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    Tarpon Bay Explorers

    4.4 (87 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    Bobbi S.

    My sister & I recently enjoyed a nice, 2 hour kayak exploration amidst the mangroves near Tarpon Bay. The price of $30 per kayak for 2 hours is reasonable, signage to navigate through the waterways of Commodore Creek is good, kayaks were in excellent shape, registering & shoving off is easy & the 2 hours was just enough time to get in a good workout, good photos & good sights of the various birds that call this area home. Staff is friendly, there is a decent amount of parking space, water stations to fill up your bottle, bathrooms to change in & Tarpon Bay merch to buy.

    Aquarium
    Judy R.

    First time visiting this part of Ding Darling National Wildlife Preserve. We had the older grandsons visiting and we wanted to do something different and let them experience SW Florida. We opted for the 11:00 boat tour, thinking it would be cooler than the later ones. Haha! It was steaming hot and not to crowded which was a plus. Dave went to buy the tickets, which were upstairs along with a gift shop and the public restrooms. Adults were $35, and younger Children were $25. We thought it was a little pricey, but we don't get a chance to be with our grandkids very often. First we walked to a small little aquarium and the naturalist showed us some of the inhabitants of Tarpon Bay. These were, oysters, starfish, baby crabs, sea urchins and snails that how important the mangrove was. We then boarded a pontoon boat with Captain Missy and we got a bird's eye view of Tarpon Bay. We saw brown pelicans, egrets, all kind of herons, sea birds, and a few dolphin. It wasn't as exciting as it would have been in the cooler months, but nice and informative anyway. The Bay is beautiful and protected and we had a nice ride for about an hour. When we got back to land I ran to the car and put the air conditioner on high lol! I am not very good at lingering in the heat lol! After, we headed to the Mucky Duck for a nice lunch. We had a wonderful day visiting Sanibel and Captiva and we love supporting our local community businesses!

    Jason S.

    Sanibel Island is one big wildlife conservation and the beauty of Tarpon Bay is unlike anything we've ever seen. We got the incredible opportunity to take a sunset cruise with @tarponbayexplorers & it was a highlight of our vacation. We started our tour in their touch tank learning about the local wildlife and getting to hold a starfish which I've never done! Then we boarded up the boat and explored the beautiful Tarpon Bay and all the wildlife they had to offer. Our tour guide Gabby was phenomenal and I'm so glad we did it early into our vacation so when exploring the island we knew about the wildlife we were seeing up close and personal. When (not if but WHEN) you visit @sundialresort you have to book a sunset cruise with @tarponbayexplorers early into your trip so you can appreciate the beautiful island and their wildlife even more. What's great about their tours is you can bring your own snacks and adult beverages & create a serene experience enjoying untouched wildlife with your favorite glass of wine thank you @tarponbayexplorers for the unforgettable experience!!

    Saw manatees !!
    Kayla K.

    Omgggg such An amazing experience almost had a heart attack because I ended up kayaking next to mating manatees but I made it back alive and did an amazing evening cruise and customer service was great!! CANT wait to go back!

    Sara S.

    We took the guided mangrove tour which was great! Our tour guide, Alex, was knowledgeable, engaging, and very patient with our group. We saw lots of different birds and had a great time on the tour. It was definitely beginner kayaker appropriate (although maybe not first timer because we did go single file through the mangroves for a lot of it). Another perk was that we got to continue to kayak on our own in the bay after the tour for as long as we wanted to.

    Kayaking
    Andrew M.

    Great spot to rent kayaks and take your family (or significant other) on a kayaking adventure through the mangrove swamp. If it's low tide, you might have to wait until the tide comes back in. Get a double kayak ($35 + tax) for you and your boating partner. Takes about 1-1.5 hrs to do the boating loop. Lots of birds and a few fish; plus you enjoy hanging out in a very different environment. Try to go early in the AM before the sun is too high; bring sunscreen, water, and a hat--and your camera.

    Kayak and entryway to explore
    Jenifer S.

    Went kayaking on our own in a double and it was beautiful! Skipped the tour and just explored ourselves. The path to kayak through is well marked and we saw lots of pretty birds and fish! A little congested but overall great experience! Super friendly staff!!!

    See my review on Trip Advisor. We had a wonderful time - we LOVE Tarpon Bay Explorers!

    Manatee
    Mountain G.

