef areas in just a few minutes. She was able to take us on a tour of the mangroves and showed us how the fish and other animals use the islands to shelter their young. She's incredibly knowledgeable on the wildlife - we learned so much about the ecosystems and the area. As described by others, the dolphins are an amazing part of the trip. She took us through a sandy bottom area and we were able to stop the boat and drift along with a large pod of dolphins. The reef snorkeling was amazing - we've been all over the world and the sheer volume and variety of fish we saw during that day eclipsed any other experience. A highlight is the dolphin boarding where she pulls you through the water at a low speed while you watch the undersea life go by underneath. One thing that I didn't see mentioned was that she takes many photos of your group throughout the day so you don't have to worry about your phone or camera getting wet. She even let us take the camera into the water (it's waterproof..) and we got dozens of great shots of fish, rays, coral, and jellyfish. Great keepsakes and she sends them over via drop box - very handy! Really amazing day and a great memory - would highly recommend a tour (do the day - half was too short!) read more

Our experience was similar to the one described below. One exception is that we didn't see many fish while snorkeling. That was due to the strong winds in the area for the past three weeks until today. The Dolphins were amazing. We also saw manatees-- wow. The price for half a day is $500 and we were a family of three, so it was a bit pricey for my budget. I don't know how the price compares to other boats, but you won't find a more knowledgeable captain who made us feel very comfortable. Iwouldn't want more than five people on board. read more

Celebration of Life: We were looking for a way to scatter ashes in the ocean, luckily we found Captain Victoria. She made this a wonderful experience for us. The location was beautiful, and the ceremony perfect. Something we will all remember forever. read more

It is such a pleasure to travel the water ways of the Key West area with Captain Victoria who is as relaxed and knowledgeable a Captain as you could possibly hope for. I felt like I was living a Planet Earth episode as we skimmed across the waves listening to classical music which turned all of the natural action around us (cormorants popping up from below the surface or flapping dramatically into flight, ibis, herons, frigate birds and osprey flying and fishing or sunbathing etc) into a brilliant and riveting choreography. Captain Victoria's passion for the natural world is catching, and a trip with her (this was my second) is bound to be full of sensitivity, creativity, and joyfulness. read more

My sister and I had a lovely day to ourselves, spent with Captain Victoria. She could not have been friendly or more accommodating - even keeping us warm on a windy day as we searched for her dolphin friends. Her experience with boats began when she was just a baby - we were definitely in good hands. Our special moments came when we came upon a baby dolphin. I am convinced that the reason the mother and nanny were comfortable letting it satisfy its curiosity and 'play' around our boat is because they know and trust Captain Victoria. I'd happily recommend Dancing Dolphin Spirit Tours to anyone! read more

We went out on a trip with Captain Victoria yesterday. The ocean was choppy and wind strong. Several other companies had cancelled dive and snorkel trips that morning because of rough weather. It was a full moon day & dead low tide when we went aboard. Captain Victoria suggested that we would enjoy a tour & snorkeling trip away from the wind and Atlantic Ocean chop. She took us out at 8am, nd dead low tide to the lee side of the Keys. What a different weather scene! In the calm waters we went to long, pristine sand beaches. We anchored and collected shells, whale bones and bits of interesting driftwood. Victoria walked with us telling us about the sea, land and air creatures we saw and collected. As the tide came in covering the low tide exposed sand spits, we had a snorkeling lesson for one of our seniors in our group. Victoria was a patient and careful teacher. After several practices in the quiet shallow water, my friend gained the confidence to hang onto a sea sled and slowly be pulled by the boat for an underwater tour. After snorkeling we boarded the boat again to head for a spot in between the mangrove islands to anchor and have lunceh. We saw many, many species of birds, including a bald eagle! We continued our backwater tour in the deeper high tide waters. When we headed back toward home, Victoria pointed out two frigate birds low on the horizon. She said dolphin might be found in the ocean below them. The frigate birds often wait for fish escaping the meal hunting dolphins! Boy did we find dolphin! They rode the bow surge in front of our boat and circled around and under us. Whaat a day! If you want a special experience perhaps you'll be lucky enough to go out on the "Imp II" with Captain Victoria out of Key West.We are three retired art teachers from New Jersey and this was a really great experience. read more