Wow! I am just so thankful that we randomly found one of Captain Jess's brochures on our first visit to Atlantic Beach in 2017. We did a half day that year and loved every minute. When we booked a return trip this year, I immediately contacted him to make plans again. This year we came with our 2 year old daughter and two of our best friends. We decided on the full day because we wanted to see horses, find shells, the guys wanted to fish, and my husband loves bird photography. We did it all! It was a spectacular day! My daughter started out a little fearful since she had never been on a boat, but by the end of the day she was saying "again again" and then the rest of our trip she pointed out boats and checked to see if it was Captain Jess. She loves horses and nature in general and though she is young, she will have memories of this day. We're making a photo book because she keeps wanting to see photos. We saw at least 100 dolphins, some close to the boat and playful and she was in heaven. We saw tons of horses, found amazing shells on Shark Island, touched a jelly fish, found a new bird for my husband (and he had countless opportunities for other great photos). The guys caught several fish and had a lot of laughs. We went during Covid and, though I was disappointed to see lack of concern in a lot of businesses in the area, Captain Jess had a science based plan in place to keep everyone safe. I'm not at all surprised because he has an amazing science background and taught us so much on both of our trips. I sure hope he doesn't ever want to retire because I'll still be begging him for another trip! Thank you Captain Jess! Our friends said this was their best beach trip ever after we got back and, though I have lots of wonderful family beach trip memories, this is my favorite trip we've ever booked while on vacation on the coast. read more

We just got back from a short vacation in North Carolina. We didn't choose to go there for any specific reason until we started reading what they have to offer. What caught our eye was the Crystal Coast Ecotours with Captain Jess. So we decided to pack up our daughter, grandson and the dogs and headed to North Carolina. It wasn't exactly the best weather at this time of the year but it sure was beautiful. We had planned on a six hour tour with Captain Jess but due to the weather he was able to get us in a day earlier and with beautiful weather. I can't even tell you how nice he was. He was able to tolerate a very talkative nine year old who kept him on his toes He even let him navigate the boat for a short time which made our grandson think he was all it. Captain Jess showed us so many things and was able to explain everything to us. This was something we have never experienced before and it was the best thing we had done while in North Carolina. Seeing the wild horses and the dolphins will be something we will never forget. The dolphins were so close to the boat we could almost touch them. We couldn't get enough of them. Listening to Captain Jess talk about the lighthouse and the history of the buildings was very, very informative and interesting. Just having the tour customized to do what we liked to do was pretty neat. We are hoping to return in a year or so for another tour with Captain Jess, but in the meantime we are telling all our friends and family if they plan on vacationing around North Carolina to make sure to schedule a tour with Captain Jess. They absolutely will not be disappointed. Sue P. read more

Scheduling time with Captain Jess' Crystal Coast Ecotours has become a favorite tradition for our family vacations to the Crystal Coast, especially for our grandchildren ages 7 - 10. Although Capt. Jess is a marine biologist with admirable experience advocating for the conservation and protection of our coastal resources, he is above all a talented teacher at heart. During our outings, he watches for and takes advantage of those teachable, impactful moments for the boys to help instill in them a love and appreciation for the beauty and wonder of our coastal ecosystems. And of course he does this while also engaging the rest of us in a remarkable overview - and challenges - of the waters and islands that are part of our coastline. From watching dolphins gracefully following our boat, seeing the majestic wild horses that inhabit small islands, and fishing for Spanish Mackerel on Shark Island; to searching magnificent shelling spots for sand dollars and conches, and finally to simply enjoying boating in the Crystal Coast's sparkling waters, with sun and wind in abundance, this trip is a must-do for anyone who appreciates the beauty and diversity of our coastal resources. Captain Jess is simply the best!!! read more

"FANTASTIC AND EXCITING EDUCATIONAL ADVENTURE" This was our first time with "Crystal Coast Eco Tours". Jess welcomed us and our dog warmly and treated us as old friends throughout our 6 Hr. tour. Our personalized tour request was to see as much aquatic life as possible. Jess went way above and beyond what we expected of him! He taught us how to find and harvest clams and muscles in a salt water stream. He taught us how to identify and taste edible plants. We experienced Shark Island that was loaded with beautiful and some rare shells.The island contained a lake filled with Cow Nosed Rays that numbered over a hundred. They swam so close to us on shore that we saw them in great detail. Many Dolphin were sighted along with five large schools of shad. Jess maneuvered the boat close enough to throw out a weighted net and capture some of the shad in order to show them to us up close and then quickly release them. The only complaint we have about this tour is in realizing that the six hours went by way too quickly for us. How can anything possibly come close to this experience for the rest of our vacation? Thanks Jess ! read more

