About Marnie Dolan

Marnie DolanKayak guide and naturalist — Cortez, Florida, United States

Who I am

I’m Marnie Dolan. I’ve paddled the flats between Cortez and Anna Maria Island for eleven seasons, first as a rental hand on the Cortez waterfront and then as a guide. I now write about what the boats out here really do and do not deliver. No sales pitch, no operator relationships—just the honest state of the evidence.

Why this site exists

The most-asked question about dolphins on this island is can I get in the water with one. The answer is no. The dolphins here are wild bottlenose dolphins living free in Sarasota Bay and the Gulf. Swimming with, touching, feeding or chasing them is prohibited under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, which carries civil and criminal penalties. There is no captive swim-with-dolphins facility anywhere on Anna Maria Island. I wrote this site because that answer matters, and nobody running a boat seat volunteers it.

No financial relationship

I have no financial relationship with any operator on this island. GetYourGuide pays us a small affiliate commission when you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. That’s what keeps the site free. It never changes which tours I recommend. I earn nothing when you take my advice and watch dolphins for free from the pier or the beach.

What we do

We research the Anna Maria Island dolphin tour available in Anna Maria Island, read through traveller reviews, and write up honest, practical guidance on which tour suits which traveller. We are not a tour operator and we don’t sell tickets — when you’re ready to book, we send you to GetYourGuide, a licensed reseller, to complete your booking.

How we’re funded

We earn a small affiliate commission when you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. That’s what keeps the site free. It never changes which tours we recommend — see our affiliate disclosure for the full picture.

Questions or corrections? Get in touch.