16 Jun Kayaking with Dolphins in Virginia Beach

You might think to yourself…really?…kayaking with dolphins in Virginia Beach is a thing?! Trust me, I was surprised when I first heard about this as well. I was researching activities in Virginia Beach when I stumbled onto a blog article that mentioned kayaking with dolphins. Immediately I was intrigued and gathered together a group of friends to go on the tour. We found a company, Chesapean Outdoors, and booked a Sunday afternoon kayaking trip. I will go into detail concerning everything you need to know for a kayaking with dolphins tour in Virginia Beach in this article, though the information will be specific to the tour offered by the Chesapean Outdoors company.

Virginia Beach is just a couple hours south of Washington, DC. Why not plan a day trip to DC sometime soon? You can hike the Billy Goat Trail Section A (which includes a rock scramble), book a paddle boat in the Tidal Basin, and watch planes fly overhead at Gravelly Point.

Contents:

1) Location

2) General Tour Information

3) Our Experience

4) Dolphin Fun Facts

5) Recommended Items to Bring

1) Location – Kayaking with Dolphins in Virginia Beach

I went kayaking (and made friends) with some dolphins in Virginia Beach, Virginia. To be more specific about the location, we set sail from First Landing Beach. For reference, First Landing Beach is approximately 15 minutes north of the downtown strip of Virginia Beach. 

Parking

For parking, we first tried to park at First Landing State Park Campground. However, we were turned away and told the lot was full. We talked to our guides about this, and it is quite common for this lot to fill up by mid morning or afternoon. Therefore, we drove across the street and parked at the lot for the Trail Center. Parking cost $10 in this lot for a Sunday, and I believe it was the same price in the above lot as well.

After parking at the lot near the Trail Center, we then had to walk across the street and onto the beach. Getting to the beach was easy, for there were even signs to direct us. We passed the visitor center (and used the bathrooms since the tour was two hours long) then entered the beach through the boardwalk. A quick turn to the left and we could see our kayaks waiting for us.

Nearby Lodging

There are a ton of lodging options within Virginia Beach, so you are sure to find something to your liking. Otherwise, you can stay in the nearby city of Norfolk and drive into the area for a day trip. 

Nearby Airports

The closest airport is the Norfolk International Airport, which is located just 20 minutes west of Virginia Beach. There are a few public transportation options available from the airport to Virginia Beach as well as First Landing State Park. However, they take around two and a half to three hours on average. You can thus save a lot of time on transportation by renting a car from the airport or utilizing a ride share service such as Uber. 

Preparing for kayaking on the beach

2) General Tour Information

Let me start off by saying Chesapean Outdoors provided us with all of the information we needed immediately. As soon as I booked our tickets online, a box popped up with information. Additionally, I received an email with the same information so I did not have to depend on saving the page mentioned above.

Booking the kayaking with dolphins tour is a great idea for your next date night or birthday present for that someone special. Need more date night ideas? Then book tickets to the lantern festival in DC or check out my list of unique date night ideas in Arlington, VA.

Waiver to Sign Before Kayaking with Dolphins in Virginia Beach

Each individual in our party had to sign a waiver. The waiver had the typical language you would expect. “We will not be held liable…”, etc., etc. The individual themselves or their legal guardian could sign the waiver. For Chesapean Outdoors, the waiver process was somewhat unique. You had to record yourself saying a sentence or two, which essentially stated you accepted the waiver conditions. Then you were able to provide an electronic signature.

Directions

The email I received right after booking included the address for the kayaking adventure as well as specific directions to the kayaks on the beach. This information was important due to the fact Chesapean Outdoors has two different launch points, so I quadruple checked we had the right address before setting out.

For our tour, we headed to 2500 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451. The main parking lot for the beach was full, so we parked in the lot across the road. We then walked across the road, past the visitor center, and onto the boardwalk for beach access. A quick look to the left, and we could see the kayaks waiting for us!

What to Bring Kayaking with Dolphins in Virginia Beach

The company also provided us with information on recommended items to bring. Let me emphasize there is nothing you have to bring – they simply provided recommendations. I will go over them quickly here as well as in more detail in the last section of this article. First, wear something you do not mind getting a little (or a lot) wet. Second, bring items to protect yourself from the sun. 

Third, bring water! Fourth, pack a snack if you feel like you might need an extra burst of energy. Fifth, bring your own waterproof bag if you want to keep your phone. Sixth, you should consider bringing a towel to dry off, especially if you take a dip in the ocean afterwards. 

Our group enjoying being out on the water

3) Our Experience – Kayaking with Dolphins in Virginia Beach

Chesapean Outdoors exceeded my expectations for communication. I called them to confirm the departure location, and they were incredibly helpful as well as kind. On the days leading up to our tour, they sent me multiple reminder text messages. The messages included information such as departure location confirmation, parking information, and more. Lastly, they even called individuals who did not show up approximately five to 10 minutes before the tour began to confirm their arrival and to also help out with directions if needed.

Preparing for the Kayaking 

For full disclosure, I have kayaked many times before. I own an Intex Challenger inflatable kayak and thus go out quite regularly on lakes and rivers. Additionally, I have kayaked once before in the ocean and even in a glacier lagoon in Iceland. The tour operated by Chesapeake Outdoors is open to kayakers of all skill levels – newbies to pros. However, they do note in their tour information that individuals should be able to paddle a kayak for two hours. Paddling in the ocean does require more effort than paddling in a lake due to the waves, wind, etc.

For the tour, Chesapean Outdoors offers mainly tandem kayaks, which means the kayak can seat two people. They also had a few individual kayaks for when groups have odd numbers. For example, we booked with a group of seven. Six people used three tandem kayaks and one person used an individual kayak. You are free to choose who shares kayaks and who kayaks individually, though do think about prior kayaking experience and physical ability when doing so.