We booked a half day (four hour) charter during our stay in Emerald Isle this summer. Our group included two adults and three children (ages 8, 10, and 15). Leading up to the trip, all communication with Captain Jess was easy and professional. We were able to make all the initial arrangements via email, which was helpful as we were sightseeing throughout the early part of the week and not on a set schedule. Everything day-of went super smoothly. Our meet up location was easy to access and Captain Jess was there as anticipated. He has a very laid-back and easy going manner that was a big hit with the kids. Our trip was fully customizable -- we told Jess what we wished to see and he fit in as much as we could in four hours. We saw dolphins, wild horses, a wide variety of birds, hunted for sand dollars on a remote island, swam, fished, visited the lighthouse at Cape Lookout, and our 15 y/o spotted a sea turtle. It was a truly amazing day and I would highly recommend Captain Jess to anyone who is interested in a charter experience. We'll definitely be back. read more

We did a 3 hour tour with Captain Jess and enjoyed our time, but it flew by. I highly recommend going for no less than 4 hours if at all possible, you'll be glad you did. He started off with a prayer before we headed out and that was a real blessing. Jess has a lot of knowledge of the area and has lived here for a very long time and makes the trip very interesting and informative. My recommendation is to take a snorkel and enjoy a remote island with shallow crystal clear water, it is amazing; we collected sand dollars there and I could have stayed for hours it was so beautiful. Hope to be able to spend some time with Jess again one day Lord willing, maybe next time for fishing. He does book up quickly, so making reservations a couple weeks in advance will help, we wanted to go out with him on our last two trips to EI but he was booked, so I got in touch with him a couple weeks before we stayed and secured a spot. Cannot recommend enough, we had a great time. read more

We went out with Captain Jess yesterday for the 6 hour tour and it was absolutely the high point of our vacation. We had 3 generations on our trip (ages 7 to 66 - including a teenager) and he made sure we were all engaged the whole trip. From start to finish, he made us feel like we were long time friends and interacted with the kids perfectly - finding their interests and pointing out neat features along the way. His expertise, professionalism, and personality were all woven together to make sure we all enjoyed the day. We saw the wild horses up close, watched fiddler crabs, collected sand dollars and shells, saw Cape Lookout lighthouse, fished, and snorkled - had a fantastic time and made excellent memories. We used to come to this area for vacation growing up and I learned so much on this trip with Captain Jess. I would definitely recommend this to anyone - familiar with or new to this area. Perfect day out on the water!! read more

My family and I had a fabulous time on Captain Jess's Eco tour! We did the all day tour and loved every minute! Captain Jess is extremely knowledgeable on everything from local history, to marine life, fishing, shell collecting, whatever we were curious about, it seemed like the Captain had the inside scoop! We got to see wild horses, hunt for sand dollars, get up close and personal with sea creatures and go fishing! We caught everything from Black Sea bass, to flounder, permit, baby sharks and a cobia! At the end of our tour I purchased one of his custom designed hats, which I've worn everyday since to help protect my face from the harsh summer sun (of course I wear sun block too!) I love the logo design and it's a happy reminder of such an incredible day! We got to finish off our perfect day by eating delicious fresh caught Black Sea bass & flounder! I can not recommend Captain Jess's Eco tour enough! read more

If your time permits, choose the 6-hour tour option because a tour with Capt. Jess is such an adventure that the time will go by quickly. He customizes your day on the water day to include the activities of your choice; we chose searching for sand dollars, snorkeling, seeing the wild ponies and walking around Cape Lookout for shelling. Jess started our adventure by showing us a collection of sea creatures and explaining some fascinating details about each one. My aspiring Marine Biologist teenager was delighted. The whole group of high-energy teens enjoyed the voyage and looks forward to learning more from Jess on a future trip. Book as early in your vacation planning as possible because Jess' personality and professionalism make his tours a very popular choice for visitors to the Crystal Coast. read more

My family and I went on a tour with Captain Jess. There were 6 of us, all adults. We were able to see the horses on Shackleford Banks, caught some fish (a spanish mackerel & some black sea bass), went to look for sand dollars and found a bunch, alive and dead, and went to Shark Island to go shelling. Amazing shelling. Four of us found some great shells while two went snorkeling. We booked the 6 hour tour. We will definately do it again if in the area but try not to fit so much in. We all felt that we spent a lot of time in the boat going from place to place and would rather do just 2-3 things next time. Captain Jess was very knowledgable and shared a lot of local insight with us. Reasonably priced and we were all excited to go on the tour and talked about it for days afterward. read more

