I first went on the Dolphin Explorer boat about two years ago on a windy day in December. Through the roar of the breeze I listened to Kent Morse's spiel about dolphins and their life in the 10,000 islands area. Things got interesting when he started talking about their work tracking the animals- rather than using 'invasive' dart tags, or robot dolphin cameras, they photographed the local dolphin's fins and compared their unique markings and deformations. I flipped through a catalog that the naturalist had put together of some of the dolphins that call the florida coast their home. They use these photographs to keep track of the populations, and trade information with other research organizations. Kent mentioned that if anyone was able to successfully photograph a dolphin's fin that hadn't been catalogued, then they would receive the honor of naming that dolphin. Well I got one, and since "Mittens" was taken, I named it "Ratatouille."
Unfortunately the story doesn't end there. When I revisited Sea excursions this past winter (I had such a great time that I had to return) one of the first things I did was scour the catalog for Ratatouille. No such dolphin. "Wtf?", I enquired, and the naturalist staff gently informed me that, upon closer examination, this dolphin probably was another dolphin already listed. Or it could have died. And then the naturalist explained the dangers that dolphins face these days, and the difficulties posed by development and pollution. So informative!
And when the dolphins decided to play in our wake, Captain Chris was so gentle with his piloting! These guys, Kent and Chris, were so knowledgable that I actually started getting worked up. There I was in the presence of two passionate and extremely intelligent powerhouses. The work they do is freaking awesome! I sleep a little more soundly knowing that they're out there, protecting dolphins like Ratatouille, or Mittens, and giving us humans a little more knowledge about our impact on other worldly creatures.

The idea of combining the accumulation of a long term population study with volunteer/tourist participation is
excellent.

I have met Mr. Beaudry, sailed in one of his boats and listened to his plans and interest in environmentally sensitive and educational excursions. I am sure that
Mr. Beaudry can provide the stable business platform needed
to support the 10000 Island project as it builds a long-term population record and grows to its next phase.

Hal Rogoff

The 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project is excellent and deserves to win. I used to live in southwest Florida and still visit the area frequently. The project is ingenious for enrolling visitors as "citizen scientists" so people can assist with dolphin research as they cruise the area. This hands-on experience makes the lessons they learn memorable to the visitor, and valuable to dolphin research. This is a fun way to learn and to help the dolphins. The founders are ingenious for finding a way to finance the dolphin research by combining it with visitors wanting to tour the area.

I have been on the Dolphin Project ecotour a few times over the past year. Each time I come away with a renewed appreciation for the wildlife and natural beauty that is still here in Southwest Florida. Vacationing elsewhere, it's easy to be inspired and amazed, not always easy to be impressed in one's own backyard. Chris Desmond and Kent Morse have created an experience that does impress and excite and inspire. Learning about dolphins by observing them in their natural environment, watching osprey and wading birds feed and nest and learning how intrinsic the mangroves are to this whole community- we were entertained and educated and reminded how important it is to actively protect our corner of the planet.

Had a chance to work with captain Chris and his wonderful crew during a segment for a tv show that will start airing soon. The entire tour was very educational. We got to see dolphins, crocodiles, birds, etc. He took us to a beach were we found a variety of shells of all colors and sizes. It was really a fantastic experience which i will never forget. Thanks captain!!

My husband and I have participated in several Earthwatch and eco-education trips. This wonderful organization sounds so exciting and involving that we will probably find ourselves participants in it! We look forward to learning more about it and aligning our "possible" dates with the organization's schedule.

My daughter wants to become a marine biologist so we have taken her to see dolphins in all kinds of settings--from the circus-like to this kind of "real-world" environment. The 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project allows her and kids like her to understand the habitat, intelligence and needs of these mammals--to not mythologize them, but to start to understand and appreciate them and what we can and have to do for them.

