About Dolphin Safari:

Captain Gary

Captain Gary Stanyer was born and grew up in the African country of Zimbabwe. Always wanting to live by and work on the ocean, he moved to Key West fourteen years ago.

After having worked first as a mate and then as a captain for another dolphin watching company, he purchased Dolphin Safari Charters in 2006, fulfilling his childhood dreams about a life on the sea.

The adoring father of two young children with a great sense of fun, Captain Gary relates easily to both kids and adults, making him a delightful guide, teacher and captain. He has always had a great respect for dolphins in the wild, and wants to help preserve them in their natural habitat for the current generations and those to come to learn about and enjoy.

As part of his commitment to marine conservation and education, Captain Gary was the first dolphin boat captain in Key West to earn the DOLPHIN SMART designation from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The Dolphin Smart Program:

DOLPHIN SMART is a program for responsible viewing of wild dolphins created and implemented by the Marine Sanctuary. The acronym “SMART” is a reminder of the basic rules for responsible wild dolphin viewing as set forth in the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

“S” Stay at least fifty yards from the dolphins

“M” Move away slowly if the dolphins seem to be disturbed

“A” Always put your boat’s engine in neutral when near dolphins

“R” Refrain from feeding, touching or swimming with wild dolphins

“T” Teach others to be dolphin SMART.

This program lets the dolphins interact with humans in their own way, not the other way around. This gives all of Dolphin Safari Charters customers a great feeling while teaching them the proper respect for these wonderful marine creatures, an ideal viewing situation for both dolphins and clients.