United States
Florida (FL)
St. Petersburg
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Island Boat Adventures
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Island Boat Adventures

See all things to do
See all things to do
Island Boat Adventures
5
1,238 reviews
#10 of 120 Boat Tours & Water Sports in St. Petersburg
Scuba & Snorkelling • Boat Tours • Dolphin & Whale Watching
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7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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About
We offer daily excursions to Egmont Key Island. Egmont Key is a magnificent island just a few miles off shore at the mouth of Tampa Bay, in the lovely Gulf of Mexico. Accessible only by boat. Egmont Key is the GEM of the Bay Area and a Florida State Park. It is not to be missed on your vacation. Egmont Key's history dates back to the 1800's during the Spanish / American War era. Call and book your trip today for a truly memorable vacation experience and a fantastic day of Adventure and Excitement you will not soon forget. Just a few of the sights you may experience on your journey are pods of wild Bottlenosed Dolphins playing in their natural habitat, or a huge manatee gracefully swimming along side of the boat, stingrays, rolling Tarpon, numerous native birds, Gopher Tortoises, the Egmont Key Lighthouse, the soldier cemetary, and the ruins of old Fort Dade. It is our goal to provide a fun, affordable, memorable vacation experience in a safe environment that the whole family can enjoy. Call today for reservations.
St. Petersburg, Florida
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Travelers' Choice
2022
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
1,238 reviews
Excellent
1,107
Very good
92
Average
17
Poor
9
Terrible
13
Ciera T
1 contribution
BEST FOR A GOOD TIME
Jun 2021 • Friends
By far the best snorkeling experience in st pete! The price is incredibly reasonable, especially when you consider all the wildlife that you'll see. I've snorkeled with island boat adventures twice, and both times I had a blast. We saw multiple pods of dolphins on the ride over to the snorkeling locations. The first time we snorkeled by the bird key sanctuary, which is a guarded strip of beach filled with cool things to find like sand dollars, sea urchins, conch, and lots of other tiny critters. The second time we snorkeled out by the ruins, which is deeper water. Here a very friendly manatee was following all the snorkelers around!
After the snorkeling we walked around egmont key and saw the tortoises! The island is rich in historical elements as well and great for shell hunting.
Even if snorkeling and adventuring isn't your thing, you can have plenty of fun on the boat. You can bring your own snacks and drinks(including alcohol) free of charge. The captains John and Dave make the boat ride a party with their dolphin calls and seagull feeding tricks. Betty, the business owner and the person in charge of booking, gave clear instructions about how to arrive and what to expect. This family owned business is BY FAR the best I've been to and probably the only one I'll ever book in the future. We had SO MUCH FUN.
Written June 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Betty34607
Thank you! Everyday on the 'Calypso Cat' is a new adventure. We have lots to choose from and we always try to make sure our guests are having the best time. How cool to have a manatee swim with you! We look forward to seeing you next time!!
Written February 2, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Deb
Stoughton, WI12 contributions
Good variety, plus cheeto-munching seagulls!
Jun 2022
The snorkeling cruise takes about an hour out and another back. I appreciated that the captains (John and Tom) pointed out interesting things along the way. We even took a small detour to follow a group of tarpons. It was interesting to hear the capt. talk about his fishing expereinces, as well as explain how the different depths of the area we drove and tide levels affect where the dolphins and fish are at the different times of day. Snorkeling was good, I had a defective mask (leaky) half the time, but once my son traded it back at the boat I really enjoyed the snorkeling portion. We did see seaturtle on the land part, and enjoyed seeing the fort. My son wished there was more beach time, but we just went to another beach when we got back from the boat tour. We loved seeing the gulls flying alonside the boat as we zipped along. The capt. has a cool trick of holding up a cheeto and then a seagull swoops down to snatch it from his fingers. Then he let the kids on board form a line, and come try it themselves. I'm guessing that's why we had seagulls flying alonside us most of the time. They play groovy beachy tunes as you go, it is breezy. Bring your own drinks, or have cash to buy from them. They do allow you to put stuff in their onboard coolers. Very pretty boat ride, good captains. Good eperience for families, nice variety.
Written June 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Betty34607
Thanks for the nice review! It's exciting that you got to see so much wildlife on you tour!
Written July 18, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kathleen
1 contribution
Great captains great experience
Jun 2022 • Family
Captain tanner and captain John were wonderful. We were able to book last minute and had a great time! Both were very knowledgeable about sea life and were mindful about respecting the wildlife and where the safest place to go depending on the weather, they made suggestions about best places to go to on the island they were funny and played fun music…we saw dolphins and a manatee, birds came onto the boat, we found some sand dollars and sea urchins. Lots of fun! Highly recommend!
Written June 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Betty34607
Thank you!
Written July 18, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
David F.
7 contributions
4 hour Boat Cruise with Island Boat Adventures
Mar 2023 • Family
Professional and fun crew. Captain Bob and Tanner took good care of everyone on board. Stopped to tell us bits of regional info as we crossed the bay and kept us entertained along the way hand feeding seagulls and spotting dolphins. Snorkeling time was adequate, but churn left limited visibility. The fort and lighthouse were good photo ops.