    We went n the pontoon boat tour. The guide was informative and professional. We learned a great deal about the wildlife, plants and history of the surrounding area. We also enjoyed watching the manatees swimming in the bay in front of the dock. We were thankful we got their early to watch the manatees. I was impressed that they didn't sell bottled water but instead offered free filtered water. If only all businesses did the same. The touch tanks were small and not overly exciting but an added bonus. While out on the boat tour, we saw dolphins, pelicans,manatee, and other birds. We practically had a private tour since only 6 on board. I am so glad we did this activity. The best part is some of proceeds goes back to the wildlife park.

    Michelle G.

    This review is based on my experience with my family on the guided kayak tour. Staff: Extremely friendly and accommodating. Tour: The guide was very knowledgeable and stopped to allow us to view everything at our own pace. Very laid back tour. The mangroved is numbered so it is not necessary to be on a guided tour. Scenery: The mangrove was beautiful. The birds, fish, crabs, oysters, everything. I learned so much. Stunning. Kayaking: I do believe they could provide better instructions for newbies. Paddling is simple enough but there are strategies that aren't mentioned that newbies would not know. For example: we might figure out how to paddle but there might be an easier way to do it. Or the oar might be upside down. Leaning foward in the kayak if going near a tree and you need to go under it. These are things a seasoned kayaker would know. Some of the mangrove is very narrow and hard to navigate especially with a group of people going both directions. Not quite the experience i expected but definitely enjoyable.

    Pam D.

    We've been coming to Sanibel Island for almost 40 decades. Sanibel is a chill sanctuary Island. One of our Go To adventures is Kayaking at Tarpon Bay. I recommend wearing a swimsuit as sometimes a little water will come into the Kayak from the paddles. They do take reservations, but we usually just drop and have never had a problem getting kayaks. There are single or double kayaks and paddle boards. We were a group of 4 and rented 2 kayaks. Life vest are included. I usually use a ziplock bag for my camera but, for a small fee $ you can rent a floating, plastic container from Tarpon Bay. Staff is super friendly and will watch out for any incoming storms that may impact your safety. There was a storm about 30 minutes East the day we went out on the water and I gave them my cell number in case it was coming west to Sanibel. 1 1/2 hours is allowed for the round trip around the Commodore Creek Trail. There are numbered markers along the way so, you won't get lost. My son and his girlfriend who are in their earlier 20's challenged us and we did the trail in under 1 hour. Being in our late 50's we held our own and gratefully were not sore the next day :) Maybe we let them come in1st? The gift shop has grown into a very nice place to shop for those special Sanibel treasures. They offer a water refilling station and clean bathrooms. Make sure you take water with you and slather on the sunscreen. After you've burnt all those calories head over to Joey's Custard to cool off.

    Touch tank
    Rebecca M.

    I've come here a few times now and always enjoy it. You are right on the preserve, which is great. You can rent kayaks or take a tour on a pontoon boat. Both are affordable. The pontoon better is a good option for those wanting or needing a less strenuous activity. Pontoon boat tour- Our guide started out taking us to a touch tank where we could learn about crabs, mangrove trees, seahorses, water plants, etc. She was careful to stress compassion toward the animals and welcomed questions! Nearby, there was a massive loggerhead turtle shell and a few tanks to view other species. From here, we loaded onto the boat and she continued talking to us, giving us a lot of really cool facts and stories about the animals, homes nearby, and the island itself. Example...Did you know mangrove trees have a LIVE birth? The baby trees float around for up to 2 years before planting themselves. Crazy!! On the tour, we searched for manatees (no luck) and dolphins. We saw a couple of dolphins but they were far away. We did see a lot of cool birds, a sandbar, mangroves, and neat homes. The thing with these tours is that you never know what you might see..or not see! Kayaking-Its hard work kayaking through a mangrove forest but so beautiful. Lots of starfish, birds, crabs, and even a giant stingray! You go about 2 hours and its well worth it. Again, you never know what you'll see! Very memorable and paddling through the mangroves makes you feel like you've entered a whole new world. Bring water and sunscreen and maybe even a snack.

    Craig T.

    We stopped in here for a few hours of kayaking and had a great time. They had canoes, kayaks, boats and guided tours. We went out kayaking by ourselves and went along a nice numbered trail. We saw a lot of birds and fish. The workers were very helpful in getting us set up and on our way.

