Reading a Review is the #1 way people find us.
We hope you loved your boat tour. Please share your experience with others by writing a review of our boat tours.
Dolphins and Shelling Boat Tour Reviews
Review: Took us to amazing locations
Capt Nate was great! Took us to amazing locations for the summer set! He even got some dolphins to play while we cruised around! It made for a wonderful New Years Weekend!
~Meaghan Murphy
We found tons of shells
What a fun afternoon! We found tons of shells, including two really big horse conch. Totally enjoyed the dolphins playing in our wake and the scenery. Highly recommend Captain Nate for a relaxing and really interesting boat trip and shelling excursion. Super professional, friendly while also low key and informative. We couldn’t have had a better time.
~tiffani carter
Review: Easy to book
Easy to book, clear pre-visit instructions and great follow up. Would do this trip again if we return to Marco.
Would highly recommend
Awesome trip!! Seen plenty of dolphins. Nate was very helpful with the history of the island & the celebrity houses were awesome to see as well! Would highly recommend!!
~Austin McDermott
Review: Amazing shelling trip
Amazing shelling trip! We found so many nice shells and saw several dolphins and even an octopus on one of the sand bars!
~Katie Moon
We enjoyed every minute of it
We chose the Dolphins and Dome house tour and it was fantastic. Since it was a cloudy and windy day the Dolphins were hard to spot but Captain Nate didn’t give up and extended our tour until we found some dolphins. We enjoyed every minute of it and can surely recommend this tour! Captain Nate did everything he could to make it wonderful experience!
~Caroline
Review: Great experience!
~Christina Snedeker
Review: Would go back every week
Awesome tour! Would go back every week if I lived closer!! Found a lot of beautiful seashell and the island was just like paradise ♥️🐚🏝
~Louise Robert (Biscotte)
The tour guide was amazing
Highly recommend Florida Island Tours. It was an awesome 2 hours out on the water. We saw dolphins, a manatee and some other wildlife. The dome house was super interesting. The only thing I wish I had done was took the advise on their website to wear polarized sunglasses. The tour guide was amazing and very knowledgeable. Everyone at the marina where he picked us up at all had nice things to say about Florida Island Tours!
~Diane Cody
The captain engaged and catered to the kids
Florida Island Tours and Capt. Nate were wonderful. We had a great experience and so much fun. We wanted to see manatees, which we were able to find, but the dolphins stole the show. Capt. Nate was very informative and funny, he made it interesting for us and he engaged and catered to the kids. Highly recommend and will certainly tour again when we come back to Florida. Thanks again Capt. Nate!
~S S
Review: Marco Island Sightseeing Boat Tour Reviews
5-star sightseeing excursion
We absolutely loved the Marco Island boat tour to the Dome House. Capt Nate pointed out a lot of wildlife to us. Birds, and even a new species of morphed bird (2 species that have recently cross-bred and created a new one!). He picked up a dolphin’s cue that it wanted to play and drove the boat alongside so it could race along with us and jump through our wake—which made for great videos! Capt Nate also spotted a turtle up on the surface of the water—it was huge, but we would never have seen it by ourselves, as they blend it. And he provided pictures of what the dome house originally looked like, along with a lot of info about it, which was really fun and exciting to experience. Thank you CAPT NATE!!! And thank you Viator for AGAIN providing a 5-star sightseeing excursion (this one through Florida Island Tours).
~Sue Newfield
Found the most amazing shells!
My girlfriend and I came all the way from Hawaii to go shelling in world famous kice island and were not disappointed! Went on a 4 hour shelling tour this morning with captain Nate and found the most amazing shells! He also went out of his way to find a few rare shells to give us to make sure we didn’t go home empty handed even though the islands were loaded with great shells! One of the highlights for us was that we really wanted to find sand dollars and at the last place he took us, we found two sand dollars but even more, he went out on his own and found a bunch and gave them all to us! Definitely Recommend this shelling tour company and captain Nate! You won’t be disappointed!
~Naga noche
Review: Experience Marco Paradise
It was really a great, enjoyable and fun-filled experience!!! Lucky to see a lot of wildlife within a span of 2 hours- including the manatees and dolphins.
