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Shell Key Preserve: Three Hour Shelling Cruise
4.8
88 Ratings
Madeira Beach
Embark on a thrilling 3-hour shelling cruise at Shell Key Preserve. Explore the island, collect shells, and enjoy a scenic ride along the bay waters. Look out for dolphins, manatees, and seabirds!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Tierra Verde - Explore Shell Key Preserve, located in the mouth of Tampa Bay, a 195 acre barrier Island. You will experience beautiful, calm and protected back bay waters and spot dolphins, seabirds, manatees and other wildlife on the trip.
What's Included
- On-board restrooms
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Snacks
- Parking fees
Additional Information
The 3-hour Shell Key Shelling Journey, provided by Hubbard’s Marina located at Johns Pass, includes approximately an hour on the island for exploration and shelling. The voyage incorporates a peaceful and enjoyable sail down the sheltered bay waters onboard the HUB Cat 49. During the return trip to Johns Pass, we plan to travel along our beautiful gulf beaches, weather permitting. If the conditions are slightly rough, we will navigate through the sheltered bay waters instead. Dolphins, seabirds, manatees and other wildlife are frequently sighted during our journeys!
Location
170 Boardwalk Pl E
Boardwalk Place East
Located inside beautiful Johns Pass, directly below Hooters on the water, closest to the Johns Pass Bridge.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(88 Ratings)
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Kimberly_g
Jun 1, 2024
Great fun! - I came to visit my friend who lives in FL she had never done this it was a great 3 hours. Nice boat ride fun captain and mate. Met some nice people. Shells were abundant water was gorgeous. Had a great day!
Review provided by Viator
Glen_g
May 24, 2024
Nice adventure! - The cruise there was so relaxing. There definitely were a lot of sea shells, water was beautiful. Bring a chair! My con about this is we booked from trip advisor. They did not tell us where to park. We parked at a meter and paid 40.00. Had we parked in the garage it would have been 7.00 for the entire day.
Review provided by Viator
Sandra_d
May 20, 2024
There were so many... - There were so many shells! And the crew made it fun and interesting on the ride out to the preserve and back. We saw dolphins playing and a manatee right before we left the dock! Highly recommend this to anyone who wants more than just the beach at St. Pete.
Review provided by Viator
Robin
May 18, 2024
Amazing day! I would do again! - Had a amazing day. Found lots of shells. Well worth the trip. Beautiful beach ⛱️ I would do this again! Had a great captain. He pointed things out.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
673traceyw
May 17, 2024
Fun trip! - Such a fun morning! The crew was great. They were very informative about the area which was nice. We found several shells, saw a few Dolphins and even stingrays. We enjoyed the trip very much.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sp52017
May 17, 2024
Trip to Shell Island - Beautiful place to visit. The crew of the boat are amazing. We had a brilliant day. There are billions of small shells on the beach but we were told there are bigger ones if you swim. Would recommend taking swimming gear as the water was crystal clear and very warm.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scenic698806
May 16, 2024
Shelling cruise - Amazing trip and great staff made the day so much more rememberable 😊 very thankful for the morning out with my family as planned
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A2056aikristens
May 13, 2024
Ferry to shell key - Todd and his co-captain were extremely welcoming and friendly. The day was beautiful and the ferry was safe, relaxing, reliable and informative. Definitely want to go again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Davidsp9024lu
May 9, 2024
Well worth the price - This trip was better than I expected! We rode out to Shell Key through the channel and saw all the beautiful homes and a few dolphins. The island was such a natural break from civilization, very relaxing. Our return trip was along the coast. Hard to say what was better: shelling on the island or the ride to/from it. The boat was well supplied with snacks and beverages ($). Plus it had a restroom.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Traci_h
May 8, 2024
Great day ride - Loved the boat ride!!! That actually made the trip for us. It was nice to see all the beautiful homes along the waterway and then they brought us back along the beaches. Nice to see it all from that perspective. The island was nice too but we really didn’t get many shells. We were hoping to get something new/different but didn’t find anything. I’m sure that different with each trip they do. Captain and his assistant were super nice and they made a necklace out of shells we found if we wanted.
Review provided by Viator