As an independent meeting planner based in Southwest Florida, I continuously seek attractions and activities which appeal to my diverse client base in conjunction with its meetings and conferences. The 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project has brought a significant new opportunity into the market place. At last, there is an activity I can present to clients which has broad appeal and fires on three tourism cylinders: recreation, education and participation. With many organizations operating under a mandate to leave a positive environmental footprint wherever they travel, the dolphin study provides a vehicle for meeting that responsibility in a swift, provocative and affordable fashion. In today's challenging economy, corporate groups are seeking to reduce meetings spend while delivering more relevant program content. The dolphin study affords them an opportunity to meet their commitment to environmental sustainability without incurring longer stays at higher costs.

I recently did a presentation to a group for which both Southeast and Southwest Florida were under consideration as a meeting site. The decision to come to the Southwest Coast in large part can be attributed to the dolphin project as a meaningful activity for the group.

Having personally experienced this eco adventure aboard the Dolphin Explorer, I can attest to the professionalism of both the crew and on-board naturalist, who do a great job of not only extending every courtesy to the "citizen scientists" (as participants are called) but also in presenting a wealth of wildlife and environmental information in an entertaining yet meaningful manner.

With the advent of this excursion, our Southwest Coast now has a real environmental "leg up" on other destinations and a new avenue for meeting our own local commitment to preserving our wondrous eco system.

Whenever tourists and locals can be involved in a project such as this one, the results are mutually beneficial to the dolphins, the environment, and the participants. This is a win-win project for all involved.

How better to improve the environmental footprint of Southwest Florida than with the "flipper print" of one of the most loved at the same time misunderstood inhabitants: the bottlenose dolphin? That was my thought as I looked for a way to effect a positive impact upon both the experience of our visitors and the preservation of our wildlife population. As the operator of a commercial excursion vessel, I had not only the desire to make a difference but also a vehicle for doing so.
Under the leadership of Captain Chris Desmond and with lead naturalist Kent Morse, it is gratifying to see come to fruition the concept of involving our tour guests in the collection of real meaningful raw scientific data. Seeing the volumes of raw data being collected, cataloged and shared; knowing the time and effort spent by the crew of the Dolphin Explorer, I am obligated to recognize this effort as well as to continue to provide the vehicle to expand the Dolphin Project message into as many venues as possible with the utmost urgency. To see the Dolphin Project being enjoyed and appreciated by so many people is exhilarating. They come aboard anticipating an exposure to the Eco System of Southwest Florida and they leave with a continuing amazement,understanding involvement and love for the vibrant, at the same time fragile, wildlife of our 10,000 Islands. They recognize, as we do, the obligation to bring more people to a true appreciation of the Eco System of Southwest Florida and the necessity of the preserving our precious gift for future generations.
As the Dolphin Project expands to encompass a larger geographical area as well as exposing and explaining the necessity of protecting the sustainability of our fragile ecosystem to more and more "citizen scientists", the future of the Dolphin Project is excitingly bright. Every day it demonstrates its validity, necessity, justification and authenticity.

I am excited about the prospect of The 10K Islands Project on many levels. In addition to the educational impact of this program on the survival of threatened species and delicate natural balance in this Gulf region, as a former Floridian, I am encouraged that there are new ways to help this over-exploited state recover its economy--and its beauty. What a terrific program to help Florida regain its dignity and its prosperity! The tourist industry in Florida is highly impacted by the current economic climate of down-turn and stagnance. Here is the model for bringing a new kind of tourist, re-defining the industry, and restoring the abundance of Florida's natural wealth. By protecting the wild creatures and the wild places, Florida may find itself again--in spite of the decades long trend of over-development and disregard for its natural treasures. It just makes sense--for Florida as well as other threatened naturally beautiful areas with ailing economies. An opportunity to think differently and creatively for future generations...fun education for all!

This project appeals to me on many levels. I travel for business and pleasure several times a year. It is difficult to find trips that provide this kind of beauty, learning, photography and sense of purpose. I am very interested in shells and this sounds like a wonderful way to learn more.

This dolphin excursion was highly educational and enjoyable for our family. My daughter is particularly interested in the dolphins and was greatly inspired by the tour. We plan to visit the tour on our next trip.