Highly recommended!!👍🏼👍🏼 We will surely be sailing and touring around the sea with Capt Jules and Nate to experience Marco Paradise again! Thank you Captains👍🏼👍🏼
~Jeffrey Bana
Great tour guides
Our family enjoyed the Cape Romano tour so much! Captain Jules and Captain Nate were great tour guides and were so nice to talk to. Our two toddler boys kept saying that the boat ride was a lot of fun! It made a big impression on them. And seeing dolphins following our boat was just magical! Thank you Captain Jules and Captain Nate! We highly recommend Florida Island Tours!
~Lexi Hayden
Captain went above and beyond
Had an awesome time today with captain Nate on a private 2 hour tour with my family! He went above and beyond to make sure we saw what we wanted absolutely amazing time on the boat! Thank you Captain! Appreciate what you did for my Family!
~Veronica Barcelos
See the beautiful nature in this area
Captain Nate was great. Learned a lot about the history of this area and got to see playful dolphins. I would really recommend it. It is worth to see the beautiful nature in this area.
~Isabel Escobar
Private Boat Tour Reviews:
Review: Most enjoyable and interesting
Perfect Captain Nate made the experience most enjoyable and interesting! Highly recommend!!
~Dollie Hinton
Professional, friendly, and patient
We had a amazing time they were professional, friendly, and patient with us having our two year old in tow. They were very knowledgeable about the area and up to date on major changes. We not only got to see the domes but a, dolphin, and a manatee. The boat was very clean, there was a cooler for our drinks, and dry storage for our bag. Thank you again for a great trip! We will be back, and highly recommend!
~Faith Hogan
Review: Went the extra mile
Captain Nate went the extra mile finding dolphins and was informative about the dome house. Definitely a highlight of our vacation!!! Highly recommend! Looking forward to booking next time we are back in Marco!
~Barb Nelson
Review: It was worth every penny
In April 2022 our family booked an early morning shelling tour with Captain Nate. He was great, took time to provide a history of the islands and was very knowledgeable about everything. We had a 7:30am early morning private shelling tour. We were the only people on the island and were able to collect more shells than we ever imagined. We even were lucky enough to find the Junonia shell!!! A terrific experience which included a family of dolphins trailing the boat and having fun riding the waves behind us. Would highly recommend. I though the price was high upon booking, but after the experience I would state that it was worth every penny as an investment to create a great family memory. Highly recommend Florida Island Tours!
~Peterson Family (Charlotte, NC)
The highlight of our vacation!
This tour was the highlight of our vacation! Captain Nate and Captain Jules were so welcoming and fun. They were super knowledgeable and informative about the wildlife, shells and islands. Not only did we go shelling … we also got to see dolphins!
~Mia Giannicchi
Provided a more personal tour than a large tourist boat
Captain Nate was great! He was full of knowledge and provided a more personal tour than a large tourist boat would have. We had a wonderful time. Will definitely go again the next time we are in town.
~Nikkie C
Review: You WILL see dolphins on this trip.
Captain Nate was very friendly…and was engaging for all, including the kids. You WILL see dolphins on this trip. No worries there. Maybe manatee. We did! My kids did get bored at the end though (ages 7 and 9) as they didn’t care much about the the dome house. My wife and I didn’t either. Great service and great captain.
~Jeff Bennett
Highly recommend a dolphin and wildlife tour
Great tour with Capt. Nate!! Highly recommend a dolphin and wildlife tour with him.
~JJ L
Very pleasant experience
Capt Nate and Jules made our tour a very pleasant experience! I would highly recommend booking the dome house tour with them!
~Gladys Romero
Great boat and great captain
Great tour worked out to be just our family. Great boat and great captain Nate. Saw the Dome houses. Lots of dolphins and wildlife
~Ken Worthington
Professional and very knowledgeable
Captain Nate was great! Professional and very knowledgeable about dolphins and the Dome House! Highly recommend this tour!
~Joe Loverro
Very knowledgeable and patient with nature to give us the best experience
Capt. Nate & Capt. Jules were fabulous! Very knowledgeable and patient with nature to give us the best experience. The dolphins were very playful in our boat wake. On our trip to the Dome houses they stopped along the way for us to see manatees, Osprey and share history. We’ll be back!
