Island Boat Adventures
Island Boat Adventures
5
Scuba & SnorkellingBeachesBoat ToursDolphin & Whale WatchingNature & Wildlife Tours
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
Full view

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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Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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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
5.0
1,290 reviews
Excellent
1,156
Very good
92
Average
17
Poor
10
Terrible
15
Ciera T
1 contribution
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.
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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, WI11 contributions
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you!
Written July 18, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Janet P
2 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Just like the customer in the last review, we booked a snorkeling trip, and they canceled because the trip did not meet the minimum number of passengers required. This was on November 6. They said they would process my refund right away. It is now November 22, and the refund has not appeared on my credit card. I have called them three times and left a message, and they have not returned my call. I had to dispute the charge on my credit card. Do not book with this company. They are shady.
Written November 21, 2023
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.
Hi Janet, I do sincerly apologize that this happened to you. I was not aware and did not recieve any phone calls from you or I would certainly corrected the situation immediately. We are not shady and take a lot of pride in our company and ourselves. Future customers, please reach out to us at 727-871-2628 or by email at info@islandboatadventures.com with any questions or concerns. It is always our goal to provide a great experience and excellent customer service. Thank you, Betty
Written January 10, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
David F.
9 contributions
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!
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you!
Written January 10, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Propeto321
Colorado Springs, CO12 contributions
Sep 2024 • Family
Great experience and great fun for our very beach savvy grandkids (7,8,11). Saw 20+ dolphins incld group of 5 wake surfing together. Capt worked hard to find and let us watch. Egmont island v nice beach, lot mosquitos in woods but they provided bug spray. Snorkeled in 2 locations capt looked hard for best clear water. Capt n crew n vesselbgreat.
Written September 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.
JLS1408
19 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
The captains were friendly and informative. They stopped the boat so we could see a couple of dolphins feeding on the way out and a school of sharks on the way back. We stopped to snorkel at a small island before going to Egmont. There were a few small fish and other creatures in the murky water. You have to dive down to get a good look. People were instructed by the operators to remove animals from their habitat and place them in a bucket of water on the boat so they could look at them for a few minutes, then drop them over the side of the boat. Every other snorkeling tour I've been on has insisted that patrons NOT touch the wildlife as it disturbs the animals and harms their environment, even if it is not illegal.
The historic island was interesting.
Here is a breakdown of the total cost from my confirmation email:
Adult $69.00
Adult $69.00
Gratuity: Gratuity $24.84
Operator fee: Operator Fee $3.26
Processing Fee: 1 $3.65
Taxes & Fees $20.25
Total $190.00
Total paid $190.00
This covers the ride to the snorkel spot, then on to the island, use of provided snorkel gear, and the ride back to port. One thing I found interesting is that the gratuity is included in the total price, but there is still a sign displayed on the boat that encourages tipping 18%-20%. Why is that there if gratuity is paid in advance? Overall, this is a bare-bones, high-priced excursion. I may try this tour again with a different company in the future.
The historic island was interesting.
Here is a breakdown of the total cost from my confirmation email:
Adult $69.00
Adult $69.00
Gratuity: Gratuity $24.84
Operator fee: Operator Fee $3.26
Processing Fee: 1 $3.65
Taxes & Fees $20.25
Total $190.00
Total paid $190.00
This covers the ride to the snorkel spot, then on to the island, use of provided snorkel gear, and the ride back to port. One thing I found interesting is that the gratuity is included in the total price, but there is still a sign displayed on the boat that encourages tipping 18%-20%. Why is that there if gratuity is paid in advance? Overall, this is a bare-bones, high-priced excursion. I may try this tour again with a different company in the future.
Written June 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.
ET76
120 contributions
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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.
Marcia k
4 contributions
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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.
Grethel H
Atlanta, GA24 contributions
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Do you need to book in advance or can you do so on the day you going?
Written July 26, 2019
We booked the day before which actually booked the 2pm boat and they called us the night before and asked us to do the 9am boat but bc they did not have enough people to fill the boat for 2pm. We went last week so I’m not sure if july is a slow season, I think it depends on the time of year you are going to determine if you have to book in advance. I hope this helps
Written July 26, 2019
Wondering how the viewing is during snorkeling? Do most patrons typically see a lot of fish / cool sights while snorkeling?
And does the morning trip or afternoon trip seem to be best for that?
Thank you!!
Written March 23, 2019
When we went the water was very murky with nothing but a fish or two to see at the first stop. Other than that, it was a fun time! We snorkeled at the last stop and found a ton of sand dollars!
Written April 7, 2019
I am handicapped and must use a scooter to get around. Cabn SI get on the boat? Couldf I just stay on the boat while the rewwswt of my party checked outhe island, etc
Written March 23, 2018
Hi, mpresgraves. What would you like to know about this attraction? I AM HANDICPPPLED and must use a scooter to get around. Could I get on the boat and would I be allowed to just stay on the boat during the island tour and snorkeling?
Written March 23, 2018
The boat captains are very helpful with and for people. I am sure they would be able to get you aboard and make your trip as memorable as with those that snorkle. On one trip they helped a woman who did not swim in the water etc
Written July 6, 2018
How long does the Fort Snorkeling last and how long is the snorkeling from the beach?
Written June 29, 2017
We were at Egmont key for over an hour...shelling, exploring, etc. absolutely beautiful. You can see some of the Spanish American war history by walking around. The water was more choppy that day so we headed to another area to snorkel...that is where we were fortunate enough to see the manatees.
Written June 30, 2017
Looking to go on 14th may..how much per adult and 6 yr old child. Also how long does the boat trip last? Thanks.
Written April 16, 2017
Betty34607
St. Petersburg, Florida
Hi There! The previous answer is correct. Our price is only $39.50 for adults, $28.00 for children ages 4-12, and 3 & younger are no charge. This price does include all of your snorkeling gear for the day. Feel free to contact me by phone at 727-871-2628. I'm happy to answer any questions that you have about our trip. It's so much Fun!!! See you soon! Betty
Written April 18, 2017
Are you allowed to bring your own alcohol on the boat?
Written March 14, 2017
Betty34607
St. Petersburg, Florida
Yes, You can bring your own lunch and drinks, including adult beverages. You are also welcome to bring your own cooler or you can use ours. See you soon! Betty
Written March 17, 2017
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