Water Activities
Isla Tours
Runs dolphin watch and eco-tours, sunset and fireworks cruises, and bay and deep-sea fishing trips from Sea Ranch Marina at the south end of the island. Separate fishing line is (956) 761-2764.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 33256 State Park Rd 100, South Padre Island, TX, 78597
- Phone
- (956) 761-4752
- Business Type
- ⭐ Local & Independent
What to know before you go
Details checked . Confirm prices, schedules and policies with the business when planning your visit.
Schedules 1 detail
Bay fishing runs three trips: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM, 1:00-5:00 PM, and 6:00-9:00 PM.
Amenities 1 detail
The fleet has four named boats for different trip types: the 49-ft 'Hard Bottom Too' for bay fishing (covered bench seating, restroom); the federally licensed, USCG-endorsed 'Thunderbird' for deep-sea fishing (up to 44 passengers and crew, men's/women's restrooms, indoor cabin plus outdoor seating); the 67-ft double-decker 'Murphy's Law' for dolphin-watch, eco-tours, and the Port of Brownsville tour; and the 42-ft 'Murf Dog' Liberty Express private charter yacht (up to 6 guests, A/C salon, kitchen, bed, full restroom with shower).
Policies 7 details
All anglers age 17+ need a valid Texas saltwater fishing license, and the site asks customers to wait for a confirmation call/text before buying the license so a trip isn't bought unnecessarily.
Cancellation policy across all trip types: 24+ hours' notice gets a full refund; no-shows and cancellations inside 24 hours are charged the full reservation cost; if staff cancel for unsafe weather, guests get a full refund, but guests cannot cancel just because they personally judge the weather 'less than ideal.'
For safety, pregnant individuals are not permitted to board the deep-sea fishing trips, citing unpredictable offshore conditions and limited access to medical care.
Guests are asked to arrive at least 30 minutes before departure because of island traffic/parking/causeway delays, and there are no refunds for missing a scheduled departure for any of those reasons.
Guests may bring their own food, drinks, and coolers on fishing trips, and alcohol is allowed as long as it is not in glass containers; own fishing gear is welcome but limited to one pole per fisherman on bay trips and the company is not responsible for personal gear.
Private charters (Murf Dog trips, private bay fishing groups) cannot be booked through the website and must be arranged by phone.
The fireworks/sunset dolphin cruises are explicitly described as pet-friendly, unlike other trip types on the site where no pet policy is stated at all.
Prices 3 details
Summer fireworks cruises (dolphin watch + sunset + fireworks combined, 7:30-10:00 PM) run Friday and Tuesday nights at $35 per person, plus separately-scheduled cruises for New Year's Eve, Labor Day weekend, July 4th, and Memorial Day weekend.
The 'Dolphin Dash' (5:00-6:00 PM) is a discounted short dolphin-watch trip at $15 per person; the longer Sunset Dolphin Watch Cruise is $18 per person.
The Port of Brownsville nature tour is a five-hour narrated cruise; tour-only is $40 per person, and tour with lunch at Lobos Del Mar Cafe is $50 per person. The cruise itself includes a fresh Gulf shrimp tasting, coffee, and donuts.
Suggested: Any time · No set time — you choose