Mile Isle Beachcomber Tour: Private Dolphin Sightings

Embark on a private dolphin sighting adventure on the Mile Isle Beachcomber Tour. Collect sand dollars, sea shells, and even sharks teeth while exploring the mile-long sandbar. Perfect for families and small groups.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Harbour Town Lighthouse and Museum - On the way to the Mile Isle, we’ll cruise past the iconic red and white striped lighthouse.
    The Harbour Town Lighthouse is a lighthouse at the Harbour Town Marina at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It was privately built and is a private aid to navigation.
  • Daufuskie Island - We’ll continue down the…
What's Included
  • Expert narration by a Licensed Captain and Master Naturalist
  • All fees and taxes included
  • Exclusive private vessel for your family tour
What's Not Included
  • Gratuity
Additional Information

Enjoy a two-and-a-half-hour adventure on your own private boat. Your Master Captain will guide you safely through the Calibogue on a falling tide to the isle. This mile long sandbar is exposed for only a couple of hours per day, allowing beachcombers the chance to collect sand dollars, seashells and the occasional shark’s tooth.
We’ll stop along the way…

Location
68 Helmsman Way
Helmsman Way
Enter the parking lot of Cross Island Boat Landing, just under the Cross Island Parkway. Plenty of parking available. Walk down to the docks to meet your Captain.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(81 Ratings)
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Trail10671584788
Oct 21, 2024
Great Times! - Great time with captain Mark! He was knowledgeable, friendly, and personable. He was responsive to my questions before our trip as well. We will be using him on our future trips.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kristinr104
Oct 14, 2024
The best family fun on the island!!! - Captain Mark is amazing! This is our second (and definitely not our last) tour with Captain Mark of Cross Island Cruises. The last time we went on the dolphin cruise and to the shell beach with a 4 year old and a 2 year old. This time we did the vanishing island tour, and still found lots of dolphins, but also found starfish and sand dollars on the vanishing island. Oh- and saw a blue crab and an alligator!! The boys are now 6 and 4 (first grade and pre-K). We had so much fun and Captain Mark was just amazing talking with the boys and answering their questions. He kept them fully engaged the whole time and is just the kindest, most genuine guy you’ll ever meet. If you can only do one thing with your family on Hilton Head Island- I urge you to do one of the Cross Island Cruises with Captain Mark. You will not be disappointed and will become a repeat customer, and make a new friend on the island. See you soon Captain Mark!!! Thank you so very much!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laura
Sep 22, 2024
Special boating and sea life exploration! - Our family ladies (30s-70s) and littles (2 and 3 yr olds) had the best time with Captain Mark! We saw LOTS of dolphins, and enjoyed the sightseeing from the water with expert narration. Our stop on Vanishing Island was full of special sea creatures with many shells collected. On the ride back we found a mountain of shells to climb and still more dolphins playing in the sunset. This was the perfect kickoff for our week in Hilton Head. We all look forward to this outing with Captain Mark when we return in the future!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carissac642
Aug 23, 2024
Once in a Lifetime Experience - Captain Mark created such a wonderful experience for us. We learned lots of fun facts about the island, sea life, and more. This was such a fun and exciting trip to a vanishing isle that is so fascinating and unreal! He was a great guide and ensured that we would have an unforgettable experience. He went out of his way to show us everything that we were curious about. Overall, I highly recommend booking this tour because this experience is hard to come by!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bukj333
Jul 27, 2024
Fantastic Tour! - Our family went on the vanishing mile isle tour on our trip to Hilton Head, and it ended up being the highlight of our trip. Captain Mark was so knowledgeable about the area ecology, and the history of the area in general. He also took a detour to show us dolphin families swimming around. It was a wonderful experience. We plan to take the tour again the next time we are in HH.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ellen_c
Jul 22, 2024
Captain Mark made the trip so much richer and more memorable than a boat ride - We had moms getaway of 6 women and they all had such a great time. The comment was that this was so much better and richer than just a looking for dolphin ride as captain mark talked about the stuff we were seeing (worms, imprints in sand from starfish) and about the island (neighborhoods, traffic and tourist patterns).
Review provided by Viator
Y173fwrobm
Jul 21, 2024
10/10 day with Captain Mark! - We had the best time with Captain Mark visiting Vanishing Isle and seeing many dolphins along the way! The kids loved their first boating experience and Captain Mark did a great job answering all of their questions! They came home with so many sand dollars and got to hold starfish and crabs! We would love to get back for another trip someday soon!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lee
Jun 28, 2024
An Absolute Must for Families and Kids - Captain Mark was an incredible Captain and guide for our private tour. We booked about three months in advance to make sure we were able to have this experience with our two young children. Mark communicated a few days in advance to make sure that we knew where to meet him, what the trip would be like, the weather, and to bring a bag for shells. He was easily accessible for questions and genuinely wanted to make sure that we had a good experience. The vanishing island is a touristy spot but Mark got us there first before it got busy (and it does get busy). We checked the area for shells, got a few pictures, and then left for some exploration in the saltwater marshes. We saw dolphins up close, checked a crab pot, and learned about the local ecosystem. After a stop for some extra shells, we headed back. The tour is fun and informative. Mark is phenomenal and was a hit with our kids. The whole time it felt less like tour and more like family friends going out on the boat.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
879danad
Jun 9, 2024
Best tour on Hilton Head! - We did the Vanishing Mile Isle Tour and Private Dolphin Tour with Captain Mark this week and both were amazing. We had a four year old and two six year olds and Captain Mark was so patient and engaging with them it really made the trip that much better. We had a fantastic time. We can't go to HHI now without seeing Captain Mark!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F1022qctamaraw
Jun 9, 2024
The most interesting shelling and dolphin cruise - This was the most interesting cruise I have ever been on. The captain was so friendly and informative. We saw so many dolphins, I learned more about dolphins than ever, and we are from Florida! If you want to experience an island full of starfish and sand dollars, Captain Mark will get you there first, before the crowds. Choose Captian Mark, you will be happy you did!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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December 2024
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