Things to do in Panama City Beach, Florida (FL): The Best Nature & Wildlife Tours

October 26, 2021 Tonie Szymanski

Panama City Beach, with its trademark white sand and warm Gulf waters, attracts everyone from spring breakers to retirees, singles to families. As a result, the city offers a range of activities for all ages and interests. Families won't want to miss the huge Shipwreck Island water park or the hundreds of animals and plants at Zoo World. Golfers will find plenty of top-rated courses and outdoor types can canoe, fish and nature walk at St. Andrew's State Nature Park. And there's always the 27 miles of beautiful oceanfront the city is famous for.
Restaurants in Panama City Beach

1. Island Time Sailing

Excellent
85%
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9%
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3%
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5.0 based on 1,460 reviews

Island Time Sailing

Island Time Sailing | Panama City Beach, FL islandtimesailing.com Let's set sail on The Island Time Sailing Catamaran on Panama City Beach. Create your own adventure in paradise on a variety of cruises including: -Shell Island Snorkel & Sail -Dolphin Sunset Cruise -Dolphin Day Sail -Private Charters for Events Enjoy a relaxing and fun sailing cruise on St. Andrews Bay as a family or couple. You'll have a great time with our friendly and fun crew. The Sunsets are Spectacular and the Dolphins are Friendly. The boat is equipped with two restrooms and a snack bar filled with lots of cold refreshments and tasty snacks. Call or Go to Our Website to Book Your Tour Today.

2. Airboat Adventure

Excellent
83%
Good
13%
Satisfactory
3%
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5.0 based on 1,200 reviews

Airboat Adventure

You will be amazed as you glide through just inches of water in the creeks and marsh area's off of the Intracoastal Waterway just 5 minutes from the beach. Look for wild Alligators, dolphins, birds of all kinds and more...DO NOT go to the hair dresser before you go on this tour! Live gator shows Wed-Sat 7ft gator..."BUBBA", fully voice and hand command trained, you WILL NOT see this anywhere else!!! Get your picture taken with a live alligator too! Our captains and crew are the best in the business! We've set the standard that others have to follow! North Florida's ORIGINAL Airboat and Alligator adventure!

3. Wild Thang Airboat Tours

Excellent
87%
Good
9%
Satisfactory
2%
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1,039 reviews

Wild Thang Airboat Tours

Take a thrilling ride sliding & spining along the marshes & backwater creeks in just inches of water searching for alligators, dolphins, herons, egrets, & birds of prey.

4. Osprey Charters

Excellent
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5.0 based on 139 reviews

Osprey Charters

Create your own private adventure aboard the "Osprey II" for 2 to 3 hours. Up to 12 passengers can ride comfortably aboard our customized skiff. You can go dolphin watching, snorkeling, sightseeing, or go exploring on Shell Island. You can even have a custom sunset tour. So, come enjoy a first class, stress free day with Osprey Charters.

5. Dolphin and Snorkel Tours Inc.

Excellent
98%
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2%
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5.0 based on 1,321 reviews

Dolphin and Snorkel Tours Inc.

Dolphin And Snorkel Tours is a educational tour company for people who do not want to be in big groups of people and love and respect wildlife. Our boat never exceeds 6 guests per tour. Although the Bottlenose Dolphins are the main attraction, we also show you all kinds of local wildlife. Of course all the animals we see are wild, so we never quite know what we will get to see for sure. Aside from the dolphins, we see many different species of birds like Osprey, Pelicans, Eagles, Wading birds, and many more. We see an occasional Manatee passing through, Sharks, Rays, Turtles, colorful fish, and even Deer. On the snorkeling part of the tour, we go to one of our many places, there are tons of great snorkeling sites in the area. This area is considered to be one of the best places to snorkel in Florida. Some of the places we snorkel are shipwrecks, artificial reefs, sandbars, and sea grass flats. Captain Lorraine, who is the owner and operator, will get in the water with you and teach you how to snorkel correctly and she will pull up sea life like urchins, crabs, mollusks, starfish, sand dollars, and even fish. Of course we make sure to release these delicate creatures unharmed. We encourage guest to only take dead souvenirs home with them. We also stop on Shell Island, which is an uninhabited barrier island, full of shells, wildlife, and world class beaches. You thought the Panama City Beach's were beautiful? Then you are in for a treat, Shell Island Beaches are even more beautiful. Guests commonly say that they feel like they are in the Caribbean when visiting the island. This island can only be accessed by boat. We even do extended tours, where we drive down to the far end of the island or the next island, called Crooked Island, where most people don't get to go. These tours are so far off the beaten path that we can sometimes not see a single other soul for as far as the eye can see. The only thing you need to bring is a towel. We have everything you need from full gear, wetsuits, refreshments, floats, life jackets, sunscreen, a glass bottom viewer, a underwater microphone, and even some extra jackets just in case! Many people like to bring their own snacks and drinks on longer tours. Guests are allowed to bring beer and wine. We also provide an iced cooler and a picnic blanket for you. We are located in Bay Point Marina, which is the closest marina to Shell Island, the area's best snorkeling spots, wildlife rich area's and to the Dolphins. We are not a tour that spends most of our time in route. We start seeing wildlife almost immediately. Our location also allows us to go further off the beaten path down the coastline then many other tours. Here at Dolphin and Snorkel Tours, we have two goals. Our first goal is to be the best tour you will ever be on. We want to make you feel special. We treat you like family when you're with us. We customize our tours to fit your needs and wants. We even do special customized cruises, like concert cruises, moonlight cruises, night snorkeling, engagement cruises and just about anything you can think of. Our second goal is to provide fun, educational experiences, that allow for a greater understanding and respect for wildlife. We pride ourselves in not participating in any harassment of dolphins. We do not chase, feed, or force wild dolphins to swim with us. If they could, the dolphins would thank you for choosing a tour outfitter that cares.

