Honestly very disappointed we were sent out to shell island with a cracked motor. We took the picture as soon as my dad noticed it. We have boats back home so know how to operate them well and we were very disappointed we were sent out in the ocean with a cracked motor. The boat also had battery issues as well if my dad had not had prior boat experience we would have been stranded. As much money as these are you would think they would be in pristine condition. read more

We booked online and arrived in time for the 9am boat to the island. Rusty and Haley were great - friendly and funny. The online booking was easy and we left right after lunch so there wasn't a wait to return to the mainland. Shell Island itself is incredibly pretty - lagoon side was a little calmer water and the gulf side is picturesque! read more

My husband and I enjoyed the natural beauty of the location. We had fun seeing turtles, playing in the surf, Sun bathing, lazing in the pool and cooking out our dinner on the deck! A forever memory! read more

Pricing can definitely vary quite a bit. This time, it was excellent--just under $200 for a 4-hour pontoon rental. A few years ago, we paid close to $500 for a half-day, so it really seems to depend on the time of year. For what we paid this trip, it was an excellent value. The experience itself is always really fun and perfect for the whole family. This time, we saw plenty of wildlife, which made it even better. read more

This shuttle was worth it. The boat ride is nice, the people are great, and we did see some dauphins along the way. We enjoyed the shuttle and the island. No complaints at all. The process was simple and we got on a boat easy. We took the first boat out at 9 am. read more

We booked a pontoon boat online. Easy check in at dock. The boat was clean and well maintained. The guys on the dock were helpful and nice! Worth doing it to cruise around and visit shell island. read more

First time on Shell Island and I did some research and they seem like they were the best choice. I booked my ticket inline, showed up to the dock and was given a ticket. . Got on the boat and we departed the mainland. The ride was uneventful and very fast even when they say it takes 29 minutes. It felt like 5. The crew is very experienced they give you all the tips if you need it or ask for it. Just be aware that there are no bathrooms on the island so be sure to take care of business before departing the mainland. The parking lot will be limited due to the fact that it is shared with a restaurant and other tour companies. They have an overflow utility if you are leaving for Shell Island first thing in the morning, you should have a spot. You can buy snorkeling gear at their store and other items to ensure a good time and safety. Cheers to Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew for keeping us safe! read more

We used the shuttle to go to Shell Island for my birthday. We arrived just a few minutes before the first boat left and they waited for us before heading off. The guide gave great information about different parts of the island and things to expect to see. The rest of my group had been before and had rented a boat, and pointed out that the shuttle drops you off at a much better location. When we got off the boat, there was an alligator! We couldn't believe it. We walked to the gulf side and made our spot. We saw dolphins all day, several different birds, and crabs. There were so many beautiful shells. Several boats and tours come by. It was a beautiful day. We headed back to catch the 3:30 ride back. We were early but there was a large group already waiting. The group got on and there wasn't room for us. We were told we'd have to wait until the next shuttle at 5, which was disappointing. They headed off but turned back around - turns out it was a church group of 40 people, and they made room for us to all fit. I would definitely recommend the shuttle. Just be sure to be early for each ride so you can guarantee your spot! read more

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Seems like this ferry service has some mixed reviews but I had a positive experience, I booked a specific time and had plenty of space on the shuttle. It was slightly expensive but to me well worth the cost for a basically empty beach with miles of space to explore. The times for departure are very convenient too. Overall great experience, I will definitely come back if I can. read more

Shell Island Shuttle - Beaches Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

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Keith and Carole were our crew and they were great! They were on time, personable, and gave us great information that made our visit amazing. Next time we visit we are definitely coming back!! read more

Couldn't be more happier with our experience today. Highly recommend SIS. Keith and Carla took us to and from the island. They gave us a lot of great information, made the ride enjoyable and were friendly. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

I'm rating the business on this post, not the island. This was a great mom and pop business that was able to successfully get us to Shell Island and back. They seemed friendly enough. You can see my 1 star review of the island itself under the actual Shell Island thread on Yelp. read more

Shell Island Shuttle - Ride to Shell Island - Beaches Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

Nice ride to and fro island. You do have to walk a bit to get to swimming part of island, just FYI because I heard people complaining. I'm giving these guys 5 stars because my husband lost his wedding ring on shell island and I felt these guys did all they could do to help us find it. Which we did. They made an effort for us to come in contact with dolphins and had great personalities. read more

Shell Island Shuttle - Beaches Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

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Website made it seem like a constant flow of shuttles. We arrived at 1020 and was told the 11am shuttle may be full. She can't guarantee, but there would be a 12 o'clock. I guess they don't keep track of how many tickets they sell. Then she pointed us to a dock and said that's the line go stand in it. It's first come first served. There are no chairs or shade so be prepared. Basically no matter what time you arrive prepare to stand in line for 30 minutes to an hour read more

Shell Island Shuttle - Beaches Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

