$5 OFF ADULT TICKET
NK69-HLKB-1QMR
print

BOOK NOW!

Join Captain Jaime Wescott aboard The Captain Johnny boat for a Guaranteed Dolphin Watch cruise in protected waters off the Outer Banks, NC. This two hour cruise is ideal for all ages. Enjoy breathtaking views as you listen to a factual narration on the bottlenose dolphin, a type of dolphin found along the Atlantic coast. Dolphin mating and birthing can be observed on many cruises.  

Want to see a glorious Outer Banks sunset, too? Then choose their sunset dolphin watch. The tour departs about two hours before sunset, which varies week to week. You will be given a departure schedule when you reserve tickets. Tickets are only sold the week of the tour. Reservations are preferred, for the tour sells out early. It runs Monday thru Friday weather permitting unless a private tour has been scheduled.

So what do we mean by guaranteed? If no dolphins are found, paying passengers may ride again free during the current season (with some restrictions).
We now have online booking from the website 24/7 and tickets may be purchased months in advance. Check our FAQ for more information.

Office hours 8-6 Monday through Friday during the summer season and 8-5 off-season.
Trips are @ 8:30am, 10:30am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm
Sunset Dolphin Watch - Departs about 2 hours before sunset. Please call 252-473-1475 for times!

See our reviews on TripAdvisor!

THANK YOU for Voting Us a Winner in the BEST OF OBX Contest!
2024 GOLD WINNER
Best Dolphin Tour

Captain Johnny's Dolphin Tours

About The Captain Johnny Boat

The Captain Johnny is 55 ft. long, 14 ft. wide, Coast Guard Certified and seats 49 passengers.

Breathtaking views abound. There is plenty of elbowroom aboard Captain Johnny so no one misses seeing these creatures in the wild. The boat is covered for sun protection with a restroom on board. It also is Coast Guard inspected. Learned, local crews are available to answer questions about the Outer Banks. This is the kind of trip that enlivens and refreshes guests as they cruise across the water with wind in their faces!

Captain Johnny's Dolphin Tours

Want to see a glorious Outer Banks sunset, too? Then choose their sunset dolphin watch. The tour departs about two hours before sunset, which varies week to week. You will be given a departure schedule when you reserve tickets. Tickets are only sold the week of the tour. Reservations are preferred, for the tour sells out early. It runs Monday thru Friday weather permitting unless a private tour has been scheduled.

Captain Johnny's Dolphin Tours

Captain Johnny's Dolphin Tours

Join Captain Jaime Wescott aboard The Captain Johnny for a Guaranteed Dolphin Watch cruise in protected waters (tours do not go into the ocean). Dolphin tours available from June - October.

Captain Johnny's Dolphin Tours

Groups Welcome for Outer Banks Cruises

School groups, business groups, families and friends are welcome to enjoy the sights of the Outer Banks aboard The Captain Johnny. One teacher stated that she thought the children learned more about nature on our two hour cruise than they do during a week of school... AND we do not give exams.

Are you visiting the Outer Banks for a special event? Have a great time with your special group of family or friends with one of our custom cruises setup to suit your party.

About Jaime Wescott, Dolphin Tours Captain

Captain Jamie Wescott, an 11th-generation Outer Banks native, grew up two blocks from where the tours depart. After following my dream of fishing for a living for over 25 years, I purchased my family’s dream to enjoy our beautiful “home,” the waters around Roanoke Island, while viewing and learning about the dolphins.

Historians report that the Wescott family shipwrecked on the Outer Banks sometime in the late 1700s. If you are looking for a nice relaxing trip from a captain/tour guide with a rich local heritage and great knowledge of the area's history and cultural beginnings, then you most definitely want to check out Captain Johnny DolphinTours.

Customer Reviews

Below are some reviews from guests of Captain Johnny's Outer Banks cruises. 

Butterfly Girl
Wonderful time! Everyone was so friendly! The lady who took my reservation was so nice, answered all my questions. I received great directions to the dock. The boat was clean and had a bathroom. The crew was so funny and entertaining. Not only did we see dolphins and a beautiful sunset, but learned a lot about the area.

