Where can you see dolphins on Amelia Island?

Dolphins here are residents, not a seasonal event, and the sheltered water behind the island is where they spend their time.

The best odds, in order

1. On the water in the marsh. A kayak trip into the creeks behind the island puts you at eye level in the water they feed in. Dolphins are regular rather than guaranteed, and wading birds are near-certain either way. Our kayaking guide lists the outfitters.

2. A boat trip from the marina. Trips out of Fernandina Harbor Marina cover the river, the marsh and Cumberland Sound — the same water, more of it, and higher up.

3. The Fort Clinch pier. Out in Cumberland Sound where the St Marys River meets the Atlantic, with deep moving water and a lot of bait. Good land-based odds.

4. The George Crady Bridge pier over Nassau Sound at the south end — a genuine tidal inlet, and dolphins work the current there.

5. The marina and the downtown riverfront. Sometimes you just look down and there they are.

The one thing that improves your chances

Go on a moving tide. Dolphins follow the bait, and the bait moves when the water moves. The hour either side of a tide change in the creeks and the inlets is substantially better than slack water. Our tides page has today's predictions.

From the beach

Possible, and much less reliable. The ocean side is open water with no structure to concentrate fish. If you are on the sand and want wildlife, the better bets are shore birds, and right whales offshore in winter.

Please do not

Feed, chase or swim towards them. Federal law protects marine mammals, and a boat or board that closes in on a dolphin is both illegal and a good way to end the encounter.