I give the vessel crew 10 stars. I give the ticket booth and some neighboring booths 3 stars. When I went to get my ticket for the shuttle, I asked the person at the ticket booth what time is the last shuttle back. She responded, " I'm telling you". Then the woman with her said that the last shuttle left early and will be returning later. No help in getting answers. We had to wait to get on the shuttle to ask the captain what time the last shuttle back would be. He responded with such ease. Passive-aggressive seems to be the style of customer service this area has adapted to I asked the woman at the pantoon booth what is the latest time we would have to return he pantoon if we take the last half-day out and she kept responding "4 hours after you take it". Finally asked if they're open 24 hours and she responded that they close at 5pm. Pulling teeth to get answers! Please visit On The Hook for food and drinks. They know how to be nice to their customers and they are extremely sweet. read more

Captain and Mate were very informative. Shell Island is a great secluded beach just make sure to bring snacks and a cooler. Don't forget snorkeling gear. read more

We ferried across with Captain Drew and Keith! They were great! Kept us entertained to and from the island and were very knowledgeable about the waters and where to find some beautiful shells! read more

We rented a pontoon boat through this company. Great price, decent boat and nice guys helping to get you familiar with boat prior to departure. The female employee inside the rental hut was NOT friendly. She is the first and last person you will deal with when renting with this company, so can't give this business 5 stars. read more

Colby and the guys on the dock are so friendly and helpful but I would definitely not rent here again. The ladies at the front window are incredibly rude. I understand it's probably not fun to deal with tourists all day but if it is your job you should probably make an effort to not be a witch. Then there's the boat. It could be a nice boat but the motor they have on it is the slowest on the bay. Every other pontoon rental passed us with ease. It took over 40 minutes to get to the Shell Island beach we were going to. The motor was a 40 on our rental but the boats passing us had 90 hp motors. Finally, when I rented online the return time was stated to be 5 pm however when you sign the on-site agreement it becomes 4:30 pm. Highly recommend you find another rental. read more

They were rude when purchasing tickets to shell island then proceeded to leave 50+ stranded on shell island during a lightening storm. I had to call the Coast Guard to make them come get us. read more

Booked online the night before. Drove an hour and a half to be told sorry not running the shuttle today! Asked for a recommendation of somewhere else we could go to get to shell island and was told with an eye roll, "the only way is via boat don't know what to tell you. Have a great day" and slammed the window shut! Very disappointed! read more

I'm not sure what the hype was about. We had a group of 8 so I thought it would be a fun adventure but it turns out it was just a really expensive boat ride.....there is no shade on the island, the sand is very corse, the waves were insane and the water got deep quick! I thought we would get a lot of shells (cause of the name, right?!) but turns put you are just thrown around by waves and step on shards of shells. NOT impressed with shell island at all :( Side note: the bus and boat drivers were friendly and knowledgeable! read more

Lots of fun getting over to Shell Island with Ryan and Bailey! We'll come back next time to hang out and party on the boat! From your Cincinnati friends read more

Shell island itself was a joke. No shells anywhere. A big waste of money. If you're wanting to really find shells do not go here. The shuttle was fine but overall do not recommend this adventure. read more

Went today to grab shuttle for shell Island, waited an hour on the dock just to get picked up to go over. Not worth going - They need more the just two shuttles to go back and forth. read more

We rented a pontoon boat from here and the employee were super knowledgeable and polite. The boat was very clean.

john and steve were amazing, they not only took us to and from the island but, were incredibly kind people! they also showed us a map of the island and the history of it aswell!! i would definitely recommend!! 10/10 read more

Shell Island Shuttle - shell island shuttle - Beaches Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

