Breakaway Cruises

For over 40 years, Breakaway Cruises has been South Padre Island's home for unforgettable water adventures — from dolphin watches in the wildlife-rich Laguna Madre to an up-close Historic Port of Brownsville Tour complete with an onboard shrimp boil.

Breakaway Cruises has been operating on the waters of South Padre Island for over 40 years, running a diverse fleet of USCG-certified vessels including the Xcape, the Getaway, and the Isabella — a 65-foot-long, 25-foot-wide catamaran based at Sea Ranch Marina. Their trips range from 1.5-hour dolphin watch cruises to 3–4-hour bay fishing charters and snorkeling excursions on the Laguna Madre, one of the world's few hypersaline lagoons. The snorkeling trips give guests direct access to the Laguna Madre's distinctive marine life, including balloon fish, garden eels, trumpet fish, butterfly rays, moon jellyfish, grouper, and many more species unique to this hypersaline environment. Equipment — snorkel, mask, and fins — plus refreshments of fresh fruit and lemonade are provided, and the crew is described as pleasant, professional, and knowledgeable. Beyond snorkeling and dolphin watching, Breakaway Cruises also runs a Bay Fishing Charter, a Brownsville Port Cruise and Shrimp Boil (a 4-hour journey along the Brownsville Ship Channel with an onboard shrimp boil and complimentary beer), and private charters for special occasions. All vessels are US Coast Guard certified.

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