I have been involved in the 10,000 Island Dolphin Project since its inception and feel lucky to have been able to share in the frustrations and challenges involved in creating a new model for eco-tourism that involves the public in scientific research. There is the benefit of a commercial eco-tour funding a valid study; data is collected without competing for limited research dollars.  This information about the local population of bottlenose dolphins can then be available to local resource managers.Beyond this, however, the exciting element for me is to help bridge a gulf that has grown too wide between scientists and the general public.  Now that we have been at this for a few years, passengers on the Dolphin Explorer can have the experience of helping to collect data about bottlenose dolphins and, through our narration, learn of the insights we have gained from analysis of data collected on previous trips.  This is the sort of instant gratification that no scientist doing field work has ever experienced of course, but the point is for our clients to experience the full cycle in a three hour tour, thereby demystifying the scientific process: this is the technique we use to collect the data; this is how we work with this information; these are the insights about dolphins we are able to glean from this sometimes tedious effort. I think there is value in tours such as traditional whale watching that give people an opportunity to see magnificent creatures and learn something about their natural history.  The change I want to affect, by involving our clients as 'citizen scientists', is to demonstrate that the fascination and natural curiousity they feel is the heart of the scientific enterprise.  Dealing with the challenges facing America and the world necessarily requires a conversation amongst scientists, citizens and policy makers: any contribution we can make towards breaking down barriers between scientists and the greater public is worthwhile. As a naturalist it is also very satisfying to be able to go beyond sharing general information about dolphins culled from books and, instead, speak knowledgeably about the population and individuals we encounter as part of our ongoing study. We have a long way to go toward perfecting this new model of geo-tourism that marries scientific research with the traditional commercial eco-tour but I feel lucky to have the opportunity to participate in

My husband and I had the opportunity to experience being part of the 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project during our last two trips to Marco Island. Chris Desmond and his crew made the day enjoyable and educational. Chris shared his knowledge of each dolphin as we approached them and gave us a better understanding of the importance of the preservation of Dolphins as well as other wild life.

These beautiful mammals are part of the beauty of S.W. Florida and the 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project will help us maintain that beauty for years to come.

I work the the Naples, Marco Island Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau and have had multiple opportunities to bring visitors on familairization tours of the area to experience the Dolphin explorer. I have brought visitors from foreign countries and Meeting planners from around the US. They all have had a wonderful and educational experience and have recommended this tour to groups and clients. On one such occassion with this same captain on another boat we actually witnessed the birth of a dolphin watching it take its first breath right at the pass of Naples Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.A once in a lifetime experience for me and my guests. This tour on the Dolphin Explorer offers visitors to experience something they may never in their lives have the opportunity to do. It is priceless.

Chris Desmond, Kent Morse and the other naturalists who conduct the 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project are so knowledgable and passionate about what they are accomplishing that it is hard to find another tour that I would compare to theirs. I have had the opportunity to be on board their vessel for 3 trips and each time is just as exciting, informative and innovative as the first. Chris and his team of naturalists are true innovators in geotourism and enhance the experience of our visitors and locals alike. The 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project has created a study that not only enhances the geographical character of the waters surrounding the 10,000 Islands, it creates a moment in time no participant will ever forget.

This is such a worthwhile excursion! Chris and Kent have amazing depth of knowledge and a wonderful ability to teach all ages.

Upon boarding, each of my girls (aged 11, 8 and 6) received an age-appropriate activity booklet that was engaging, interesting, fun and we all actually learned a lot!

Fantastic identification book on board -- has photos of dolphin fins/names -- my girls could easily see the distinctions between individual dolphins. Some folks on board could even identify a few of the dolphins we saw in the water because of the photo book.

Loved learning other unique aspects about the southwest FL habitat where these dolphins live and some of the other inhabitants they share these waters with.

While exciting to see bottle-nose dolphins up close in their natural habitat, it was even better to learn what we can do to help protect them.

Way cool at the end of the excursion to receive a few photos Kent took of our family, dolphins and other wildlife we saw on the trip.

Highlights for the girls: seeing dolphins up close (even babies!), shelling, seeing all the other wildlife and getting badges for completing the booklet activities.

Over all -- you guys have done a great job keeping the "fun" in learning, teaching valuable information and allowing us the privilege to get close to a much loved mammal that we would otherwise not have had.