As a side note, Betty was very accommodating when we called a week ahead requesting to change our reservation from an afternoon to a morning trip 2 days later.
Definitely a good time!
Written March 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
aisha1601
Atlanta, GA19 contributions
We had a great time! 10/10!
Aug 2021 • Friends
First of all, the crew was fantastic and safety oriented. Although we booked this excursion weeks in advance, Hurricane Ida decided to make her presence known on the same weekend 😭. Due to the available weather data at the time, we moved forward with the trip. The vendor contacted us ahead of time to offer a reschedule which was cool.
During the trip, they made adjustments to our itinerary based on the status of the waves/the weather. We were still able to enjoy our full 4 hrs with snorkeling and beachcombing. Seagulls were fed and people danced. The whole thing felt a tad subdued (re: the weather) but fun!

The boat was not crowded so all the families were spaced out for social distancing. I would certainly rebook again with this company in the future!
Review of: 4-Hour Adventure Aquatic Tour in Gulfport
Written August 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
ET76
35 contributions
Disappointing snorkeling!
Sep 2021 • Couples
I was disappointed with this trip! The boat ride is $30 to Egmont Key. If you want to do any snorkeling it's additional $15.00 for one hour out of four hour trip! The mask is an additional $5.00 to use it. The beach side of the island was beautiful! But the snorkeling in this area was disappointing! Nothing to see in the water! It's about 15 minutes ride to the Island and you start returning at 2:25 pm back to the dock. It was not what I expected based on other snorkeling trips!
Written September 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Betty34607
Hi ET1976, I believe you left this review for the wrong company. Our company, 'Island Boat Adventures' does not charge extra for your mask, snorkel and fins, they are all included in the price of the trip. We also do not charge extra to go snorkeling. We would definitely love for you to try snorkeling at Egmont Key again, but this time be sure to book with us to get the most out out your time & money. Egmont Key is beautiful and we want to make sure that you have the best experience possible! Feel free to contact me with any questions before booking at 727-871-2628. We look forward to seeing you soon! Capt. Betty
Written February 2, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nurin J
Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo1 contribution
Amazing! MUST for kids AND GRANDPARENTS
Oct 2022 • Couples
Had a WONDERFUL time! John was a fantastic captain and we took a private 4 person tour. I had low expectations of the boat because usually in most places, they are run down. With ripped seats etc. This pontoon was BEAUTIFUL, well maintained and very comfortable! I was there with my in laws and their needs are very different than mine and my husband and so John was able to adapt to all our needs. He was very observant and cognizant of our likes and dislikes and would extend some parts of the journey and shorten other parts. I absolutely LOVE dolphins and he really made that aspect of the trip extremely memorable. He was able to find some dolphins and created wake and the 2 followed us and even jumped out of the water a bunch of times! All in all, I was beaming leaving the experience and my in laws who initially did not want to come, had a very memorable and happy experience! Thank you John and Island Boat Adventures!
Review of: 4-Hour Adventure Aquatic Tour in Gulfport
Written October 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Marcia k
10 contributions
amazing!!! book it!
Aug 2021 • Family
this was absolutely the highlight of our little florida vacation. we went in mid August had a possibility of storms and God was on our side and it turned out to be a beautiful perfect day for a snorkeling cruise! captain Dave and John were so sweet and accommodating to our family of 6 with children ages 7, 11 and 3 they all got to try driving the boat , go snorkeling danced and had the time of there life.. my 11 yr old said it was the best trip he had in years 😄. we saw dolphins mantanees some fish got to go on a little hike in egmont key private island climbed a fort fed seaguls cheetos thanks to John the Co captain 😂 I can't recommend a more fun exciting trip to do as a family.. we definitely will be doing this again.. thank you captain Dave and John we will never forget our time on your calypso cat 😸
Written August 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Betty34607
Thank you so much for the great review! We love hearing that you and your family had a great time with us!
Written February 2, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Curt D
1 contribution
Private Tour was ecellent!
Mar 2023
We selected to take a private 2 hour tour to Shell Key. On the way out and back we ot to see young dolphins learning to hunt with their families. The ride was fun,the shelling was great, and Catain John was well versed in all that happens in the sea and on the beach. Even normally semi-cringy teenagers were smiling, a big win. We will go again next year but do 4 hours.
Review of: 4-Hour Adventure Aquatic Tour in Gulfport
Written March 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Grethel H
Atlanta, GA24 contributions
Must do!!!
Jul 2020 • Family
We celebrated our daughters 7th birthday and it was her first time snorkeling. They do a great job in making you feel safe and providing whatever you need to enjoy your time. With the whole covid situation everyone on the boat was social distancing and there was sanitizer in case you needed it. Coming back my hate flew off the boat and the captain circled back and found it for us. Overall we had a great experience and it was worth every penny. We will definitely go back!!
Written July 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Island Boat Adventures (St. Petersburg) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go