Our family of 5 had an absolutely wonderful experience with Captain Jessica and the Island Time…read moreDolphin & Shelling Cruise! Our four-hour trip was the perfect mix of relaxation, wildlife, and adventure. Captain Jessica and her crew went above and beyond, providing iced drinks, snacks, and buckets for collecting shells. They took us to Old Hickory Island, where we found some amazing shells, a Pygmy octopus, conch, and a sand dollar. Throughout the trip, Captain Jessica shared her knowledge about the local ecosystem, answering all of our questions about the dolphins, manatees, mangroves, and the area. One of the highlights was when she spotted a pod of dolphins. She carefully brought the boat alongside them, and we got to watch them swim and jump in our boat's wake--it was unforgettable! Communication was outstanding from start to finish. We had to reschedule twice due to weather. Captain Jessica made the process incredibly easy and stress-free. She is friendly, welcoming, and shared lots of great local recommendations for places to visit and things to do. If you're looking to support a fantastic local business while having an unforgettable day on the water, I can't recommend Captain Jessica and Island Time Dolphin & Shelling Cruise enough. It was truly one of the highlights of our trip!

Had an amazing private dolphin and shelling tour this week with Jessica & Rob. Jessica was…read morefantastic to work with throughout the booking process and was communicative, prompt, and helpful! Our day on the water was wonderful - we saw 4 dolphins (including one baby!), white pelicans, and enjoyed shelling at the end of Lover's Key State park! Jessica and Rob made the experience memorable, fun, and safe. Highly recommend for your charter needs!

My husband and I had an amazing experience with Matlacha Saltwater Outfitters! Captain Whitney and…read moreDan were incredible from start to finish. They were even able to take us on a last-minute booking, which we really appreciated. As a couple of Ohio fishing enthusiasts, we had plenty of questions about fishing in Southwest Florida, and they patiently answered every one of them while sharing tons of local knowledge. The trip itself was unforgettable -- we even saw dolphins while we were out on the water! They were also great about taking photos for us so we could capture the memories, and they cleaned our catch at the end of the trip, which was such a great bonus. Captain Whitney and Dan were friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience relaxed and fun. If you're in Matlacha and looking for a great fishing experience with people who truly know the local waters, we highly recommend Matlacha Saltwater Outfitters. We'll definitely be back next time we're in Florida!

Had a blast. I'm a novice, but managed to still catch dolphin, grouper and snapper! Highly…read morerecommend for a great time and exciting adventure. They even took our group too a private beach hopping at the end. Watched the dolphins play in the wake. An unforgettable and amazing experience

Captain Jim is a great host and guide. He is so nice and lots of fun. He had a vast knowledge of…read morethe area and the history. We took the fun lunch at Cabbage Key trip. The ride was smooth with several stops along the way to point out wildlife and points of interest. He allowed us enough time on the island to enjoy lunch and thoroughly explore. If we are back in the area we would definitely do another tour with Pine Island Boat Tours.

We had a fantastic time with Captain Jim. He is extremely knowledgeable about all the local…read morebeaches, and history of the area. He knew exactly where to take us and show us where all the dolphins and manatees were. My kids loved Captain Jim. They thought he was very friendly. I would highly recommend this boat ride. The 4 hour trip is the best value , as the day flew. I can't give enough praise . 5 stars isn't enough. This was definitely the highlight of our vacation.

Coastal Friends Boat Tours was an absolute highlight of our visit to south west Florida…read more My wife and our friends decided to take a sunset tour on Sunday. The boat was spacious and comfortable, very stable even amid the small swell and wakes of other boats (my wife has gotten seasick in the past, but had absolutely no problem with this trip due to the stability of the boat and the skill of Aldo the Captain/pilot). We enjoyed seeing Dolphins and Pelicans, and even a ray just after sunset.The sunset was amazing and memorable, but not the best part of our tour. What was the best part? Being hosted by the owner and captain Aldo, and his first mate (wife] Demaris. They are happy and friendly, and very skilled at operating their boat. But more than that, they are excellent hosts. We had a lot of laughs, and a very enjoyable afternoon. The opportunity to meet Aldo and Demaris, and enjoy their hospitality shouldn't be missed. You'll be glad you chose this company for your boat tour! TLDR; Relaxing and fun way to spend the afternoon. Aldo and Demaris are great people, enjoyable to be around and skilled in their business I highly recommend them as hosts and tour guides!

From the owner: Coastal Friends Boat Tours offers family-friendly boat tours in Southwest Florida, specializing in…read moredolphin-watching, sunset cruises, island hopping, beach-hopping, and waterfront dining excursions. Our tours provide unforgettable experiences with a focus on comfort, safety, and creating cherished memories. Based in Cape Coral, we cater to locals and visitors looking to explore Florida's beautiful waterways.

Jimmy was very helpful with getting us outfitted for some kayaking. Nice place to have lunch there…read moretoo. Cute canals to kayak thru with gallaries and pastel houses.

Had a great experience with Jimmy and Rhonda, his guide, she showed me many hidden covers and lots…read moreof birds.