Thanks for your excellent work!

The Dophin project gave my family and I a close-up look at these beautiful mammals in their natural environment. We have seen dolphins with altered behaviors in shows at commercial tourist destinations, but we had never encountered and observed dolphins' natural behavior in their own world. This opportunity was provided by Chris Desmond and the 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project.
We observed a dolphin hunting for food in an area off of Marco Island. He moved back and forth near a sea wall. We also observed a mother and her calf. We were surprised at how much Chris and his naturalist knew about each dolphin in the area. Each dolphin even has a name; some of them supplied by tourists like us.
The Dolphin Project gave me, my wife, and my boys a better understanding and awareness of the fragile natural world that exists alongside humans and our encroaching developments. This increased awareness and the observations of these beautiful mammals in the wild will hopefully instill a deeper respect for the natural world that is right next to us here in south Florida.

I work for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau and I can attest that the 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project is a true ecotourism star in our destination. Master Naturalist Kent Morse was awarded our annual Tourism Star Award for front of the house guest service last year. He and Capt. Chris Desmond and the other members of the team provide a genuinely educational experience, while also ensuring that passengers have a memorable and very enjoyable experience onboard the Dolphin Explorer. I am getting an increasing amount of media interest in the Dolphin Explorer experience, since it is such a unique "citizen scientist" participatory activity. By being actively engaged the passengers retain a great deal of knowledge and appreciation for our resident dolphin population and their habitat. It is an honor to help spread the word about the project, since they provide such a high quality experience for our visitors.

A few months ago, I was fortunate to experience the 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project. Since I've always been fascinated with dolphins, this tour really piqued my interest. It promised enjoyment as well as education. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. During the tour, we saw a multitude of birds, dolphins, and even manatee in their natural habitats. The naturalist on board was very knowledgeable & we learned so much about the environment and the importance of it's preservation. The children on board were invited to take "The Dolphin Challenge", a short booklet of questions which TESTED their knowledge of dolphins, and INCREASED their knowledge of dolphins. They were also encouraged to name the new dolphins we saw. It was amazing to see how involved they were in this task. We enjoyed a 40 minute walk on a beautiful island beach, learning about the different vegetation and various shells.....and then, of course, we experienced the amazing dolphins. We learned about how to identify them, their interactions,feeding habits,offspring,mating.....things I had never known about these magnificent mammals. This tour was an awakening to many of us....in making us aware of how precious our natural resources are and how we need to protect them for future generations.

A few months ago, I was fortunate to experience the 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project. Since I've always been fascinated with dolphins, this tour really piqued my interest. It promised enjoyment as well as education. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. During the tour, we saw a multitude of birds, dolphins, and even manatee in their natural habitats. The naturalist on board was very knowledgeable & we learned so much about the environment and the importance of it's preservation. The children on board were invited to take "The Dolphin Challenge", a short booklet of questions which TESTED their knowledge of dolphins, and INCREASED their knowledge of dolphins. They were also encouraged to name the new dolphins we saw. It was amazing to see how involved they were in this task. We enjoyed a 40 minute walk on a beautiful island beach, learning about the different vegetation and various shells.....and then, of course, we experienced the amazing dolphins. We learned about how to identify them, their interactions,feeding habits,offspring,mating.....things I had never known about these magnificent mammals. This tour was an awakening to many of us....in making us aware of how precious our natural resources are and how we need to protect them for future generations.

The 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project excursion is a not-to-be missed trip for families in SW Florida. We have been on the trip many times in the last few years and it is one of the main reasons we return to the area each year. The waters in the region are teeming with dolphin, manatee, sea turtles and other amazing sea life. Based on the accomplishments of the Project, we see many of the same dolphin each year and have seen babies grow to adults as our children get older too. The Project has initiated in my children a love for and respect of dolphin that I know they will have forever.

The 10,000 islands area is undisturbed by development. It is comforting to feel alone when walking these sands in search of precious shells, seeing beautiful birds and swimming in the pristine aquamarine waters. It is nature at its best. This trip provides an accessible introduction
to not only dolphin, but the larger effect that their preservation has on our planet.