I have lived in this area 35 years and explored by land and water the majority of the islands, coastline and maritime forests. When my extended family from the mountains of Virginia visited recently, I booked an exploration trip for them with Capt. Jess onboard the Lucky Dog. They're all outdoor-types, but primarily in their home mountain region. Two of... More

Jess was on time, friendly, attentive to my interest and presented numerous options. Personable, knowledgeable is an understatement. Fishing, seashell hunting, history, are just the tip of the iceberg of what he has to offer. A great family adventure, very reasonable costs. I look forward to many trips to come. Made my trip to the outer banks an amazing vacation.... More

Our party of six went out with Capt. Jess Hawkins on a cold, cloudy and windy day. Despite the weather, we had a FABULOUS time and it was the highlight of our trip (so don't let colder weather discourage you!!). Capt. Jess is flexible and gave us the option to return to shore anytime (and even loaned us his cold... More

We took a last minute trip to Morehead City this March, to take advantage of the early warm weather, and we had an amazing time. We almost didn't go on the Crystal Coast Ecotour because there was bad weather expected the day we had booked, but Captain Jess was very accommodating and we stayed and extra day just for the... More

We were staying in Atlantic Beach in February 2012 for a few days. The weather was surprisingly good and most ferries and businesses weren't operating, so we took a chance and called Capt. Jess at Crystal Coast Ecotours. We set up a half day tour and left at 11:30 a.m. For the middle of winter when there isn't supposed to... More

Captain Jess is very knowledgeable about the history of NC. He is a Marine Biologist and could answer all of our questions and tell us so much about all the wildlife and the wild horses. We had a fantastic experience. Remember to bring a sandwich and drink for lunch. We saw a pod of dolphins, pelicans, many other species of... More

Because Jess took the time to come to our resort to explain what he does, we were able to see immediately that he is a natural teacher and booked a 4 hour tour with him. He is thorougly professional and capable, has a wealth of knowledge, and a good sense of humor. He is an able captain, and knows the... More

We went out with Captain Jess for a full day excursion on the Lucky Dog early this September. There were 5 adults and 1 small child. We came about his brochure and instantly signed up. The idea of touring barrier islands with a retired marine biologist was just too great to pass up. Our expectations were surpassed. Captain Jess is... More

Half or whole day personalized tours with Capt. Jess on his 20 ft motorboat. He is a marine biologist and knows the area well. Very friendly. See all kinds of wildlife-fish, turtles, jellyfish, birds, crabs, plant life, wild horses, and if you're lucky dolphins! Great website explains all. We had an awesome experince and I learned a lot and got... More