Wildlife Tour Information

Five O’Clock Boat Tours and Charters Inc

For over a decade, I’ve been guiding marine wildlife tours, fishing charters, and excursions to Egmont Key. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of learning about dolphins firsthand and sharing that knowledge with guests who join me on the water.

My business is named after a dolphin I used to see daily at the marina—“Five O’Clock Charlie.” That dolphin sparked my fascination with these incredible animals, and today I pass along what I’ve learned from both experience and dolphin researchers like Dr. Randall Wells of the Sarasota Bay Dolphin Research Project.

Ten Facts About Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins in Sarasota Bay

(Shared with local tour boat operators by Dr. Wells)

1. About 150 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins live in Sarasota Bay year-round.
2. Male dolphins form lifelong bonds with another male, often pairing up early in life.
3. Female dolphins can give birth well into their 40s.
4. Dolphins can live into their 50s.
5. They sometimes stun fish by striking them with their tails before eating them.
6. Dolphins also drag their tails through the water, creating bubble trails that flush out prey.
7. When sharks—Sarasota Bay’s top predator—became scarce from overfishing, stingrays overpopulated and killed many dolphins with their barbed tails.
8. Pesticide residue has been found in dolphin blubber and milk and may contribute to calf deaths.
9. Some male dolphins have shown PCB toxin levels above 800 ppm—far above the 1 ppm limit considered safe for humans.
10. During red tide blooms, fish populations collapse. Hungry dolphins often steal bait from fishermen and can become entangled in fishing gear, sometimes fatally

Dolphin Prey and Behavior

• Dolphins have exceptional hearing and can locate certain fish simply by listening to the grinding noises they make.
• They are fast learners, capable of generalizing what they discover in one context to new situations.
• Adult dolphins grow between 8–12 feet long, swim at speeds of 10 mph or faster, and consume about 5% of their body weight daily.
• Their diet includes pinfish, mullet, pigfish, toadfish, ladyfish, sea trout, and other species found in the shallow seagrass flats.

Lifespan and Social Life

• Most dolphins live into their 40s, though researchers have documented one female living to 64 years and a male to 51 years.
• Dolphins have 80–100 sharp conical teeth, and they only grow one set for life.
• They remain active day and night, engaging in feeding, traveling, socializing, and resting.
• Environmental factors like season, habitat, tide, and reproductive cycles all influence their behavior.

Dolphins are truly intelligent and fascinating animals. I’m fortunate to see them nearly every day in their natural habitat and to share these experiences with my guests.

Book your marine wildlife tour today at www.FiveOclockCharlieTours.com and discover dolphins and other marine life in the beautiful Tampa Bay estuarine waters.