This is a tough review as everyone has a different opinion of what's great and what isn't. We got a half-day pontoon rental and did a family trip out to Shell Island. I'll try to hit everyone's take on the experience. First of all, you have to GET to Shell Island. It is only accessible by boat. I talked to the folks in the office of our condo and they highly recommended a pontoon rental (half or full days available). The idea being that you can go where you want on your own schedule. Read reviews of the Shell Island Shuttle to get those experiences, but for me, the rental seemed to be the right call. With the pontoon, we set off to see what Shell Island was all about. As the ship's captain, all my homework (Google) paid off. As we approached the island, you could see where the shuttles dock. We didn't want to complete with crowds - we can do that in front of our condo. So on we went through the inland waterway along the island. Our first stop was in a bay of grass flats. It was large and shallow. We saw another boat anchored near shore, so we assumed it was a place to see. Drifting in, I wasn't impressed - not a great place to swim (weedy). We found a sandy area and anchored briefly. The kids "cooled off" with a swim (the water had to be 90...) while I hit the shore to see how far it would be to hike to the gulf side. Too far and a bit hilly... I knew there was a better area down the coast, so we hoisted anchor and continued on. Around the corner we saw our ultimate destination. I believe it's "Anderson's Pier" - a white, sandy beach where many boats will throw anchor (the pier didn't seem functional). Waverunner tours stop here as well. It's the shortest distance between lagoon and gulf, which was my goal. And it's all white sand - no prickly trails to battle. Bingo. We swam around for a bit by the boat, then grabbed some toys and headed to the gulf side. While the boys and I played in the waves, my wife headed up the shore to do her sacred shelling. As we were running out of time, we migrated back to the pontoon and headed back to the marina. So how was it? It depends who you ask. For me and the boys, it was a boat ride (we enjoyed it, but we didn't rent the boat just to ride around) and some swimming. The swimming is something we could have done in front of our condo without paying extra. Granted, we were pretty much ALONE in our play, so that was cool. It was an adventure, and we really enjoyed that aspect. My wife? She L-O-V-E-D it! She's a sheller, and was able to go about a mile up shore completely alone. Heaven. How were the shells? Decent, but not the amazing boon others write about. I'm sure it has a lot to do with weather and other conditions - that's just your luck at that point. Bring: Cooler - food/drinks Sunscreen! Toys (boogie boards, snorkel/goggles/gear Camera Umbrella (if you plan on settling on the beach and it's sunny) Smartphone (the GPS was ham dandy!) Many tours will market the "swim with the dolphins" type of tour that goes through this same area. We only saw dolphins on the way back (a dorsal fin here and there) around the marinas. They didn't exactly pop up, wink at us, and high-five us with flippers like the tours want you to think. Again - maybe under different conditions, or different locations. So as you ponder a trip to Shell Island, know what you're getting into. If you're looking for great beach time, you can find that along the shores of the mainland and you'll get pretty much the same thing, for less cash. If you want to walk long beaches in solitude, or mostly escape the masses of people, this could be the trip for you. It's something to do, and certainly an adventure. HINT: As you rent a pontoon, look for a bigger motor. A 40hp motor won't shoot a pontoon through the water like you may want it to. Upgrade to a 90hp to maximize your time out on the island and travel faster. Shop around! read more

We really liked using this company to rent our pontoon boat in Destin. The pontoon was very clean, the staff was friendly, and we saw plenty of dolphins. They also offer a military discount and that was so lovely. Wish we would had booked an all day slot. Some of the best memoiries my children had from our vacation was this boat trip. read more

I always love getting on the shuttle and heading to the island for the day. The captain's are always friendly and helpful. Plus they have everything we need at their little shop. This is always a go-to for me and my family. Been going since I was 10! read more

Beautiful place. Great for small kids to play in lagoons with clear water. Gulf side is awesome. This is a barrier island. Bay side is calm with clear water mostly shallow. Snorkel along the jetties. Very pretty & natural. Bring water, sunscreen & food. Take shuttle here or boat. Sandbar on bayside was pretty . read more

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SWIM WITH DOLPHINS $50/person they have all the gear you need. our captain Gary was super friendly we had great conversation. He was very knowledgeable about where the dolphins were and wanted to be sure we had good dolphin interaction. It was more of a chase them and jump in situation rather than swim with them but we loved it! It was exciting and felt like an adventure! We saw dolphins the entire trip, we went on the first boat out, 8:30 am The only negative was that it didn't last long enough! Wish we could have stayed out all day! Will for sure be back next trip to PCB read more

Shell Island Shuttle - Beaches Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

We arrived and a rude woman said one shuttle was broken for the day meaning they only had one going and it would be up to 2 hours for us to get on the shuttle both ways. Their communication skills were nonexistent. They could have let us know that only one shuttle was running before we drove 45 mins there. Got our money back and went to St. Andrews State Park. Highly recommend saving your money and going there instead!! read more

Decent snorkeling, but that's about the only reason to go here. Long waits--limited seating on boats means waiting 1 h in line in heat. Polluted sand is black from oil on island. Brown water like a lake. Smell of the paper plant is like burning garbage. I would skip it . read more

Be prepared to wait upwards of 45 minutes in line both ways. The crew was very nice but an overall disappointing experience. If you're at all savvy with a boat and have a large enough group you'd be better off renting a pontoon and getting yourself there. read more

Shell Island Shuttle is not the environment when staying local or traveling with your family. The business is in a transition, which I understand is a hard adjustment. Although, the company needs to organize the website and prepare for busy summers. I do not leave reviews due to the fact that I understand the situation of our economy and the problems attached. We all work hard to make a living. The staff was not trained to assist with issues in a proper manner and had extremely rude behaviors. I will not be returning, as well as my family and friends. I would also not refer this company to others. Adventures of the Sea is located in the same parking lot with excellent service! Please seek their company first! read more

We got our 16 tickets online and we're not told we had to get paper tickets. Our woman bus driver was rude upon arrival and hollered at us. Would not recommend. read more

Prompt and friendly. On the shuttle boat Dalton told us about the state park jetties, took our picture and told us about other area attractions. read more

Best part of our trip to PCB for all four of us!!! I wish we had gone earlier in the week so we could visit it more than once. Beautiful beaches. Awesome fish and crab all over. We saw shrimp and turtles too! Crystal clear water. Felt like I was in the Caribbean. Loved that the shuttled went too and from every 30 minutes. I will definitely return next time I am in town! read more

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This was one of the best excursions I've been on in a long time. I would definitely recommend them in the future. They are fantastic,