Manatee Ecotour and Shelling Adventure
5
Manatee Ecotour and Shelling Adventure
By Wild Florida Ecotours
About
A US Coast Guard-certified captain navigates your boat through open water and mangrove forests in search of manatees, dolphins, and tropical birds on this small-group ecotour from Naples. Your route includes an inland harbor, Ten Thousand Islands, and one of the largest mangrove forests in North America, as well as a stop to hunt for seashells on the uninhabited Whitehorse Key.
Ages 1-99, max of 12 per group
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
Highlights
- This ecotour provides an ideal way to see manatees and dolphins
- Guided commentary provides information about ecosystem as you go
- Avoid tourist groups, and visit areas only accessible by a smaller boat
- Travel in good hands with a US Coast Guard-certified captain
- Small-group tour limited to six people provides a more intimate experience
- bring anything you would like to eat or drink
- Entry/Admission - Wild Florida Ecotours
What's not included- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Begin your guided tour with check-in at the Port of the Islands Resort prior to your selected morning or afternoon departure time. Meet your guide, board your boat, and head out on the water. Your first stop is the harbor area, where you have the opportunity to see manatees in their natural environment. Then continue to the Ten Thousand Islands. Though the water surrounding this system of mangrove islands is notoriously difficult to navigate, the abundance of wildlife is well worth the effort—plus your US Coast Guard-certified captain makes the trip with ease. Continue down Faka Union Canal en route to one of the largest mangrove forests in North America. Keep an eye out for alligators and dolphins on the way to your shelling destination at Whitehorse Key. Disembark and spend some time on the uninhabited shores, a popular locale among shellers. Your tour concludes at the original departure point.
- Start:
- Double R's Fishing And Tour Company, 25000 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34114, USA25000 Tamiami Trail, East Naples, FL 34114. After utilizing the restrooms, we will walk you down to the tour boats to start your adventure.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 10637P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- Six passengers per boat. If more than six passengers, boats will travel side by side.
- Not recommended for travellers with back problems
- Most travellers can participate
- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to departure time for check in.
- Please supply local cell phone number in case we need to reach you.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 10637P1
Itinerary
- You'll start atDouble R's Fishing And Tour Company25000 Tamiami Trail E, Naples, FL 34114, USA25000 Tamiami Trail, East Naples, FL 34114. After utilizing the restrooms, we will walk you down to the tour boats to start your adventure.See address & details
- 1Wild Florida EcotoursStop: 3 hours - Admission includedsee manatees, tropical birds, alligators, dolphin, and all other wildlife on the 3-hour boat tour throughout the Ten Thousand Islands. You'll even get to explore a deserted island called Whitehorse Key to search for shells. This very intimate narrated tour will be a great way to spend a morning or afternoon in Naples. There are never more than six passengers on a boat.Read morePass byTEN THOUSAND ISLANDS NWR
- You'll return to the starting point
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Meander4277570 contributionsTop Notch Tour⚓️Enjoyed a perfect day on the water.☀️ Didn’t go far before spotting a few Gators 🐊 out for a swim & several more sunning under the Mangroves. Captain Ed gave us a very interesting lesson on the history of the area & identified numerous wildlife species for us. We stopped on an uninhabited island to do some shelling before heading inland. The Manatees seemed to be hiding that day but our Great Captain tracked them down before our departure ⚓️ I HIGHLY recommend this relaxing informative Tour!! ⚓️⚓️⚓️ Will definitely schedule again 🛥Written March 7, 2022
- susanaD8839SA0 contributionsEcotour in 10000 islandsA nice way to see the beautiful 10000 islands. It is not an ecotour. We saw 2 dolphins and maybe two birds. Did not hear anything about vegetation, mangroves, importance etc. Island was very busy, many people. If you are looking for an ecotour, The Conservancy of southwest florida and Rookery Bay have wonderful tours that include sunset and birds roosting. We thought expensive for what we did.Written March 6, 2022
