After living in Hampton Roads for nearly a decade, it’s pretty easy to feel like I’ve seen and done everything. But honestly, I never get tired of going on local wildlife tours — especially dolphin and whale watching! These nature-focused tours get me away from the crowds and out on the water where things are a lot more peaceful. So when Viator invited me to experience a local tour, I immediately knew what I wanted to do!
I used the Viator app to book a local dolphin kayaking tour, put it on my calendar, and a couple of days later took the morning off for a mini-vacation! It was honestly such a good time, and I learned so much about the local area. Plus, I got to see two pods of dolphins.
If you’ve been thinking about taking a dolphin kayaking tour of your own in Virginia Beach, Virginia, here’s how to make a stress-free booking and what you’ll want to know in advance.
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Finding My Virginia Beach Dolphin Kayaking Experience on Viator
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know that Viator is one of my absolute favorite travel apps. In fact, I recently put it on my top 5 travel apps list in a blog post. So when they reached out to me for this local-focused collaboration, I was all in.
Quite frankly, I love Viator because it’s so easy to find exactly what I want, plus inspiration for other awesome adventures.
All I had to do was open the app, search “dolphin kayaking Virginia Beach,” and pick from the listings that popped up.
There were several to choose from, but I chose one with a mid-range price point, since I like to prioritize more affordable adventures when I can. At just $68 per person for 2 hours on the water, with all equipment provided, it felt like a great deal. I also liked that they offered 3 tour options each day. After checking the reviews (4.8 stars from nearly 400 reviews), I knew this was the one I wanted to try.
Viator’s booking process is also super easy, and I love that they have Reserve Now, Pay Later options, plus so many tours offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Since this was pretty last minute, I selected the date and time I wanted, filled in my contact details, and booked it right away. The tickets and all the info I needed to prepare for the tour immediately popped up under my Bookings tab, so I had everything I needed in one place.
What to Expect on a Virginia Beach Dolphin Kayaking Tour
Before you book, here’s everything you need to know.
How Long Is the Experience?
The tour I went on was just under 2 hours from start to finish. (For reference, I arrived at the beach around 9:27 and everyone had docked by 11:15.) I did get the impression that the tour could have been longer based on how much interaction we got with the dolphins and how long it took everyone to paddle back from Fort Story, which was as far as we went.
Of that 2 hours, we spent a full 90 minutes on the water. The guides provided a full safety briefing and a short paddle lesson, but the orientation and getting everyone in the water took less than 15 minutes.
And if you’re worried about paddling for 90 minutes straight, don’t be. Especially since I was paddling on my own, I was relieved to learn the guides built intentional breaks into the tour. They had specific points we’d paddle to, then take a break while they shared information. The only time I felt a bit worn out was the final stretch back to the beach because the waves kept trying to push me out to sea.
What’s Included?
- One- or two-person kayak
- Life jackets
- One paddle per person
- Two guides
- Safe storage for phone and keys in the guide’s dry bag.
What Should You Bring?
You don’t need much for this tour, but here’s what I’d recommend.
- Sunscreen
- Water bottle (the kayaks have water bottle holders!)
- Swimsuit/quick-drying clothing
- Sunglasses
- Hat (optional)
- Water shoes (optional–I went barefoot)
- Waterproof phone pouch or action camera. If you bring an action camera, I’d recommend a floating handle.
- Towel/change of clothes (can keep in the car)
- Dry bag if you don’t want the guides to hold your stuff.
Kayaking With Dolphins in Virginia Beach
The morning of my tour, I drove about 40 minutes out to First Landing State Park, where I met up with the rest of the tour group on the ocean side. It was a beautiful, clear day, and I was honestly so excited for my mini-vacation!
When I arrived, our two guides already had everything waiting for us. I was the only person attending alone, but they’d specifically set out a single-person kayak for me.
The First Phase
After the orientation, the guides got everyone out into the water, and we started with a leisurely paddle out to a nearby collection of posts. As I got closer, I realized that nearly every post had a pelican perched on top of it! The guides shared that pelicans are incredibly territorial and will often sit on the same post for years!
We took a little break here, while the guides told us what the posts were for. Apparently, they’re part of a fishing system that lets fishermen funnel fish to the end of the posts with nets, where they can collect them bi-weekly to meet local seafood demand.
After that, we began paddling down the coast, aiming for another set of poles. But when we were nearly there, we spotted our first pod of dolphins! There were only two, but we followed them for a few minutes as they headed back the way we came. They only surfaced a few times, but it was still fun to see them!