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    Ask the Community - Tarpon Bay Explorers

    Review Highlights - Tarpon Bay Explorers

    The staff at Tarpon Bay are so informative and you can tell how much they care for the wildlife in the refuge.

    Mentioned in 17 reviews

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    Sanibel Thriller

    Sanibel Thriller

    4.0(48 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    This was my first time riding on the Sanibel Thriller, after having watched several YouTube videos…read more Overall, it was a great experience. We had good weather, and we were fortunate to have come upon several pods of dolphins along the way. I sat on the left-hand side of the boat near the front, and I did get unexpectedly soaked for the first 10 minutes or so, which subsided after that. One thing I'll mention for the benefit of other first-timers: I was under the false assumption that this boat would be going so fast that we would break the space-time continuum, based on the videos I've seen. However, when you're actually on the boat, it's not really going all that fast. You'll still want to remove or secure your hat, but you needn't worry about entering a wormhole or returning before you started.

    I went for a ride on the Sanibel Thriller with some family on a recent visit to the island. The…read moreskies were blue, the water calm, and the sun was shining... a perfect day for boating. The Thriller offers a little something for everyone. Interested in a bit of history about Sanibel? This has it. Looking for a reprieve from the heat on land? Feel the breeze in your hair as you zoom about in water. Love dolphins? You're likely to catch a pod or two swimming along with the boat. Excited most about the possibility of dolphins, my group and I opted to arrive to the dock approximately 1 hour ahead of time to ensure a seat towards the back of the boat. The very last row has the best views but also requires you get up and down out of your seats from time to time to balance out the boat to get up to speed. Though the back has the best views, you're also likely to get wet with spray and won't be able to hear the guide as easily. If you are more interested in the history and views of the island, sit towards the front and find out which way they'll circle the island. We were gifted with several pods of dolphins that stuck with the boat for great periods of time. I had plenty of time to capture some nice shots. We sped by the Hobie World Championships and caught views of some expensive homes on Captiva as we made our way around the island. The ride lasted approximately 2 hours. With its catamaran hull, the ride was smooth and enjoyable. Comfortable seating! Bring sunscreen, a hat you can secure tightly to your head, and some water.

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    Sanibel Thriller
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    Sand Dollar Shelling - Two shells

    Sand Dollar Shelling

    4.8(50 reviews)
    45.1 mi

    This was a great tour. I got clear directions to the marina and parking. Megan, the captain, was…read morefabulous. She was very professional and knowledgeable about the area and boating. Keewaydin was beautiful and just what I wanted for a shelling tour. Beautiful beaches, lots of shells and almost no other people.

    I chose this particular boat tour due to the rave reviews…read more First of all there was no stand or building where they are located, so we walked around the parking lot and shopping center until we could get in touch with the driver. Turns out you just have to look for their truck in the parking lot. That wasn't made clear at the time of booking. It was a fine boat ride, but felt more like a water taxi than a tour. We saw dolphins on the way to go shelling which was neat... but so did every other boat in the vicinity. We only had about 1.5 hours to go shelling which wasn't nearly enough time. Keewaydin Island was beautiful but we didn't have time to enjoy it. After our boat taxi ride was over we tipped the driver $30. Mind you this ride didn't include food, drinks (other than water) or snacks. A day later we got an automated email asking us for a tip (if we hadn't already). Mind you we did NOT take a private tour- it was two groups of 3 people. The email said: "If you have not tipped * Boat captains often rely on tips as a significant part of their income, particularly in the tourism industry where tipping is customary. A 20% gratuity or Minimum of $100 per Captain on Private tours is customary for this type of tour. If the captain was amazing feel free to tip more." Excuse me? We paid $370 for 2 adults and 1 child for a less than 3 hour excursion to Keewaydin Island. They were expecting an additional $50-$75 in tips? This was by far the most expensive boat "tour" we've been on, and we've done many- Italy, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Hawaii, California, Maine, and three others in Florida. I wrote the company an email bc they send out 2-3 emails afterwards asking you to leave a review... and if it's not 5 stars to email them directly. They never responded. Two sets of my in-laws were wanting to go on a tour in the coming weeks and we told them both not to waste their money on Sand Dollar Shelling. So now I'm telling you too.

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    Sand Dollar Shelling - End of a great day.

    End of a great day.

    Sand Dollar Shelling
    Sand Dollar Shelling - Shell island

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    Shell island

    Tarpon Bay Explorers - rafting - Updated May 2026

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