C Waters 4
We wanted to see dolphins, and boy! Did we see dolphins! Lots and lots of dolphins! It was a great way to spend two hours on the water. Capt. Stewart was friendly and personable, and the boat was comfortable. My 8- and 6-year olds had a great time, too. We all highly recommend Capt. Johnny's!

Patti Walton Dempsay
The Best Dolphin cruise in the Outer Banks Safe all the way.

Kathleen Whalen Reilly
Worth every penny!! A very nice boat ride, some history, some anecdotal humor and a huge pod of frisky dolphins. A great day! 

Dwayne Hickman Jr.
Captains of the boat and all staff were awesome and very entertaining. They did not promise us dolphins, but we saw lots. It was a blast. Will return next year.

Jennifer Cinqmars
We had a great experience and would recommend captain Johnny's to others!! We saw many dolphins and other wildlife!!

Eileen Lloyd Teti
We have been coming down to the Outer Banks, and going on this dolphin tour for more than 10 years now. We love seeing the dolphins, the boat ride is great, and the Captain is friendly and knowledgeable. We are never disappointed, and are looking forward to coming down again soon! Take a tour, you will will love it!

Casie Johnson
We had a great time! Our Captain was so friendly and told us so much about the area. We saw lots of dolphins and it was very family friendly. We would definitely go again!
 
Read more reviews on TripAdvisor
Manteo
252-473-1475
Hours
*Off-season hours may vary*
Call 252-473-1475 for current hours.
  • Monday8:00am-6:00pm
  • Tuesday8:00am-6:00pm
  • Wednesday8:00am-6:00pm
  • Thursday8:00am-6:00pm
  • Friday8:00am-6:00pm
Categories
Activities
Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin

Stop by Nags Head's Ben Franklin at Mile Post 10 on the Bypass where you will find everything you need for the beach! From Clothing, T-shirts and Swimwear to Boards, Chairs, Umbrellas and Tackle. You'll find it all…and of course, we have the best selection of Souvenirs anywhere on the Outer Banks. Enjoy your vacation! Independently owned by a member of one of the Outer Banks’ oldest families, the Ben Franklin store is stocked with just about everything a visitor would need to go to the beach.

 

Ben Franklin stores were once part of a five-and-dime retail empire, with about 2,500 locations across the country in its heyday. As decades passed and the times and customers began to change, many closed their doors, leading to fewer than 150 of these nostalgic shops. Nags Head Ben Franklin, however, has withstood the test of time and adapted to the needs of its customers to provide a memorable shopping experience on the Outer Banks.

 

Debbie Terry Tolson, manager of the Ben Franklin location in Nags Head, recalls working with former owner Tommie Daniels. Daniels’ father, Moncie Daniels, started the business in downtown Manteo in the early 1900s. The Daniels family has been a longstanding fixture in the Outer Banks business community—Moncie even sold gas to the Wright brothers in 1903.

 

Tommie, with an excellent business mind, saw the opportunity the new Bypass presented and, in 1977, he opened the Nags Head location of Ben Franklin. He was one of the first businesses on the Bypass,” Tolson says.In addition to a new location, the Ben Franklin store saw a new group of customers.

 

“People would come from all around because Tommie had a little bit of everything—it was more like a five and 10 then,” Tolson explains. “As he went to the beach, he began to get more tourists, so he started catering more and more to visitors.”

 

Today, the 21,000-square-foot souvenir shop quickly catches the attention of anyone driving by thanks to the ocean-themed mural that decorates the façade of the building, painted by local artist Rob Snyder. This Ben Franklin location has become the must-stop shop for both first-time visitors to the area and generations of families who escape to the Outer Banks annually.

 

Tolson credits the great prices and friendly customer service to the success of the location, which keeps families returning.“People come in all the time and tell me, ‘my grandmother or my grandfather used to bring me here and now I’m bringing my children,’” she shares. “One of my favorite parts about working here is seeing the people come back year after year.”