2-hour Shelling Boat Tour in the 10,000 Islands
Marco Island Boat Tours
4.8
matthewrF8100KI
143 days ago
Absolutely loved this shelling tour. The captain was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience fun from start to finish. We found some amazing shells and had a great time exploring the island. The boat ride was smooth, the views were beautiful, and the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. Would definitely do it again. Five stars.
The 10,000 Islands Wildlife Refuge, adjacent to Everglades National Park, is inaccessible except by boat. Our tour, led by an experienced sheller and certified master naturalist will whisk you to a remote barrier island within the Refuge. While barrier islands such as Sanibel or Captiva offer great shelling, these islands rarely have a foot print on the beaches. Not only can you experience great shelling in a remote location, you will have the opportunity to see dolphin, possibly sea turtles or manatee, and a multitude of birds such as ospreys, eagles, roseate spoonbills, pelicans and the like while cruising to your island. While shelling, learn about the nuances of tides and currents and how it affects sea life. Your captain/guide can make your tour a family learning experience. Note: June through October, we suggest the morning experiences due to the weather.
Departure Point
- Please meet your captain under the covered picnic table pavillion. It is to the left of the Marina store as you are face the store from the parking lot.
- Please meet your captain under the covered picnic table pavillion. It is to the left of the Marina store as you are face the store from the parking lot.
- Human tour guide - English
Points of Interest
Stop At: Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge3860 Tollgate Blvd Ste 300, , Naples, FloridaThe 10,000 Islands Wildlife Refuge, adjacent to Everglades National Park, is inaccessible except by boat. Our tour, led by an experienced sheller and certified master naturalist, is limited to 6 persons and will whisk you to a remote barrier island within the Refuge. While barrier islands such as Sanibel or Captiva offer great shelling, these islands rarely have a foot print on the beaches. Not only can you experience great shelling in a remote location, you will have the opportunity to see dolphin, possibly sea turtles or manatee, and a multitude of birds such as ospreys, eagles, roseate spoonbills, pelicans and the like while cruising to your island. While shelling, learn about the nuances of tides and currents and how it affects sea life. Your captain/guide can make your tour a family learning experience.Duration: 2 hoursStop At: Marco IslandFL While shelling on the uninhabited islands facing the Gulf of Mexico, Marco Island is part of your horizon viewlDuration: Not AvailableAdditional Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Playfull dolphins!
- 10,000 Islands Shelling Tour
The 10,000 Islands Wildlife Refuge, adjacent to Everglades National Park, is inaccessible except by boat. Our tour, led by an experienced sheller and certified master naturalist will whisk you to a remote barrier island within the Refuge. While barrier islands such as Sanibel or Captiva offer great shelling, these islands rarely have a foot print on the beaches. Not only can you experience great shelling in a remote location, you will have the opportunity to see dolphin, possibly sea turtles or manatee, and a multitude of birds such as ospreys, eagles, roseate spoonbills, pelicans and the like while cruising to your island. While shelling, learn about the nuances of tides and currents and how it affects sea life. Your captain/guide can make your tour a family learning experience. Note: June through October, we suggest the morning experiences due to the weather.
Departure Point
- Please meet your captain under the covered picnic table pavillion. It is to the left of the Marina store as you are face the store from the parking lot.
- Please meet your captain under the covered picnic table pavillion. It is to the left of the Marina store as you are face the store from the parking lot.
- Human tour guide - English
Points of Interest
Stop At: Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge3860 Tollgate Blvd Ste 300, , Naples, FloridaThe 10,000 Islands Wildlife Refuge, adjacent to Everglades National Park, is inaccessible except by boat. Our tour, led by an experienced sheller and certified master naturalist, is limited to 6 persons and will whisk you to a remote barrier island within the Refuge. While barrier islands such as Sanibel or Captiva offer great shelling, these islands rarely have a foot print on the beaches. Not only can you experience great shelling in a remote location, you will have the opportunity to see dolphin, possibly sea turtles or manatee, and a multitude of birds such as ospreys, eagles, roseate spoonbills, pelicans and the like while cruising to your island. While shelling, learn about the nuances of tides and currents and how it affects sea life. Your captain/guide can make your tour a family learning experience.Duration: 2 hoursStop At: Marco IslandFL While shelling on the uninhabited islands facing the Gulf of Mexico, Marco Island is part of your horizon viewlDuration: Not AvailableAdditional Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Playfull dolphins!
- 10,000 Islands Shelling Tour
Need To Know Info
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
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4.8
based on Groupon 84 reviews
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matthewrF8100KI
Absolutely loved this shelling tour. The captain was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience fun from start to finish. We found some amazing shells and had a great time exploring the island. The boat ride was smooth, the views were beautiful, and the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. Would definitely do it again. Five stars.
glennk117
We booked what we thought was the same cruise as we did 3 years ago when my grandson was 3. That trip was perfect. A covered boat, high quality life jacket for my grandson, Dolphins on both to and from trips. And we went to an island with unbelievable shells and had a great time for an hour to go shelling.
Fast forward to 2025. No cover on the boat which was not as terrible as we anticipated but some shade would have been nice. Crew was friendly and the deckhand entertained our 3 grandkids with shells and information.
Issues we had were (1) When we asked for life jackets for our twin 3 yr olds, and 6 yr old grandkids, they were unprepared and told us they weren't required. When we told them that they must have life jackets they struggled to find 3 that fit and the one for my granddaughter was covered in mold/mildew. (2) We took the normal ride out to the sanctuary and saw some cool birds but no dolphins yet. For some reason (I believe the captain said it was because of the shallow water but I am not 100%) we had to take longer (40-45 minutes) to get to the island. By the time we got there we had 35-40 minutes to go shelling. (3) It turned out that it was plenty of time because the shelling was terrible. The shelling on the island we went to in 2022 and 2025 was not even comparable. I thought it might be the post hurricane effect but after talking to others that took different tour companies, they found tons of really nice shells.
The highlight of the trip was the ride back we found some dolphins and had a really cool time watching them jumping and playing next to the boat.
Overall, had we wanted to go for a boat ride and dolphin watching, it would have been fine. My grandkids wanted shells and the shells they found on the tour were no different than the ones we found on Sanibel where we stayed. Was not close to being worth the $700+
X2490IKcherylk
The trip was one of the highlights of our vacation. 100/10 recommend! The captain was super nice, the boat ride was enjoyable, the water was absolutely beautiful. Would def do again.
T9994NVkatiet
So fun! The captain got the dolphins to jump out of the water for our trip! We had such a blast. Saw so many species of birds too!
780katharinef
It was great! Captain Joe and his first mate Kim were incredible. We had 10 of us and had a blast! Collected so many shells. Kim gave a detailed shell and wildlife explanation on the way back. Captain Joe navigated the sea in the fog with ease! We felt safe and saw so many dolphins! Highly recommended with children or not!!