The Kayaking

Now, let me tell you a little bit about my experience on this tour. We kayaked a lot, around three miles (~4.8 kilometers). My arms were quite tired by the end of the tour. Moreover, the guides said we kayaked the furthest they had ever gone. They said it was around three miles at least. Makes sense why my arms were tired! Although, it did provide a nice workout. The first hour of the tour was slightly more relaxed. We would kayak a little bit and then relax as we waited to see if any dolphins appeared. And repeat. However, the dolphins seemed to be hiding out that day, and thus we had to kayak pretty far to see any. It was also Memorial Day Weekend, so the ocean was busier with boats and whatnot than a normal weekend, which can scare away the dolphins.

Once we found some dolphins, we stayed there for 10 to 15 minutes as we watched them swim around. Then came the loooonngggg kayak back to the shore where we first departed. There were generally no breaks at this point, except for a minute here or there. That meant we kayaked for about 30 to 45 minutes straight. Like I said previously, we kayaked a far distance out and thus had to kayak that distance back again.

Spotting a dolphin just ahead in the water

Photography

Photography was another area in which Chesapean Outdoors exceeded my expectations. While most of the individuals on the tour gave their phones to the guides to hold in the dry bags, my boyfriend did not. We brought our own dry bag and thus kept one phone on us for photos. It was nice to take photos and videos as we wished, especially when we spotted a few dolphins.

Nevertheless, the guides of Chesapean Outdoors also took photographs and videos. As soon as the dolphins appeared, they took their phones out and started recording. Additionally, they took photos of every single kayak. When we stopped for breaks, they would take the opportunity to go around and ask all kayakers if they wanted a photo. I feel as though they went above and beyond in this respect because they also double and triple checked with everyone that they had photos taken. For my group of seven, we asked if they would take a group photo of us. They were happy to do so and even waited patiently as we all got set up in a row.

Kayaking with Dolphins in Virginia Beach

Now…the best part…kayaking with dolphins in Virginia Beach! While the tour company cannot guarantee you will see dolphins on the tour, they do their best to find some so that you have the best experience possible. They certainly delivered on our tour. We had to kayak a fair amount before we saw any dolphins, but once we did it was all worth it. We first saw one about 15 feet in front of us. It would slightly pop up out of the water every couple of seconds. Then we saw a group of three or four of them, again about 15 feet in front of us. They were swimming together, popping in and out of the water.

I have seen dolphins before, but only from standing on the beach or wading in the water. The dolphins were thus more around 30 to 100 feet away. Being able to see the dolphins up close was incredible. Would I do this kind of tour again? Yes, I absolutely would.

Spotting another dolphin just in front of the kayak

4) Dolphin Fun Facts 

If you plan on going kayaking with dolphins in Virginia Beach, then you should brush up on some dolphin facts before you go! Then when you are in the water, you can impress everyone as you rattle off some of this information. 

Mammal Classification

First, dolphins are mammals, not fish. One of the reasons for this is that they give birth to live young. Another reason is that baby dolphins have hair on them when they are born. Who knew, right?! However, this hair does fall off later in life. That explains why you do not see grown hairy dolphins swimming around. 

Intelligence 

Second, you have probably heard dolphins are incredibly intelligent. They can use echolocation, which is when they make clicking sounds that bounce off of objects and then back to them, providing them with information about location, size, etc. Echolocation also helps dolphins to find prey. Furthermore, dolphins use whistles to communicate with one another. They can use a unique whistle as well as copy the whistle of other dolphins.

Different Species

Third, a group of dolphins is called a pod. Some pods can have over 1,000 dolphins. Fourth, there are dozens of species of dolphins. Estimates on the exact amount vary, but the highest estimate is around 50. Fifth, some of the most common dolphins are the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, and spinner dolphin. 

Kayaking in Virginia Beach

5) Recommended Items to Bring – Kayaking with Dolphins in Virginia Beach

For additional recommendations on items to pack, check out my travel essentials for women as well as my travel accessories for men.

1. Items to protect you from the sun: These items can include sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, or whatever else might be beneficial. Remember, you will be outside in the full sun for around two hours. You thus want to be sure you protect that beautiful skin of yours. 

Food and Drink

2. Water bottle: Be sure to bring water with you on the tour. Trust me, I wish I had brought more than my one small, plastic water bottle to share between my boyfriend and I. We kayaked for two hours in the ocean on a beautiful day in the low 80s (Fahrenheit). However, that meant the sun was beating down on us the entire time and we were quite tired and hot by the end of the tour.

3. Snack: Like I said previously, the tour is two hours long and thus a snack break halfway through could be a good idea.

Items for the Water

4. Clothes you can get wet: Since the kayak tour is in the ocean, you will get splashed by waves. Moreover, it is possible you can fall out of the kayak. One kayak did tip over on our tour, but it was simply due to their imbalance. Therefore, wear something you do not mind getting wet, for example a swimsuit and a cover up. 

5. Waterproof phone case: The guides each had a dry bag in which they offered to carry our phones, but that meant we would not have access to them. My boyfriend and I brought our own dry bag so we could take some pictures and videos of our own.

6. Towel: Definitely bring a towel if you want to take a dip in the ocean afterwards. If you do bring along a towel, you can just leave it on the beach. Other similar items, such as flip flops or a t-shirt, can also be left on the beach next to the leftover kayaks or paddles during the tour.

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Plan a trip to the neighboring state of West Virginia: New River Gorge Bridge Overlook.

While in West Virginia, check out some hikes: Falls of Hills Creek Waterfall Trail.