One of the classiest and funnest excursions I've done on any vacation…read more We were in town from Fort Worth Texas for a week. I had been looking for a 1/2 day fishing charter for the last two weeks. No luck until I talked to Christine at Paradise last night. We happened to get lucky and they weren't booked up today. She was very friendly and helpful on the phone. Gave us directions and what we would need for our charter at 8am. I have to add they beat everyone else's 1/2 day charter rates. We got there ( my wife and three kids ) and were met by Captain Ryan. He had our boat all prepped and ready to head out right at 8am. Ryan was extremely polite and friendly. Hard to do with three teenagers that we thought about throwing over several times. LOL Captain Ryan must have changed fishing spots at least a dozen times trying his hardest to get us on fish. We all caught several. We only walked away with three keepers ( all good size Mackerel ) but caught a lot more than that. We caught a squirrel fish, lizard fish, blow fish, catfish just to name a few. One of our daughters caught a big fish and it gave her a run for her money. It was a juvenile and even though it was big we had to throw it back. Captain Ryan was very knowledgeable about his fishing. This was an outstanding trip and I will come back here every time we are back in Fort Myers. Our youngest ( 11 years old ) said ....."I think today was the best day I've had as a child". That was worth a million bucks and says a lot about this company. Well done Paradise. We are customers for life!

Best day in a while! Contacted this charter the day before we decided we wanted to go out fishing…read more A last minute business trip/relative visit and impromptu day off. Fishing sounded like a great way to spend it. Contacted charter via phone ( although you could book online) because I wanted to know about access to boat/ what was needed. Christine called me back a few hours later had all of he information. She was polite and accommodating. I confirmed at 7:30pm for next day afternoon slot. That's customer service! Headed to Snook Bight marina and had a fantastic margarita made by Sandy. Met up with captain Ryan at 1. Boarded the 24 ft fishing boat with my hubby, a cooler, sandwiches, maybe some beer and 2 senior citizens ( parents). Had a great 4 Hour trip. Captain Ryan was professional, patient and knew everything about the area wildlife and fish. We got to fish at a few spots. We caught catfish, trout, whiting, baby hammerheads. He somehow arranged for us to see dolphins too! It might seem pricey($400), but honestly because you are able to go at your own pace, not being elbow to elbow with others and having an experienced captain as your guide made the day priceless. Will go again when we are back in town .

Now known as MATLACHA BOATING ADVENTURES - Excursion Date -…read more3/25/2024 Without a doubt... THE BEST TIME I'VE EVER HAD ON THE WATER - Bar None! Captain Will delivered as promised and we had the most enjoyable afternoon at the absolute best value of any excursion in ALL OF FLORIDA! Our family of four went out with the good Captain and his sister boat with Captain Chris and headed over to Coya Costa - Do NOT MISS THE MYSTERY BEACH - There is nothing like being the only souls on miles of beach in the pristine aqua-green waters of the Gulf. We also cruised a secluded bay filled with Manatee and saw nesting Osprey for the first part of the trip. All the time filled with little tid-bits of history and stories about the islands and wildlife. The short walk to the beach reminded you or an episode of Gilligan's Island or Survivor but to dip in the gulf water in early Spring weather with the feeling of secluded luxury was worth every single penny. We then journeyed to Cabbage Key and had a stop at the famous restaurant for some "ON-Point" and fresh Stone Crab followed by an excellent Cheeseburger that may or may not have inspired you-know-who to pen a famous song about such carnivorous habits..... That was topped off by the tangiest frozen Key-Lime pit and a few scoops of ice cream from the local creamery. The trip back to Pine Island and Captain Will's tailgate office found us enjoying the nostalgic views and gorgeous homes of Useppa Island followed by Dolphin views and then twenty minutes of the dolphin pod ridding the wake of our vessel. We could not have imagined how exciting, fun, and memorable this excursion was. Without a doubt, at the prices he charged, no other ferry, tour, or excursion gives you half as much for the money on the Florida coast. This little operation is highly recommended and I'm not easy to please. Another couple of two adults shared he boat with us and they were blown away too with words of praise and plans to repeat the trip again. As a tip, arrive early and check out the fish market. If you're lucky, Uno or Lefty as Captain Will calls him will be begging for fish at the back of the dock by the fish market. The wild dolphin was sheer joy to watch as were were literally inches away from him as he waited on a fish or two from the fleet dropping their catch at the market. We could have watched the huge bottle-nose dolphin for hours. That alone was a high-light worthy of calling it a day but our entire journey defied expectations. I can not recommend Captain Will & Company from Matlacha Boating Adventures. Support a Veteran Owned Business and enjoy an unforgettable trip around Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. This excursion made our trip a memory to cherish! Thanks Captain Will for an unprecedented time on the water!!! If you book elsewhere, you won't have as much fun and you'll pay too much!

While on vacation my friends and I took the sunset cruise. The Captain and first mate were great…read moreand so knowledgable about the wild life. We saw dolphins, a manatee and a ton of birds. Highly recommend the trip, plus you can bring your own food and drink.

Would recommend for a private inlet fishing trip! Al was prompt to depart, friendly to chat with,…read moreand made me feel comfortable fishing with the little knowledge I have. He filleted our keepers so we could cook up for a fish fry. Good value for this excursion!

We flew in from New Jersey to do our annual fishing trip. We showed up to at 7:30am and Al had no…read moreidea what we were talking about. We received confirmation emails, follow up emails, waivers that we signed, and still, he didn't care. He said "I don't even have a boat". Very unreliable. He didn't even feel bad about it. If I could give 0 stars I would. Thanks for nothing Al!