Our guide explained that dolphins are incredibly curious and often surface to investigate what’s happening around them. Apparently we were pretty boring, though, because they didn’t stick around too long.
The Second Phase
Since we’d all just paddled pretty hard, the guides designated a 60-second break before we headed back to the second set of poles. We camped out here for a little bit while the guides taught us about the cormorants fishing near the poles and took pictures of everyone.
We hung out here for a bit, enjoying the sunshine and waiting for more dolphins, but none came, so we continued along the coastline to Fort Story. The guides had more interesting information to share, including a warning not to set foot on the fort’s beaches because they’re heavily secured.
We floated around this area for a while again because the guides said dolphins were more likely to approach us if we stayed in one place, but sadly, we didn’t see any during this ~45-minute period. But that’s okay! Because this is an eco-tour, none of the experiences are forced or manufactured. So there’s always a risk that wildlife interactions will be limited or non-existent. But it just makes it more magical when they do happen.
Phase 3
Eventually, we began the paddle back to our starting point. Just as we neared the second set of poles, another pod of dolphins cruised by! They passed right by the front of our group and surfaced a couple of different times as they headed toward Fort Story. This was another small pod with only a couple, and they came and went pretty quickly. But it was fun to get a second sighting right at the end!
We hung out here for about a minute after the dolphins disappeared just in case, but eventually we continued our paddle back to shore. Along the way, one of the guides shared some fascinating information about local oyster restoration and how it affects the water quality. I didn’t realize how important it was for us to rebuild their colonies so the water is clear again!
From this point on, it was pretty much continuous paddling, and I will say, this is when things got hard.
I wasn’t really tired because the guides made sure we got breaks, but the waves were so strong I had a hard time paddling against them on my own. However, I persevered and eventually made it back to where we started — I even beat a few of the double kayaks, so I felt pretty good about myself.
Honestly, I had such a fun time on the tour, even though I was by myself. The guides were great, and everyone else was super friendly, so I didn’t feel alone.
Is Dolphin Kayaking in Virginia Beach Worth Adding to Your Itinerary?
Absolutely. The thing is, this isn’t just about dolphins or kayaking. Obviously, you want to see dolphins, and chances are good that you will if you go at the right time. But this is also about enjoying the sunshine and ocean air, seeing the world from a different perspective, and learning a bit more about the area.
With that said, I’ve been on several wildlife experiences around the Virginia Beach area, including another dolphin kayaking tour, dolphin-watching tours, and whale-watching trips, and I’ve seen dolphins on every one. So while wildlife is always unpredictable, I feel pretty confident saying that Virginia Beach is a great place to get out on the water if seeing dolphins is on your list.
I think this is great for anyone interested in those things, whether you’re a family group or solo traveler, a beginner or an experienced kayaker. They made it easy for everyone to enjoy, no matter the group size or fitness level. And since this is a bit “out of the ordinary,” it’s fun whether you’ve lived in Virginia Beach your whole life or are just in town for vacation. Honestly, I think I’d enjoy doing this more as a local. It was a great reminder that I don’t need a flight or a weekend away to have an adventure. Sometimes I just need to take a closer look at what’s right here at home.
How to Find More Things to Do Near You
If you want to find dolphin kayaking tours or all sorts of other fun things to do in Virginia Beach and beyond, Viator makes it so easy to search and book them in one place. Rather than scrolling through TikTok for inspiration or pinning a hundred Google tabs, you can find everything in the app, save them to your wishlist, and book whenever you’re ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need kayaking experience to go dolphin kayaking in Virginia Beach? Nope! It’s very beginner-friendly, and first-timers are welcome.
What should you wear for dolphin kayaking? I recommend a swimsuit and quick-drying clothes. Water shoes are optional.
How long is a dolphin kayaking tour in Virginia Beach? The dolphin kayaking experiences I’ve done have generally been around two hours, and this one was just under two hours from start to finish.
Can you see dolphins while kayaking in Virginia Beach? Definitely! Atlantic bottlenose dolphins frequent the area, so the chances are high that some of them will make an appearance. But remember, be respectful, keep your distance, and never feed them!
Can you go dolphin kayaking by yourself? You most certainly can! It just requires a bit of extra strength. But on the plus side, you’ll never have to fight your partner on paddling in sync!
Closing Thoughts
Thanks for stopping by! If you enjoyed this post, I’d love for you to join the Carried Away Travels Community and follow along with my adventures. Have a question about dolphin kayaking? Send me a message—I’m always happy to help!
And if you’re ready to try this experience for yourself, just use this link to head over to Viator and reserve your kayak.
Until next time, happy travels!