- bob445350 contributionsLovely eco-tour with Cap'n EdDolphin-chasing: We viewed a couple of manatees before spotting numerous 'gators looking for lunch. Then, we headed out the canal, where Captain Ed spotted a dolphin busy feeding. Soon, one of our crew saw a large male dolphin who jumped several times for us. Unfortunately, he didn't seem interesred un chasing us -- Ed tried hard to entice him. On the way in, we found q pair of female dolphins near the Marina. All in all, a lovely trip with a good captain.Written March 5, 2022
- EricSi7770 contributionsAn afternoon with manatees, dolphins and alligatorsWild Florida Ecotours took me amidst the mangroves of the region known as Ten Thousand Islands on a comfortable boat with five other passengers. Shortly after our departure, we located manatees, a little hard to see because their bodies were mostly submerged, but still exciting to experience the presence of these large endangered animals. Later on, we found dolphins in at least three different locations, but the highlight of the trip was getting close to several alligators. We were able to get quite close to them resting, and I was able to get a couple good photos.Written February 8, 2022
- arch7890 contributionsEcoTour ManateeGreat experience with a very knowledgeable captain Ira. Comfortable, clean boat and we throughly enjoyed the experience. I’d highly recommend this touring companyWritten February 2, 2022
- Safari594330 contributionsAwesome Shell Beach islandbob our captain did a wonderful job entertaining us with stories and information. We loved the shell collecting beach, saw manatees, dolphins, great blue herons, pelicans, kingfishers, and lots of florida birds, Great time Brian-Eileen ProppWritten January 29, 2022
- MLOnTheRoadAgain0 contributionsFantastic Tour!We went on the 2 1/2 hour nature tour with Captain Ed and highly recommend. He's filled with information about the area and also managed to find a dolphin or two... One swam in the boat's wake, diving in and out. We saw a manatee roaming near the mangroves. A perfect introduction to the Ten Thousand Islands!Written August 29, 2021
- Michael H0 contributionsGreat Tour!Did the 3.5 hour tour with a stop to do some shelling. Captain Ed was our guide and we ended up having the boat all to ourselves that morning. Captain Ed is very knowledgeable about the area, and he gave us lots of great information. Unfortunately we didn't see quite as many wildlife as we would have liked, but having a Manatee swim right up to the boat was incredible! And just being in the open water was a great time! I definitely recommend.Written June 22, 2021
- hayleedenney0 contributionsAn Absolute BlastThis boat tour was an absolute blast! Bob, who I think is the owner of Wild Florida Ecotours got us in last minute for a tour the next day. He took the time out of his evening to find us a captain and get us on a boat. He was extremely nice and accommodating. The tour itself was so much fun, and our captain Jimmy was knowledgeable about the area and wildlife. We saw dolphins, manatees, went shelling on an uninhabited island, and learned about the history of the Ten Thousand Islands. If we return to the area in the future, we will absolutely use this business again!Written May 29, 2021
- brittanyp7250 contributionsWonderful ExperienceCaptain Ed really blew us out of the water with his local knowledge and dolphin herding skills. Would definitely recommend for families and friends. What a perfect way to spend a relaxing afternoon on the water.Written May 12, 2021
- SHH640 contributionsFantastic TourMy husband and I had a fabulous tour with Captain John. We saw lots of alligators, birds, several manatees, and even a jellyfish! Captain John was lots of fun and very informative. The boat ride itself was very relaxing. I highly recommend this tour.Written April 29, 2021
- EricKodjo0 contributionsBeautiful trip with tons of wildlifeOur captain was brilliant. Great boatsman and super knowledgeable. He knew every bird we saw, usually spotting them first. He found alligators, including a v large one, a foraging raccoon (I know I know), had two pods of dolphins surf on our wake, and even found a large manatee. Great knowledge of the area and history. Highly recommend.Written April 23, 2021
- Valerio T0 contributionsLove it!Totally worth the time and price. Captain Ed is a very nice person and we enjoyed the time with him. He has been able to show us manatees, dolphins, sharks, birds. This is an excursion! In the former days6we wasted time and money with excursions on Airboat...so commercial, so bad. But this experience paid us back. Great great great!Written April 6, 2021
