dolphin connection texas

Although we took this dolphin ride in November, a bit off season, we did see quite a few dolphins. I could call Sonja between 8-9 am to book and confirm our reservation. The place is a bit off main land and easy to miss. The correct address is: 1312 Ocean, Ingleside, Texas 78362. $35 per person seems costly compared to other dolphin rides, but the boat itself is small and so you get real up close to the waters and dolphins here and to me it is worth the cost. We had a small baby and there were another family with 2 kids. They have life jackets for babies and young children onboard.Sonja was very informative, and funny. We chased some dolphins and Sonja took us to 4-5 spots where we could see the dolphins in groups.The ride itself took 1.5 hours and was fun. Couple of dolphins actually was very close to the boat that we could have touched them. Must do when visiting Corpus Christi or Port Aransas.

We had made a reservation, well in advance, for a tour on a Saturday morning. Visiting Texas from the UK, the initial reason we looked at going so far south was for this tour. On the morning of the tour we made the hours drive from Corpus out to Ingleside. We then stood around waiting for an hour. I repeatedly tried ringing but got no answer. Eventually, the woman who lives on the boat at the harbour rang the woman who operates the tours. Apparently our tour had been cancelled, she had tried ringing me but my phone was turned off - it wasn't. The reason for the cancellation was the wind - although it wasn't windy (at all) on the shore, she said it would be too windy outside the bay. We then drove the hour back to Corpus. Needless to say, we were far from happy at having wasted three hours of our day, and having come to the southern tip of Texas for a trip that never happened. No wonder she doesn't take payment in advance.

We booked a tour with Sonja for 06/11/14. She told us to arrive 15 minutes before our 10:30 tour. She told us she would call if there were going to be any weather delays. I called her the night before just to verify and she said all was good to go.The place is something to see. It is small and very colorful! There is a house boat anchored next to her site and yes, someone lives in it. We got there a Sonja was very friendly. She had just brought back another tour. She said the past two days had been tough on getting the dolphins to come in close. This was caused by the lack of commercial fishing boats operating in the bay.So we loaded up (6 of us) and off we went. We went to where she had last seen a few from the previous tour but couldn’t find any. Then we went around an island and saw some dorsal fins. A few did get close (10 yds.) but they stayed back. So went headed out further into the bay. Off in the distance we saw a shrimping boat but it was way out there. She asked if we wanted to go, but we would get wet. We all said yes and off we went. She was right, the waves were splashing up into the small boat but it was a blast.Once we got out near the boat we started seeing the dolphins. There were all around us. Some got close enough that one touch Sonja’s foot but most stayed about 10’ away. We kept circling the fishing boat. I guess we upset the caption because when we looked up and the boat was headed towards us. We were never in any danger but still it shocked everyone. I even think it shocked Sonja somewhat.Sonja absolutely made the trip! She was pleasant, funny, and very informative. Even if we hadn’t seen the dolphins we all still would have enjoyed being out in the middle of the bay on her boat. We were out on the water over 90 minutes!If you want a personalized trip, I would recommend the Dolphin Connection Texas. I would give her a call to get the correct address. The one from the map search sites aren’t correct.

I made a reservation with dolphin connection for a Saturday morning. I was only notified of the tour being cancelled for the day after I called them to get directions. The next morning, sunday, I received a voicemail from the lady who makes reservations saying that she would see me at 9:30a.m. This was not an option for me nor did I request to make a reservation for Sunday. When I called her back to clear it up I was very disappointed by her comments. She tried to insist that I had moved my reservation to Sunday after they cancelled the Saturday tour. Also she stated that it was sad and a shame that I didn't keep my reservation. And amongst other unprofessional comments she said not to ever call her again. I even apologized for the miscommunication. Needless to say I will never spend my money with her. She was very rude, inappropriate, unprofessional, and unapologetic that she may have miscommunicated somehow on her end. I will not spend my money anywhere that handles potential customers that way.

This is not a shiny new tourist boat... about 4 to 6 guest max, but the trade up is more personal time and when not moving you can lean over the boat and slap the water, with the hope that the dolphin will approach the boat. I believe that the earlier the better for the dolphin to be interested. They were plentiful, but somewhat sleepy and more disinterested as the day went on. But we loved it and would for sure do it again!

This is a great trip for the family, especially for the children. The dolphins will sometime come right up to the boat and let you get a close look at their faces. The dolphin doodette has over seventy of the dolphins named. It is a must if you and the family are visiting friends in the Aransas Pass, Rockport, Portland or Ingleside area. It is only a 30 minute drive from Corpus Christi and well worth the gasoline to bring the kids AND be sure to bring a camera.

This is to see dolphins up close and personal. You are limited to 6-7 in your group. There were 5 of us so we had the boat to ourselves. Were able to see dolphins right up by the boat to touch. Saw them water surf at the back of the boat. Very enjoyable. Sonja was very knowledgeable of the area & of the dolphins including their names. They were like family to Sonja where she called them by name. Was out on the water for over an hour. Great for the family...any age. I loved it. Highly recommend-a must do if you are in the Corpus area. Cost is very reasonable and well worth it.

Although more expensive than the party boat tour this was a must have experience. Our family of 5 had the boat to ourselves, and with some mechanical issues she went out of her way to make sure we saw dolphins. We were all amazed to see them in their natural environment, and have a new found appreciation for the animals. The small boat provided great views and allowed the tour to observe the dolphins closer and right around the shrimp boats where the dolphins were feeding. Many came up right next to the boat lol owing for great views and pictures. She was very knowledgable and and personable providing a great experience for all members of the family. If you want to experience dolphins this is the place to do it.

This is a wonderful opportunity to see dolphins in their natural environment. It was a great day and the ride out in the boat was really nice. The lady in charge was very knowledgeable and was very friendly to us. We really enjoyed our hour tour. It was safe and suitable for any age.