When a company is awarded “#1 Dolphin Tours” by Tripadvisor for the past seven years in a row, you know there has to be a few good reasons. The Umphletts have been running businesses on the Outer Banks for 25 years, so they know a thing or two about how to be successful. They’re the owners of OBX Marina in Wanchese, a favorite gathering spot for fishing, of course, but also for music and fun at their outdoor bar. They added Paradise Dolphin Cruises to enhance the OBX Marina experience.
The cruises are affordable, easy to schedule (they have four trips a day, so they’re sure to have a time that will work with your schedule) and, especially important for this year, provide a safe outdoor option for the whole family. This year, to make people feel even more comfortable, they are also offering an affordable private cruise option so that you and your family can enjoy a beautiful memory together without worry. Check them out on Mondays for their Family Day discounts.
So what should you expect on a dolphin cruise? Well, of course, lots of dolphins! OBX Marina owner Jarrod Umphlett assures me that they have a 100% success rate. But in the strange case that you may not see them, they offer a free coupon for another ride.
But dolphins are not all you will enjoy on this trip, Jarrod explains. It’s about the whole open-water, Outer Banks experience.
“I would expect to see the sights and smells of an old fishing harbor, see all different kinds of marine life like gulls, turtles, otters and nutria, amazing vistas from the open waters of Duck Island and Bodie Island and maybe a glimpse of Jockey’s Ridge and other sites across the Outer Banks,” Jarrod says.
He explains it’s really about getting out there, riding on the open sound and experiencing the Outer Banks from a completely different angle than you would see only from land.
And like we said, the dolphin tour is just part of the OBX Marina and Wanchese fishing village experience.
“People like seeing a little bit of the more traditional fishing village of the Outer Banks, not just the resort atmosphere of the beach,” Jarrod says. “People like to experience that Wanchese saltiness and grittiness.”
As you drive through Wanchese, you can see where the local fisherman who have been there for generations live their daily lives. When you arrive at the marina, your kids can watch the fishing boats going in and out of the harbor. If you get there at the right time, you might even see them unloading the fresh fish onto the dock.
One of the boats you can experience there is a famous one from the National
Geographic reality television show Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks that documents the experiences of commercial fishermen. It’s one of the Outer Banks’ big claims to fame. You might even see them filming.
Then there’s the open pavilion tiki bar located right on the marina. You could take the sunset cruise then come back and enjoy live music and a cold beverage while the kids run around the pavilion. Their live music is every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night, and they have trivia every Thursday.
When I ask Jarrod why he thinks they win best dolphin tour year after year, he says he believes it’s because of their experienced captains, crew and pleasant customer service desk, and the quality of their boat, which they lovingly call the Kokomo.
“I’m not just saying this because it’s our boat, but I think we have the most loved-on dolphin boat you’ll ever experience,” he says. “We put a ton of work into it every year to make it a place where people want to be – a place where they can feel comfortable.”
The boat is equipped with cushioned seats, a canopy to shade you from the sun, handicapped accessibility and a restroom. You can wander about the boat freely, and Paradise Dolphin Cruises encourages you to bring a cooler, snacks and whatever you might need to enjoy the 2-hour ride.
And as for their experienced captains, Captain Jay has been plying these waters for 12 years. He knows his stuff. Jarrod describes him as a native historian, so you’ll learn lessons about marine life and all the sites you pass on your way to the dolphins. But you can also look forward to laughing at his jokes and candid commentary.
Then once you get to the dolphins … well, that’s a whole other experience. You’ll see him working in unison with the dolphins, with respect and admiration, and the dolphins having fun with him and interacting with the people on board. The bottlenose dolphin, which are the ones you’ll be viewing on the cruise, are well known for their intelligence, friendly disposition and “smiling” faces, and they’ve been interacting with humans for centuries. They seem to have as much interest in us as we have in them.
Captain Jay has a special way with the dolphins. As one reviewer wrote, “It’s almost as if he is actually communicating with them!”
Some other highlights of the trip are the lighthouses you’ll see – the Bodie Island Lighthouse and the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse. The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is the eastern point of the quaint downtown waterfront village of Manteo, and the view from the boat is quite lovely. Also noteworthy are the ospreys, which many people call the rulers of the Outer Banks skies. Sightings of these beautiful birds never get old. As Jarrod mentions, you will also see gulls and hawks and a wide variety of other birds: birds of prey, waterfowl, wading birds, terns, gulls and shorebirds.
If you want a recreational option that’s safe and affordable and that offers an atmosphere unlike any other on the Outer Banks, this is the family activity for you. Come get a glimpse into the rare, old, salty fishing village of Wanchese aboard the Kokomo, appreciate the playful joy of the dolphins then come back to the marina and enjoy an ice-cold beverage and the tunes of a local Outer Banks musician at the tiki bar. That’s the Outer Banks from a different angle!
(252) 573-0547
708 Harbor Road, Wanchese
paradisedolphincruises.com
About the Author Maggie Miles
Maggie Miles is originally from the Outer Banks. She moved to Palm Springs in 2023 to work as an on-call reporter for the New York Times. Her portfolio includes contributions to The Times, BBC, MSN and many other media outlets. During her career, she has focused on a wide range of topics, including workplace corruption, gun violence, social justice, the environment, arts, health and wellness, travel and in-depth profiles of notable people and businesses.
