St. John's River Eco Tours, LLC
St. John's River Eco Tours, LLC
4.9
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Full view
About
Discover the beauty of Natural Florida aboard our new 28 passenger pontoon boat. Join us in exploring the back waters of one of the most protected areas of the St. John's River. Whether it is from November through March when the many migratory birds and wintering manatees abound or during the summer months when we see the alligator hatchlings and the year round residents.
DeBary, Florida
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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St. John's River Eco Tours, LLC
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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 wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.9
421 reviews
Excellent
407
Very good
7
Average
3
Poor
2
Terrible
2
KimE_RN
119 contributions
Mar 2025 • Family
This tour with Capt. Colin far exceeded our expectations! Although it was a cool and very windy day, we saw several manatee, dozens of gators, wild hogs in the woods, and a special pair of barred owls. It was a wonderfully relaxing boat trip and we highly recommend this tour to anyone who loves seeing wild animals in their natural habitat!
Written March 6, 2025
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.
Terri R
Deltona, FL2 contributions
Nov 2024 • Family
We had a lovely time on our tour. Our son gave this experience to us as an early Christmas gift. Since it was a rather chilly day, we had a private tour with just the three of us. Colin was pleasant and informative. He was great at spotting the different birds and gators and was very informative about each species. Historical trivia about the river was a plus. We've been on the river many times on our own boat, but this was so much better! We know where to bring our company now for a memorable and pleasant time. We'll definitely be back, thanks!
Written December 3, 2024
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.
Robert L
Casselberry40 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
My wife and I took a 2-hour nature tour on Saturday from the Highbanks Marina on a pontoon boat designed for 28 passengers and owned by Captain Collin of St John's River Eco Tours.
The weather could not have been more perfect. Even though we were the only two customers onboard a boat, the captain said he was still going to take us out. He is a very customer-focused, personable, and professional guy. He is also has a wealth of knowledge about the history of the river and wildlife and vegetation that we saw. There were a variety of birds, turtles, and numerous gators of different sizes along the banks.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to spend a relaxing couple of hours taking an eight-mile looping cruise.
The weather could not have been more perfect. Even though we were the only two customers onboard a boat, the captain said he was still going to take us out. He is a very customer-focused, personable, and professional guy. He is also has a wealth of knowledge about the history of the river and wildlife and vegetation that we saw. There were a variety of birds, turtles, and numerous gators of different sizes along the banks.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to spend a relaxing couple of hours taking an eight-mile looping cruise.
Written April 1, 2024
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.
Kay W
Saint Augustine Beach, FL43 contributions
Mar 2025 • Friends
Our camera club had two trips on the Naiad this month, and both were excellent. Our group has been doing this for over a decade, and we have not had a bad tour. The guides and captains have always been knowledgeable and efficient, giving our photographers the best opportunity to get shots of the abundant wildlife. There's a good reason our trips fill up quickly when posted, and we recommend this organization for any group who wants a fun outing.
Written March 23, 2025
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.
kelly c
1 contribution
Nov 2024 • Friends
The BEST boat tour and Guide! Cullon our guide was so informative , friendly and shared so much info on the wildlife , birds , plant life and history of the St. john's river . Had a surreal experience with wildlife that you will have to do the tour to find out ! my third time going and will def bring out of town friends again.
Written November 12, 2024
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.
Erin M
1 contribution
Jan 2025 • Family
This is by far my favorite thing to do when visiting central Florida. Collin is an excellent host and guide. He's so personable and also super knowledgeable and his kind yet funny personality shines throughout the ride. The smaller boat is definitely the way to go when seeing this river, we were able to get off the main stretch and see the smaller parts of the river as well. Tons of nature and you never know what will pop up on each trip. This trip was such a treat for our whole family (Ages 6-81)!
Written January 4, 2025
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.
Sharon M
St. Augustine, FL61 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
Our retiree group took this tour at 10 AM with Captain Collin. The weather was perfect for a very relaxing pontoon boat ride of 2 hours. Captain Collin was very informative, saw a lot of birds, especially the barn owl, and alligators. We would recommend this boat tour for anyone who just wants to enjoy the beautiful outside, and learning a little more about nature and our wildlife in Florida.
Written April 2, 2024
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.
Hal A
1 contribution
Jun 2024 • Family
My sister and I had an amazing morning on the St. John's River Eco Tour with Captain Collin. He is a great narrator and gives all the history of the river, plants and wildlife. He makes it fun. The tour was also so peaceful watching all the different birds, turtles, owls, alligators and the beauty of nature on the river, lush and colorful. We had a fantastic time and would definitely come again. I have taken three tours now with family and they have all loved this two hour tour. Highly recommend it.
Written June 19, 2024
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.
craig r
1 contribution
Nov 2024 • Friends
This trip is nothing short of magical. I have been on this trip three times in three years.
Captain Colin is a exceptional guide. His knowledge from the history of the river to the wild life is second to none! Put this outing on top of your short list when in the area The photo opportunities are incredible if wild life photography is your thing! If your lucky maybe his beautiful and very chill dog Onyx will be on board as first mate!
Captain Colin is a exceptional guide. His knowledge from the history of the river to the wild life is second to none! Put this outing on top of your short list when in the area The photo opportunities are incredible if wild life photography is your thing! If your lucky maybe his beautiful and very chill dog Onyx will be on board as first mate!
Written November 27, 2024
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.
Kathy S
Matthews, NC13 contributions
Mar 2025 • Couples
We highly recommend Captain Colin and his St. John's River Eco Tour from Highbanks Marina in DeBary. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the wildlife and history along the St. John's River. Captain Colin's knowledge combined with his witty and humorous presentation kept us fully engaged for the full 2-hour tour. This was our third tour, and we plan to take more tours each time we visit from North Carolina.
Written March 7, 2025
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.
$30.00 for adults, $27.00 for seniors 60 years of age and over, $17.00 for children 12 years and under
Written February 27, 2019
Was in the larger boat this week. There is a bathroom it’s small but it’s there.
Written January 31, 2019
I asked while on board and they close Aug 15th through September due to heat and low animal population.
Written January 31, 2019
estuarysuz
Palmetto, Florida
How long are the tours and how much do they cost
Written February 15, 2017
Our tours are 2 hours in length. The adult price is $30.00 the senior price is $ 27.00 and kids 12 and under are $ 17.00
Written February 16, 2017
NoraLewis
Lorain, Ohio
HI. Can just a couple of people take this tour? OR do we need to get a group together to do this? Is this a daily trip? Please advise.
Thank you.
Written August 24, 2015
We offer 2 tours daily one at 10:00 AM and one at 1:30 pm. Reservations are highly recommended for all tours. We book up quickly so if you don't want to be disappointed call or book on line at our website. We require a minimum of 2 passengers our boat holds 28 people. We are closed on Monday's reservations are required for our 10:00 AM tour.
Written August 25, 2015
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.