Meet Island Tours of Galveston

We're the Crew Behind Your Best Day on the Water

Island Tours of Galveston is a locally operated Galveston boat tour company offering memorable experiences on Galveston Bay and throughout Galveston Harbor. From family-friendly dolphin tours in Galveston to sunset cruises, haunted harbor tours, private charters, celebrations, and meaningful memorial experiences, our crew is here to help you see the island from a completely different point of view.

We believe some of the best Galveston memories happen on the water, watching dolphins swim alongside the boat, seeing the working harbor up close, catching a Gulf Coast sunset, or hearing the stories and legends that have shaped the island.

We’re local, personality-filled, and a little different from your average Galveston boat tour.

Come aboard. We’ll take it from here.

OUR STORY

How Island Tours of Galveston Began

Island Tours of Galveston began with a crew that already knew there was something special about being out on Galveston Bay. We loved the water. We loved the people. And more than anything, we loved watching guests step off the boat talking about the dolphins they saw, the stories they heard, the pictures they captured, and the memories they made together.

So we decided to build something of our own, not simply another tour company, but a collection of Galveston boat tours and waterfront experiences designed to show guests the many sides of the island: the playful side, the beautiful side, the historic side, the mysterious side, and sometimes the deeply meaningful side.

Today, Island Tours of Galveston offers experiences ranging from dolphin tours and sunset cruises to haunted harbor tours, private charters, celebrations, and corporate outings. Different occasions. Different experiences. One crew committed to making your time on the water something worth remembering.

Because for us, this has never been about simply taking people for a boat ride. It’s about making memories, one tour at a time.

THE SASSY SEA PIRATE OF GALVESTON

Meet Frenchie

“Around Galveston they call her Frenchie the Sassy Sea Pirate: the high-heeled island gypsy who chases dolphins, steals hearts, and knows the secrets hiding in the harbor.”

Breanne French — better known around here as Frenchie — didn’t arrive in Galveston with some perfectly mapped-out plan. She arrived with a love of the water, a pull toward the island she couldn’t quite explain, a wild idea, and just enough stubbornness to see where it might lead.

Today, you’ll find Frenchie somewhere between the dock, the boat, the harbor, and whatever adventure is happening next — usually with a big laugh, plenty of personality, and, yes, probably a pair of heels nearby. Her story has even become part of the lore of Island Tours of Galveston, connecting Pittsburgh roots, Galveston waters, the legendary SS Selma, and the mysterious story of another Frenchy who once called these waters home.

Frenchie was never chasing treasure. She was chasing wonder.

The Hands on the Wheel

Meet Our Galveston Boat Captains

Every great Galveston boat tour starts with a great crew.

Our licensed captains bring decades of combined maritime experience, extensive passenger-vessel experience, local knowledge of Galveston Bay, and a commitment to creating tours that feel safe, relaxed, welcoming, and fun.

Captain Adam

Role: Senior Captain

With decades of experience behind the wheel and 10 years navigating Galveston’s waters, guests can expect a tour that is safe, fun, informative, and unforgettable.

21 Years U.S. Coast Guard | 25+ Years Licensed | 10 Years in Galveston

Originally from Ocean City, Maryland, Captain Adam Parsons has spent a lifetime on and around the water. He proudly served 21 years in the U.S. Coast Guard before retiring, building an extensive background in vessel operations, navigation, maritime safety, search and rescue, law enforcement, and crew training. He has also held his Captain’s license for more than 25 years.

For the past 10 years, Captain Adam has worked in Galveston, where he has been sharing his experience and passion for the water while operating dolphin tours throughout Galveston Harbor and the surrounding bay.

His background gives him a unique combination of professional maritime expertise and firsthand local knowledge. He knows the waterways, the working harbor, and the places dolphins are most often spotted—but just as importantly, he knows how to make guests feel comfortable, welcomed, and excited to be aboard.

Captain Adam loves sharing Galveston from the water and helping families, visitors, and locals create memories they’ll talk about long after they return to shore.

Captain Ben

Role: Captain

8+ years on passenger vessels. Maritime-trained. Safety-focused. And ready to show you Galveston from the water.

8+ Years Operating Passenger Vessels | Maritime College Graduate | Licensed 50-Ton Captain

Captain Benjamin Brooks has spent the past 8+ years building his career on the water, operating passenger vessels, private charters, group outings, and dolphin tours throughout the Texas Gulf Coast.

A graduate of San Jacinto Maritime College, Benjamin earned his maritime degree in 2017 and later obtained his 50-Ton Inland Captain License while working with Houston Party Boats. Over the course of seven years there, he gained extensive hands-on experience navigating passenger vessels, managing crews, overseeing vessel readiness, and creating safe, enjoyable experiences for guests.

In 2025, Benjamin brought that experience to Galveston’s dolphin tour industry, where he quickly became known for his calm confidence behind the wheel, strong knowledge of passenger safety, and easygoing approach with guests.

He is also trained in CPR and basic firefighting, and takes pride in maintaining high safety standards while still making every trip feel relaxed, fun, and memorable.

Whether he’s navigating Galveston Harbor, keeping an eye on changing weather and water conditions, or helping guests spot dolphins along the way, Benjamin combines professionalism with the friendly personality you want behind the wheel of your family’s adventure.

SAFETY FIRST

Safety Comes First on Every Galveston Boat Tour

Your safety is the first priority on every single trip.

Our Galveston Tour Boat

Meet Island Jules

USCG-Inspected Passenger Vessel · Capacity 49 · Departs Pier 19

Every Island Tours of Galveston experience happens aboard Island Jules, our tritoon built for comfortable, safe trips out onto Galveston Bay. Whether you’re joining us for a public dolphin cruise, a haunted harbor tour, or a private charter, you’re stepping aboard a boat maintained to the same standard every time.

Proudly Built by Aloha Pontoons

Island Jules was built by Aloha Pontoons, an American pontoon manufacturer that has been building boats in Arkansas since 1960. With more than six decades of craftsmanship behind their name, Aloha shares something we believe in deeply: the best days on the water are the ones that bring people together.

As a locally operated business ourselves, supporting other businesses that take pride in what they build matters to us. We chose Island Jules to be more than our boat, she’s the place where families laugh, dolphins are spotted, sunsets are celebrated, stories are told, and new Galveston memories begin.

Built by Aloha. Home in Galveston. Made for memories.

Experience Galveston From the Water

There’s a version of Galveston you simply can’t experience from land.

From the dolphins of Galveston Bay and the activity of the working harbor to waterfront history, Gulf Coast sunsets, ships, landmarks, and centuries-old legends, Island Tours of Galveston exists to show you another side of the island.

Whether you’re visiting Galveston for the first time, planning a family activity, celebrating something special, or you’re a local looking for a different way to enjoy the island, we’d love to welcome you aboard.

Making Memories, One Tour at a Time.

Ready to Get on the Water?

Book your dolphin tour, sunset cruise, or haunted harbor experience today.