Holmes Beach ranks as the #1 Gulf Coast city for dolphin sightings

ANNA MARIA ISLAND — An analysis by BoatBooker found that Holmes Beach had the most Dolphin sightings on the Gulf Coast and the 6th most for the entire United States. 

The report analyzed bottlenose dolphin sighting data from OBIS-SEAMAP, a peer-reviewed scientific database maintained by Duke University's Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab in partnership with NOAA. Across 356 US coastal locations and 243,809 documented dolphins, Holmes Beach came out on top for the entire Gulf Coast, with 9,902 dolphins documented across 2,210 sighting events.

"The Gulf Coast is one of the most underrated dolphin watching regions in the US," said Vukan Simic, CEO of BoatBooker. "Holmes Beach topping the Gulf Coast rankings is a reflection of just how rich that stretch of water is — and how many boaters are heading there specifically to see dolphins up close."

The shallow, warm waters of Tampa Bay and the adjacent Gulf shelf support year-round resident dolphin communities. The Anna Maria Sound sees regular pod activity throughout summer, making the area one of the most reliably active dolphin sighting destinations in the country.

The top 10 US locations for dolphin watching, according to NOAA and Duke University data:

1. Buxton, NC - 20,128 dolphins
2. Isle of Palms, SC - 16,588 dolphins
3. Virginia Beach, VA - 15,429 dolphins
4. Folly Beach, SC - 14,443 dolphins
5. Nags Head, NC - 13,292 dolphins
6. Holmes Beach, FL - 9,902 dolphins
7. Montauk, NY - 9,120 dolphins
8. Chincoteague, VA - 8,972 dolphins
9. Harkers Island, NC - 8,340 dolphins
10. Nantucket, MA - 6,624 dolphins

The full ranking, methodology, and complete list of 356 US coastal locations are available here.