I booked a 6 hours tour with Captain Jess Hawkins last week and I absolutely cannot compliment him enough. He showed me and my group literally all of the most beautiful things I can think of on the North Carolina coast. We saw dolphins and wild ponies up close, and came home with buckets of shells and sand dollars to give to our loved ones as incredible authentic souvenirs rather than some impersonal gift shop nonsense. He was incredibly knowledgeable and I learned a lot about the history of the area and the ecology of North Carolina ocean habitats. I really really really recommend if you're looking for something memorable to fill a day on the North Carolina coast you absolutely must book with Crystal Coast Ecotours. Thank you Captain Hawkins for the unforgettable experience! read more

Went out with Captain Jess in the end of March, 2014. The previous reviewer hit the nail on the head- he is exceptionally knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Water shoes are a must, as you get to leave the Lucky Dog and actually go onto the various islands when taking the tour. We did the 7 hour tour and were sad when it ended. Although we did not fish, we saw over 18 of the wild mustangs of Shackleford, 3 bottlenose dolphins, numerous birds, and a harbor seal that had Captain Jess as excited as we were. Learning the history of the area, as well as visiting the settlers' cemetary on Shackleford was very cool. The only regret is that we could only spend one day on the water with him. Highly recommend to visitors of the Crystal Coast. read more

Captain Jess Hawkins delivers a fascinating, genuine North Carolina coast experience. His knowledge of the area is unfathomable - from mudflats to local industry - Jess is a walking encyclopedia. He genuinely loves people and the coast and graciously shares his knowledge to everyone on board. On our customized tour, we caught fish, foraged for clams, collected shells, and viewed wildlife from wild horses to ghost crabs to endangered plovers. Most of all, you visit areas that you would otherwise never, ever visit. If you're looking for an adventure for your friends and family, especially those hard to please tweeners, this is a great choice. A shout out to birders - Jess is an expert birder too! read more

My family (myself, wife, 4yo,2 yo, mother in law, father in law) got to meet Jess today. I booked a 4 hour tour months ago. I have to say he made the trip to emerold isle completely worth the drive. He is very personable and was great with the children. We went to a few different areas to see the horses then to find sand dollars. He could have stopped there, but instead he showed us what a living sand dollars looked like along with other creatures. Digging for clams was a memory I will not forget. Take the time and book early. Talk to captain Jess about what you would like to do. He truly does make it fun. read more

We have gone on 2 tours with Capt. Jess (April 2015 and June 2019) and will continue to go on them, whenever we go to NC. Best way to experience, all that NC has to offer. We have seen the wild horses, dolphins, the Cape Lookout lighthouse, Shark Island (Which always has a lot of shells. See pics attached), hunted for sand dollars, saw a sting ray, went fishing, and learned a lot about sea creatures. What I love most about it, is he personalizes each trip, is knowledgeable, kind, amazing with kids, and a lot of fun to be around. read more

My family and I went for a quick trip to North Carolina and based the trip on this boat tour. Though it was February and too cold to go in the water to hunt for sand dollars or go shelling, it didn't matter. The knowledge that captain Jess shared with us about the island, ecosystem and neighboring towns was astounding. We had the most incredible time. I cannot wait to come back when the weather is warmer and experience everything else! You cannot go wrong with captain Jess. We highly recommend him! read more

What an incredible day filled with pristine waters and unique North Carolina experiences... We visited Shackleford ponies, hunted for sand dollars, shelled, clammed, fished and observed bird island. Captain Jess is amazing and shared his vast knowledge of the area and its ecology. He went above and beyond to be sure each of us ( Mom, Dad, a 13 yr old, 11 yr old and 7 yr old) felt like we experienced something really special and tailored to our interested. We could not recommend this tour more! read more

We went out with Capt. Jess on the 4 hour tour. Was geared to our 5 1/2 year old granddaughter but was loved by all. From the moment we were on board he engaged us with incredible information. He showed us wild horses, we picked sand dollars, we snorkeled and went clamming. He obviously is so in love with this area and marine life it made us all appreciate everything even more. Would suggest this tour to everyone , visitor and resident alike. read more

There is so much to see by boat, areas you can't get to by car or on foot. We spent an afternoon with Captain Jess and created so many memories for our family (Ages 80 to 11!). Sand dollars and stingrays, wild horses and dolphins, shells and a shark! It was a perfect day guided by Jess as he shared his science, legal and historical knowledge with us. He clearly loves his home and we were so grateful to have shared in it with him. read more