To learn more about bottlenose dolphins, you could watch a documentary about them. Or you could board a US Coast Guard–certified boat that cruises around Jekyll Island and witness them in their natural habitat. Guests can do just that during 90-minute tours that grant them up-close glimpses of dolphins feeding, swimming, and playing waterproof games of chess. What's more, each boat's captain narrates the jaunt, sharing facts about the dolphins and the historical area rich with plants and wildlife. Guests can also learn about the area through the company's Darien River history tour, as the riverfront was once home to ships exporting products such as cotton and rice to Europe. The river tour cruises past a plantation that was once the largest in the state, as well as Fort King George, which burned down in 1728 and was just rebuilt following a 250-year wait in the slowest line at the lumber store.