After 20 minutes I found myself thinking "if the trip ended now it was already worth it." The guide is knowledgeable and funny, and utterly enthusiastic about the flora and fauna he's been seeing all his life, maybe in part because he's a wildlife photographer who occasionally took pictures too. And boy did we see a lot in the two hours: A manatee feeding on plants only a few feet from us, a couple dozen alligators, THREE American bitterns, limpkins (including hatchlings), green herons, great blue herons, an owl, sandhill cranes (with 8 day-old young ones), snowy egrets, great egrets, kingfishers, and more. When something especially interesting was sighted, they backed up the boat and took their time. When the cold breeze picked up, they handed out blankets. Not a single bad thing to say - totally worth it. I recommend bringing lunch and picnicking at the waterside tables either before or after your trip. read more

My husband and I found this tour as we traveled back home from Orland. It sounded like a great way to spend a couple of hours, and it was! Dooley, our captain, was wonderful and showed us every little thing that caught his attention. We saw many different birds; Egret, Blue Heron, Ibis, Limpkin, and even a few Manatee, which we did not expect as the water was cold. Dooley told us about several different plants, grasses on the river which was very informative. With Covid, the company has made the trip very safe. The boat is kept at half capacity for social distancing, your temperature is taken at check-in, and you have to use hand sanitizer before boarding. I look forward to returning to this tour in Spring, Summer and Fall to see the different river life during the different seasons. read more

My wife and I took a tour with Captain Colin on Saturday and it was a delightful and relaxing way to cruise up the St John's River from Highlands Marine in Debary, Florida. Even though we were the only two people signed up for the twighlight tour on a pontoon designed for 28 passengers, the captain told us he would definitely take us out. He is very customer-focused, personable, professional, and knowledgeable about the vegetation, wildlife, and history of the river and area. The weather could not have been more perfect and we thoroughly enjoyed our two-our meandering along the river. I highly recommend this cruise. read more

Trip was slow and peaceful. Got to see a variety of wildlife and beautiful scenery. Captain "Wild Bill" was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and the history of the area. PLUS, he had an unending supply of alligator DAD jokes!! He kept us entertained for the whole 2 hours. He stopped to feed a Barred owl, which was a real highlight. He was able to call the owl who landed in a tree near the boat and held up a bait fish which the owl flew over and took from him right in front of us! We also got to see several alligators sunning themselves and in the water! I highly recommend taking this trip! read more

Looking for something different on a Friday night? St John's River Eco Tour w Capt Doug in Debary is a definite! Start with an early dinner at the Swamp House Grille and then board the pontoon boat for a BYOB evening cruise ( the only cruise in the week that you can bring your wine, beer or beverage of choice and snacks). Capt Doug is not only fun to listen to, but incredibly knowledgeable about the River and its critters great and small. The cruise is two hours and very relaxing. Don't wait til the heat of summer! Our night was perfect! Thanks Doug!! the Hazens and Hincheys read more

My wife and I spent a delightful 2 hours with the Captain and the tour guide. Learning about the flora and the different uses made of the plants was educational and eye opening. Learning about the history of the river and its importance as a highway was one of the highlights for me. We also got to see some interesting animals and were educated about the impact they have on the eco system. We are planning to go in another season to see the changes and the different animals that will be there. All in all, time well spent. Relaxing and fun. read more

If you are in the Orlando area and want a break from the crowds of people at Disney, Universal and SeaWorld, then I highly recommend taking a 1-hour drive outside of Orlando to enjoy this relaxing river cruise and view all that it has to offer....Sandhill Cranes, Owls (up close and personal), Eagles, Gators, Manatees and much more. Owner/Guide Collin was wonderful and knowledgeable and his sidekick, Onyx, was delightful too. This was well worth the money, and we will visit again when we are back in the area. read more

I highly recommend the tour, particularly in Spring, when I did it. Very knowledgeable and truly expert staff, modern safe comfortable and STABLE boat. Whether you're a local or tourist, or your group is combination, you WILL thoroughly enjoy this 2 hour tour on St Johns River !!!!!!!!!!!!!! We saw many (around 12) gators of various sizes, Grey and Blue herons, 2 owls, 2 ospreys, 2 hawks, many bitterns, many limpkins (with babies) AMAZING !!!!!!! read more

Hey! If any of you are looking for something different to do in Central Florida, I highly recommend St Johns River Eco Tours. Located in DeBary between Orlando and Daytona, the two hour river tour is fun, relaxing, informative and beautiful. Our guide, Dooley had a wealth of knowledge about the animals, plants and history of the river. My teens even said it was one of their favorite activities on this our trip and would gladly do it again. read more

This tour is absolutely the best we have ever been on and we have been on a lot. The boat is just the right size for an intimate encounter with the outside world and Doug is extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife in the plant life, along with Saint Johns. The White bin on the cruise many times, I always learn something new. I would highly recommend that you join Doug for a tour of the Saint Johns soon. read more

The guide Colin did a great job at explaining the wildlife and plant life on the river with humor and ease. It was a very interesting tour and we saw everything from gators to big white birds like storks. The river itself is very beautiful and clean. Since the tour is two hours, it's very cost effective. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fun and educational way to see wildlife in Florida! read more

We booked a cruise for ten this past week, and were very happy with the experience! Captain Patty did a great job spotting and identifying an impressive showing of flora and fauna! We even saw a pair of roseate spoonbills! This was our second cruise, but certainly not our last! Beautiful surroundings and entertaining narrative! Dinner followed at The Swamp House, which is one of our favorite places! read more

so i have taken my father twice now. This time invited my daughter and her amazing husband who also was a sponsored bass fisherman. such a great day on the st johns. so much to learn, capt collin filled in some history along the way and there is an amazing surprise. would never reveal what is so pure and every guest can experience nature at its purist. Hope u chose this capt and boat ride. read more

My kids were in from Atlanta and what better thing to do is take a nature tour on the St. Johns River. I take pictures of all the wild life here in central Florida but yet to get the fantastic pictures I got of the Barn Owls. What an awesome tour. I told captain Dooley that I would be back with my wife next time. By the way my kids love the River Boat Nature Tour. read more

A great day!! Had lovely cruise with this outfit, one that I have repeated many times. While they can't guarantee you will see lots of activity on the river, it is a pleasant way to spend a few hours. The crew has always been very knowledgeable and quick to point out anything that is unique. This is old Florida at its best. Looking forward to doing this again!! read more

Beautiful river boat experience. Captain Colin was very knowledgeable, interesting and downright fun. He was able to spot alligators, birds, manatee and lots of wildlife. He spent time answering questions & telling all of us about the river history. Very informative and interesting tour. Fun for the entire family. Would definately would recommend. read more

This is the second time I've taken visitors from up north on this tour. It's always fun to show folks new to the area Florida in it's natural state. This is a beautiful, informative tour that the whole family can enjoy. Dooley was our guide this time and we had a wonderful experience. I highly recommend this for visitors and Florida natives alike. read more

We took the Eco Tour on Friday, December 15th, 2017 and had a Wonderful time! The Captain and 1st Mate were great; very informative and interested in all they showed us. It was fun to be with people who so love the area and are so informed at the same time. We saw many, many birds and several large alligators - a fun Florida day! read more

We had a FANTASTIC afternoon touring, sight seeing and learning about the Eco System on the St. John's River ~ AMAZING to see this wildlife in person ~ we saw over 8 Gators and about 8 Manatee ... plus a wide variety of birds, turtles and fish. But the education of the experience was equally awesome! We will be back !! read more