A. A dock a marina.

Q. Where is it supposed to be on the show?

A. In Miami.

Q. When did we see it on the show?

A. In Episode 5 (of Season 3), "Turning Biminese".

Dexter is on his boat (the aptly named "Slice of Life"), about to head out to sea to intercept one of his victims: Ethan Turner, a wife-killer who is on a cruise ship headed to Bimini.

Miguel Prado who has been persistent in trying to become Dexter's friend (despite Dexter's obvious reluctance) shows up unexpectedly at the boat, just as Dexter is about to shove off.

He tells Dexter that Rita told his wife that Dexter was going fishing, and Prado isn't very subtle about trying to wrangle an invitation from Dexter to go along.  When that doesn't work, he suggests they go grab something to eat before Dexter's trip. Dexter declines, saying he can't leave his stuff on the boat.

Prado then asks where the fish are biting.  Dexter says he's headed up north to Mercy Reef.  So Prado gives up, helps untie Dexter's boat, and waves goodbye as Dexter sets sail.

(They then cut to some old footage, from the first season, of Dexter on his boat in the real Miami.)

Dexter boards the cruise ship at Bimini, quickly kills Turner in his cabin, then heads home.

In his absence, Rita has a medical emergency, and no one can find Dexter, since he's out on his boat. Prado sends the Coast Guard out to look for him at Mercy Reef, but he's not there.

Later, we see him returning on his boat to the same dock.  It's night, and the city skyline (and bridge) is glowing in the background.

Later, Prado visits him at Rita's and tells him that he knows about what happened to Ethan Turner, and that he is proud of him. Dexter denies any involvement, but secretly wonders if there could actually be a future for he & Prado as friends.

Q. What is it actually in real life?

A. A small dock next to a seaside hotel.

Q. Where can I find it in real life?

A. This scene was shot at a small dock/marina on the northeast (water) side of the Hotel Maya, at 700 Queensway Drive, in Long Beach, CA.

(It's the very same dock they used as Doakes' dock in the previous season.)

The dock is located near the south end of the hotel, and is also visible from cars driving on Queensway Drive.

(When Dexter says he's heading up north, and points - he's really pointing south...)

That hotel is located right on the water, just southeast of the southwest end of the Queensway Bridge, just north of the Queen Mary. It has a fine view, across the river, of Shoreline Park and the downtown Long Beach skyline.

The hotel itself can be reached either by taking the Long Beach (710) Freeway to it's south end, or from downtown Long Beach by taking the Queensway Bridge across the river. Once at the hotel, you'll find a scenic walkway running along the water on its east side. Walk south down this path, and you'll soon see the dock on your left side.

They shot several other season 2 scenes at the Hotel Maya, including the scene where Dexter & Lila have drinks at a sunny, poolside cafe, the scene where the same duo has a night time dinner at a fancy restaurant, a scene where Debra & Lundy stroll & talk, and a scene that is supposed to be outside the police station.

And just to the north are the launch ramps where they filmed the crime scene on the rocky breakwater.


If you plan to visit, be warned that the hotel can be rather difficult to reach. It's basically at the end of the 710 (Long Beach) Freeway, but the main roads leading on and off that dock offer little access to the hotel.  For that, you have to turn off on a small, winding side road known as Queensway Drive.  Be sure to study a map of the area before you go.

Here is an aerial photo of the hotel.  And here is a map link.

Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was?

A. I had found this location for last season's scene where Doakes shot a guy, and had visited it in person to shoot the photos above.  So I simply recognized it when I saw it again. The hotel is clearly visible behind Prado in the scenes, as is the Long Beach skyline and the Queens Way bridge (seen behind Dexter when he's on the boat). There's also several good shots of Parker's Lighthouse restaurant in the background behind Dexter.