Board our ferry at Fort De Soto boat ramp, at the historic Fort De Soto, a military outpost constructed during the Spanish American Ware. It is listed in the "National Register of Historic Places" and Pinellas County's largest park. The 20-minute ferry will then travel to Shell Key, an uninhabited barrier island with white sand, warm water and shelling galore. The trip between is a great chance to spot dolphins, sea turtles and even manatees!
See Availability.
Fort De Soto Boat Ramp, 3500 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde, FL 33715, USA
20 minutes(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 49 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : Dwqman
I was told just how cool Shell key was by a friend, I wanted to experience it for myself. Took my wife and 3 teenage grandchildren.
We saw dolphins on our way out jumping in the wake of another boat. So cool.
While on Shell Key we had an awesome time in the calm gulf waters looking for the perfect shells and then when we were headed back we again saw dolphins right at the dock.
Our guides, Lauren and Mike - self proclaimed "shell king", we're great! Very safe trip enjoyed by all! Bonus shell jewelry making on the return ride as well. Just great people!
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Posted On : 2024-05-15
Posted By : S9837QHjessicaf
Captain Lauren and The Shell King were super awesome. Definitely made the trip. Even got myself a souvenir shell necklace that was made on the ride back.
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Posted On : 2024-05-14
Posted By : 480ilonam
Liked the whole trip .crew was very nice. It was a little disappointing that there were not a lot nice shells. But we saw several dolphins !!
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Posted On : 2024-05-07
Posted By : 498kristing
Sea shell Mike and captain todd are great ! Mike spent so much time with my
Kids making necklaces for them ! It was the highlight of the trip
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Posted On : 2024-05-06
Posted By : AAE50
We had a great tour. The crew was very personable and even volunteered to make a necklace with one of your
shells. It was a perfect day at the beach. It was a quick boat ride from Fort DeSoto. As mentioned, there are no rest rooms on the island.
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Posted On : 2024-05-04
Posted By : 880starlah
Captain Lauren and the Seashell King are the absolute best!! Very funny duo that make the short ride very entertaining. They even have a complimentary jewelry making service for shells you find on the island!
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Posted On : 2024-05-03
Posted By : Angel M
Was a wonderful experience! Captian Todd was great, and so was shell king! Would book this again for my family in the future ! I recommend bringing sunscreen, water, some snacks, an umbrella, a shell bag and goggles!
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Posted On : 2024-05-02
Posted By : Relax768623
We LOVED Shell Key. It definitely lives up to its name. The water was turquoise and beautiful and a very pleasant temperature. We could walk quite a distance away from the beach and still be barely over waist deep. We saw a manatee and at one point a dolphin was playing in the water and came within about 6 feet of us. We found tons of olives and lettered olives, a few small shark eyes, banded tulips, sand dollars, conch of course and many other kinds. We will definitely go back the next time we travel here.
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Posted On : 2024-05-01
Posted By : FrequentFlier598734
Wonderful excursion to secluded island loaded with shells. I took my son and his wife and my 4 year old granddaughter. We saw many birds and a bottle nose dolphin and picked shells until we had our fill! If you go and want to find the larger shells, I suggest using snorkel gear and masks to be able to sink down 6’ in water that is bringing new shells up slowly. Lots of fun and the captain and his ship mate were very kind and accommodating. Maybe take a snack and large Yeti iced water container!
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Posted On : 2024-04-27
Posted By : joanngT9869WA
My family & friends all had a blast at shell key island! We found lots of shells snorkeling! Todd & Mike were great on the ferry to & from. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience!
Seen dolphins while we were out & Mike made our kiddos lots of jewelry out of the shells they found on Shell Key! Todd allowed our children to sit in the captain seat & both were very informative and interactive with the families!
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Posted On : 2024-04-26