- James S0 contributionsGreat intro to EvergladesA great introduction to the area by Garrett, the owner. Captain Jason was very personable. As a third generation Floridan, he was very knowledgeable of the flora and fauna of the area. But the best part was seeing the wildlife up close: manatee, leaping dolphins, alligator and lots birds.Written March 13, 2021
- 914ralpht0 contributionsBackwater fishingIncredible wild life views and even better fishing. Great day! Love Jimmy our guide! Saw a sea otter, dolphins, gators, and caught 6-7 varieties of fish.Written March 9, 2021
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
111 reviews
Excellent
96
Very good
12
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
1
wlmyers1
Chesapeake, VA15 contributions
Jan 2020
While visiting Marco Island in January, we wanted to see some outside sites. We couldn't have done better than this ecotour. 5 of us were on a very comfortable pontoon boat with Eddie as our excellent guide. We first went to a Cove where we encountered a few manatees,which was a first for my wife and me. We then headed for an island for some shelling. On the way we encountered 3 dolphins who decided to do some wake surfing alongside us. That was amazing to watch! The tour through the mangroves was very interesting. Shelling was a little sparse, but the island was fun to walk on. On the way back we happened on a herd of manatees which came up all around us. So for a great, small group adventure I highly recommend this.
Written January 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Passenger312862
2 contributions
Mar 2021 • Family
Captain Bob was amazing! It was the perfect day for our grandson and us. We saw an alligator, spent time playing with the dolphins, Captain Bob was an expert at getting them to follow the boat, a mama was teaching her baby to jump! Captain Bob also took us to an Island and waited while we snorkeled and collected 3 bags of shells.
Much thanks for a great day!!!
Much thanks for a great day!!!
Written March 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mariam A
2 contributions
Dec 2020 • Family
Captain Eddie was very knowledgeable throughout the whole tour giving us explanations about the salt water and the fresh water and why and how salt/freshwater creatures can co-exist. Water is available which was a bonus because it can get hot. Lots of playful dolphins as well. Definitely a rare treat you won’t want to miss.
Written December 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jerry
1 contribution
Feb 2021
This tour I just finished I would recommend to anyone looking for information about the Everglades. I've been on several tours and this one rates one of the best. The reason I feel it was so good was because the person giving the tour was so knowledgeable. The tour was so informative and interesting that the 3 1/2 hours just flew by. The extra bonus was the wildlife we were able to see; manatees, dolphins, bald eagles and terns.
Written February 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DoxieGal58
Miami, FL222 contributions
Jan 2020
The 3 hour Eco Tour was a nice mix of looking for manatees near the Port of the Islands community, slow motoring through some of the islands, and a sprint out to Whitehorse Key on the edge of the gulf to shell. Captain Ken was informative and friendly. The boat was clean and comfortable.
Written January 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helmut K
Naples, FL8 contributions
Jun 2020
Eddy our captain really knows how to make this tour a success. We saw manatees with their babies, alligators and as the highlight were the dolphins surfing behind our speeding boat for quite some time.
Recommend it even now since they care for social distancing.
Recommend it even now since they care for social distancing.
Written June 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
taylor520
Marco Island, FL16 contributions
Feb 2021
We had a great time on the wild Florida 2 1/2 hour eco-tour looking for manatees dolphin all the water birds the mangroves and more. Captain Jason was very knowledgeable and kept the trip very interesting. He had a great knowledge of all the surrounding area. I would highly recommend this for families or individuals. Well they provide water you can take snacks and your own drinks which makes the trip very enjoyable. The boats are comfortable and not overcrowded at all.
