When Dustin and Renee O’Neal purchased Sunshine Scenic Tours in 2019, then named Florida Scenic Tours, they brought more than their maritime expertise from years of working on luxury yachts.
They had a vision to transform standard boat tours into immersive experiences that educate and inspire. Today, their fleet includes a pirate ship, two dolphin tour boats, and a growing educational program changing how visitors and local students connect with Florida’s marine life.
“We provide the best experience on the water in our area,” says co-owner, Dustin.
"Creating magical moments for kids on our pirate ship or teaching guests about our local dolphin population, everything is about the guest experience.”
Here, Dustin dives into how the business is evolving and finding new purpose, how it adapts in the face of disaster, and how partnering with OTAs like GetYourGuide is helping them ride the wave of success.
How did you get into the boat tour business?
“Renee and I met in Puerto Rico about, jeez, 16 years ago when we were both scuba instructors. We knew we shared an entrepreneurial spirit right away and wanted to start our own business someday. We moved to Florida in 2010, and I actually worked as a captain on the pirate ship we now own.
Then we went into yachting; I was an engineer, Renee was a stewardess. We saved up, and when the opportunity came in 2019 to buy Florida Scenic Tours, we took it.”
What makes your tours unique?
“On our pirate ship, we focus on creating a magical experience for families. We have a crew who truly loves being on the water and entertaining kids. Take Matt — he’s been a pirate for 12 years and is in his mid-60s now. His grandkids only know him as a pirate! He helps train new crew and keeps that spark alive.
For our dolphin tours, we completely transformed the standard sightseeing format. Instead of the usual harbor tour commentary about who lives where, we focus on eco-education.
Guests learn all about our Atlantic bottlenose dolphins which were born here and have lived their entire lives here. We also brought on a marine mammal expert to help create this educational experience.”
Tell me about your newest addition, the Shark Boat.
“Don’t let the name fool you — it’s a dolphin tour boat, but with pure excitement! We play fun, beachy music, and the boat creates this massive wake that the dolphins just can’t resist.
They come way out of the water, jumping six feet high sometimes. My brother, who manages our social media, captures these incredible moments and the excited reactions of me and the guests. There are some wacky clips.”
What makes your dolphin tours different from others in the area?
“Most boats follow a set route, but most animals don’t, so we focus on creating an experience versus sticking to the same routine each time. Our captains understand that the number one goal is ensuring guests have a good time.
People are often surprised by how much they learn — they expect a quick tour around the bay but leave with in-depth knowledge about our local marine life.”
Luxury yachts and pirate ships are pretty different; how has your experience influenced your approach?
“Working on yachts where charters cost a quarter-million dollars a week taught us what truly excellent guest service looks like. We bring that same level of service to every single guest, regardless of what they paid. We provide impeccable service first, and if — but usually when — we see dolphins, that’s the icing on the cake.”
How has working with OTAs like GetYourGuide impacted your business?
“We attend travel industry conferences like Arival and Spark, which always provide valuable insights on market trends, and those suggested we focus on OTAs. We partnered with some in 2021. Our OTA bookings increased significantly this past year while other booking sources decreased, so it paid off.
We’re still analyzing whether this shift is due to our website or if it’s because OTAs put much more money into advertising or something else. Of course, there are higher commissions with OTAs, but it’s about balancing that against the increased visibility.”
What features of the GetYourGuide platform do you find most valuable?
“The connectivity is excellent, and the integration with our booking system, FareHarbor, works perfectly, unlike other OTAs where we manually update cruise times. We don’t have any issues with bookings coming through, and when we need to submit cancellations, it’s a simple process.
The platform is intuitive and user-friendly. We’re still exploring all the features available, but the basic functionality that keeps our business running smoothly is what we value most. We see the potential in how GetYourGuide’s reach can attract more international visitors.”
Do your demographics change throughout the year?
“For sure. During spring break and summer, we see mostly American families. That’s when our pirate ship is most popular. In the off-season, from September to February, we get more adults without kids who tend to choose the dolphin tours. Right now, we’re seeing lots of European visitors. Just yesterday, six out of ten guests on our Dolphin Quest were from Germany.”
You’ve recently faced some significant challenges with hurricanes. How are you adapting?
“Hurricanes Milton and Helene in 2024 were a huge hit for us, the community, and the wildlife — we lost everything in our gift shop and a lot of equipment. We’re taking it day by day. It’s pushed us to be more creative. Our new temporary concession trailer will eventually become a mobile promotional piece for events and school visits.
The foot traffic in John’s Pass is slowly returning — we’re seeing hundreds of visitors daily instead of the usual thousands, but we’re optimistic. When you run a business in Florida, you learn to adapt and return stronger. The good thing is that the downtime has allowed us to focus on our educational programs.”
Tell us about the new initiatives.
“We’ve written a children’s book called ‘Penny the Pirate Pup,’ and we’re launching a classroom sponsorship program where we’ll send a pirate to read the story to kids, and every child gets to take home a copy. We’re expanding an eco-educational YouTube series that started in 2022 to inspire young people to care about dolphins and the environment.
The episodes follow the lives of our local dolphins, including a remarkable male dolphin named Schnoz, who’s known for babysitting younger dolphins — pretty unusual behavior for males.
We donate this content to schools, and we’re working with a non-profit to sponsor field trips for local students. For us, it’s always going to be about finding new ways to generate income while staying true to our mission of education and entertainment.”
What’s next for Sunshine Scenic Tours?
"2021 and 2022 were incredible years for us. Florida stayed open while other states closed due to the pandemic, so we actually saw record numbers. People who might normally have gone to Mexico or overseas came here instead because it was one of the few options available.
But now that the world has opened back up, we’re seeing fewer visitors as people have more travel choices. This shift made us realize we needed to diversify our ticket sales and beyond that.
While we have our gift shop, its success is directly tied to tour attendance. That’s partly why we’re expanding into educational programs and community initiatives — it’s about creating multiple revenue streams and making our business more resilient.
The recent hurricanes have only reinforced the importance of this strategy."
Key Takeaways
- Sunshine Scenic Tours sales with GetYourGuide have grown significantly, with ticket sales rising from 23 in 2021 to around 3,000 in 2024.
- While 90 percent of their annual visitors are from the US, their international guest numbers are growing with OTA booking numbers.
- Sunshine Scenic Tours’ business model balances entertainment with education, offering three distinct experiences: the family-focused Pirate Ship, the educational Dolphin Quest, and the high-energy Shark Boat tours.
- The company values its partnership with GetYourGuide for its ability to provide exposure to new customers, especially in the off-peak seasons when more international tourists go to Florida.
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