6. Coldwater Excursions

Excellent
96%
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5.0 based on 278 reviews

Coldwater Excursions

Coldwater Excursions provides guided canoe/kayak/SUP tours of some of Northwest Florida's most beautiful springs and unique ecosystems. Transportation to and from the beaches is provided. With pristine waters and beauty to match that of the Worlds Most Beautiful Beaches, the cold springs are a must see natural wonder on your next vacation. Dive into your next adventure with us! Coldwater Excursions also offers kayak and paddle board rentals along the beaches of Panama City Beach and 30A.

7. Gulf Coast Jet Boats

Excellent
90%
Good
5%
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5%
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5.0 based on 20 reviews

Gulf Coast Jet Boats

High speed spins and splash. The Gulf Coast “roller coaster on water”. Great for entire family ages 4-104. 100 % safety rating, United States Coast Guard certified boat with Master License Captains. We visit Shell Island, St. Andrews Bay, and of course the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. We do not guarantee wildlife sightings, but on almost every ride we see dolphins, and an occasional ray or turtle.

8. Pisces Charters

Excellent
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5.0 based on 16 reviews

Pisces Charters

Pisces Charters is conveniently located in Treasure Island Marina, a full service marina with plenty of parking. If using a GPS, enter 3605 Thomas Dr, Panama City Beach, FL 32408. Fishing license, bait, ice and tackle are included. We provide everything needed for the trip except what you want to eat and drink, so bring your cooler and don't forget the sunscreen. Our boat, the Turbo Snail, is a 27' OAL Custom Ocean Master built in South Florida--excellent stability in the Bay or Gulf. Kids love him -- fish fear him! Capt. Michael L. Smeby is a USCG Certified Historical Captain, A Panama City, Florida, native of Viking descent, Capt. Mike spent his childhood on fishing boats with his Norwegian grandfather. A lifetime of experience fishing St Andrews Bay and the Gulf of Mexico enabled him to obtain the designation of "Historical Captain" through the US Coast Guard. Capt. Mike's 40+ year safety record is impeccable.

9. Funpcb

Excellent
80%
Good
6%
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8%
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4.5 based on 751 reviews

Funpcb

Aquatic Adventures has been serving the Panama City Beaches for decades and has exceptional experience in making your vacation memorable. The Panama City Beaches are known worldwide for the beautiful crystal blue waters and sparkling white sandy beaches. Aquatic Adventures in Panama City Beach is located on the west coast of the State of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. We have watersports for every level of thrill seeker, including banana boats pulled by jetskis. The banana boats are wonderful for hot days on the beach and a fun ride for the family. The jetski captain can give you a smooth ride if you want to just cruise around or they can speed things up for a more wild ride. It is up to you! Dolphin tours will delight your inner explorer as you come face to face with the ocean’s friendliest dolphins. A guide will teach you to swim with the dolphins and you can even go shelling if you are wanting to get some awesome shells. Parasailing is the next level of thrills, in which the Captains and Crew will make sure that your adventure is safe and exciting. Sail away in one of Aquatic Adventures sailboats off of Panama City Beaches that are available for rental or cruise around the water in a pontoon boat. Both are available for rent or for charter with one of our experienced captains. Wave runners are also available to rent and at reasonable prices. Aquatic Adventures offers a variety of aquatic services and rentals in the Panama City Beach, Florida areas. From the skilled fisherman to the beginner, Aquatic Adventures has the best 18 foot fishing boats available for charter or for rent. Captains are knowledgeable and experienced in boat safety. The Gulf of Mexico and the Florida coast has some of the best fishing waters in the world. The Aquatic Adventures captain’s goal of the fishing charters is to make sure that you return with a “Big Fish” story of your own from the Gulf of Mexico!

10. Panama City Adventures

Excellent
85%
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4.5 based on 26 reviews

Panama City Adventures

Come join us in Panama City Beach for an adventure of a lifetime. We offer fast-paced airboat rides and relaxing dolphin tours to thrill the whole family.

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