Written February 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary K
Brightwaters, NY121 contributions
Our captain was informative and helpful. The tour began with a short trip to the bridge near the marina to see the manatee hanging out. The timid creatures were amusing to spot as their noses broke the surface of the water. We trolled around the canal and came upon many alligators enjoying a swim. As we left the canal we followed a pair of dolphins that were passing us. As we approached the bay, we spotted a mom and her baby rounding up some fish for lunch! We spent a half hour on Whitehorse Key doing a little shelling. To get to the shells was a 10 minute walk, so we only had about 10 minutes to look for shells. I found a few, but after visiting Sanibel Island I was a little disappointed. The boat ride was a lot of fun. We were staying in North Naples , and it was a 45 minute drive to get to.
Written February 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cathy P
Naples, FL14 contributions
Nov 2020
This was a fishing adventure to end all fishing adventures! First off, the area is so beautiful and pristine. We saw so many different birds, 2 sea turtles and a manatee on our way to our first fishing stop. We stopped in 3 different places ! Captain Jimmy was awesome! Knew exactly where to go and what kind of fish were biting. He kept our lines baited and told some great stories as well. We caught enough for a few dinners and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Will definitely do again!
Written December 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caro Z
4 contributions
Jan 2021
This company is excellent. My family and I had a great time. We saw many manatees, dolphin, alligators and other beautiful wildlife. The captain was very friendly and a very interesting man who had many stories and a great deal of expertise to share.
He took us to nice places to see wildlife and an awesome beach where we had a good time as a family. The boat was very clean and in good shape.
I would definetely recommend this company for tours.
He took us to nice places to see wildlife and an awesome beach where we had a good time as a family. The boat was very clean and in good shape.
I would definetely recommend this company for tours.
Written January 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SMK
1 contribution
Is this trip entertaining for kids
Pat and Gary
Davie, FL72 contributions
I think kids age 8 and older will enjoy the Eco Tour. The boat captain went out of his way to look for the wildlife. We saw manatee, dolphin, alligators, and many birds. The tour is not hurried, so that he doesn't just hurry by the sightings. He has plenty of time to put the boat in idle and watch the animals a bit. Also, when the dolphin are spotted the captains know to speed the boat up and create a wake, because the dolphins enjoy playing in the temporary "surf". The company had 1 other boat going out same time as ours and both captains knew when dolphins were spotted & had a "tag team" for each boat to make a wake and have the other boat get a good view from behind and then next the other would boat speed up for the dolphin's game. That kept the dolphin busy for quite a while and they were leaping in the air and having their fun and the passengers on the boats had fun watching.
The island that the boat pulls up to is not real exciting, but it is nice to stretch the legs and the kids can run around to look in the wading pools for sea life and limited category of shells on the beach.
Rather than just count on one thing for the kids to do, I would suggest to plan on several excursions. Even though it means paying for two trips, it would make use of the area while there. There are several airboat companies south on Rt. 41 toward Everglades City.
Hope you enjoy that area as much as we do.
Lisa M
Hoboken, NJ13 contributions
How can an ecotour include shell collecting? That is actually harmful to the marine ecosystem.
DoxieGal58
Miami, FL222 contributions
Minimal shell collecting actually. Most are the "flat" cockle type. One must be able to recognize any that might be alive and leave them alone. We gathered about 20 shells. We left literally hundreds of thousands behind on this small island.
Any restriction on children's ages - 8 and 11
MPW47
Alexandria, VA228 contributions
I don't think so - the boat doesn't move dangerously fast and the shelling on the island is perfect for children that age.
Got my tour in cart but cant figure out where to go to close it out no prompts.
MPW47
Alexandria, VA228 contributions
Click on the cart.
How small is the boat?
MPW47
Alexandria, VA228 contributions
It was fairly small -- there were about 4 seats in the front and 3 seats the back, near the steering column where the captain sat. Because it was small, everyone had a great view of the water, and of the surrounding areas we boated through.
Voyage218737
Port Huron, MI
do the tickets have to be purchased online before hand or can i buy the day of the tour?
Ricky D
Marco Island, FL41 contributions
Reserve in advance - tours do sell out. Try to book the morning tour - the weather is usually better and wildlife is more active.