~Sheri Rushlo
Review: Terrific boat tour
Captains Nate & Jules gave us a terrific boat tour around Marco Island & surrounding waterways & islands. We saw much wildlife, including manatees, many dolphins, ospreys & their chicks, pelicans. The captains are a wealth of knowledge about the history of Marco & the plants & abundant wildlife. We highly recommend these tour guides if you want a fun cruise & you want to learn a lot.
~Mary Titcomb
Very informative and answered all of our questions
We had a wonderful tour today! Captain Nate was very informative and answered all of our questions! We would recommend this boat tour!
~Deborah Warring
Exceptional shelling trip
We had looked at a lot of tours but went with Florida Island Tours, and we are super happy we did!!!! Capt Nate was awesome, very friendly, VERY knowledgeable, he answered every question my husband ask him. This was our first shelling adventure and Captain Nate made it awesome!!!! If you’re looking for exceptional shelling trip call Captain Nate, you will not be disappointed!!!! Had so much fun and found a lot of shells and sand dollars!!!! We HIGHLY recommend!!!!
~Donna Richards
It was the best experience ever
It was a beautiful experience!!!! Captain Nate and Jules were amazing and so patient. They showed us soooo many dolphins! It was the best experience ever. They had great knowledge and explained everything… We also had a great time around the domes… Must visit!!
~Natasha Gandhi
Thanks for making the day one we will never forget
Fantastic tour today (Feb 3rd 2022) Elaine and I had an amazing time with Captain Nate and Captain Jules. We had a scheduling issue (our issue not theirs) and captains Nate and Jules immediately rectified the situation and made the trip even more spectacular by scheduling with just Elaine and I onboard. The weather was amazing, the dolphins had a blast playing in the wake of the boat puting on an amazing show. We visited the dome house, several islands and sandbanks along the way, finishing off the trip watching the sun set on a private island.. All in all a wonderful experience and one we will definitely do again when we return. Thanks for making the day one we will never forget.
~Elaine and Iain Hamilton
Review: So knowledgeable on the local history, animals and nature
Such a great and exciting experience!! Captain Nate was so knowledgeable on the local history, animals and nature. Captain Jules recommended a wonderful lunch spot and took awesome pictures. Both my 16 year old son and I highly recommend and will do again when back in the area! Thanks for a great day!
~H Burr
Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness
We had an amazing time on our trip with Florida Island Tours! It was our son’s first time on a boat and captains Jules and Nate were so great with him. We loved seeing the dolphins and found some great seashells. Would 100% recommend!
~Stephanie Nerding-Ashley
Prompt professional and knowledgeable
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
Nate was an awesome tour guide. He was prompt professional and knowledgeable. We highly recommend booking a tour with Captain Nate.
~Robert Drennan
Could not have been happier with our experience
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
We called late morning early afternoon on a Beautiful Sunny Sunday! Captain Nate was Awesome!! It was a fun, informative tour. The 6 of us could not have been happier with our experience! Our advice is to book a tour with Florida Island Tours and Captain Nate!
~Sue Massinger
Incredible! A really wonderful experience
Incredible! Contacted through text messaging to book a trip for me and my brother. Nate was very responsive and even let me know when a better trip opened up. Guide was very knowledgeable about the island. We finished our tour of the dome house early and Nate continued to show us around for the full time we had paid. Boat was clean and well prepared. Launches from Caxambas which has bathrooms and a shop. Just a really wonderful experience.
~Fitz Fitzgerald
We’ll be back for sure
We had an amazing experience in this beautiful part of our country – Marco Island, 10,000 islands and the Cape Romano domes – as part of the sunset tour. We came all the way from Miami for the tour and couldn’t find parking in the marina, so we drove to Publix to park and uber to the marina, which took too long. Capt Nate assured us they will wait for us. I recommend others to arrive a lot earlier. We’ll be back for sure.
~Yariv Gal-Yam
Professional, accommodating, and a lot of fun!
Captain Nate and Jules were very professional, accommodating, and a lot of fun! We had such a wonderful time on our sunset cruise. We saw lots of dolphins and a fabulous sunset. We highly recommend the cruise and would certainly do it again!
~Julianna Spievack
Review: Delivers exactly what it advertised
The tour delivers exactly what it advertised. Captain’s history of the domes and Marco was interesting info. Was perfect weather for the boat ride and even caught a glimpse of dolphins.
~Irina S
Educational Boat Tours Reviews
Review: Super-educational and a great experience
We had Captain Nate Lapierre and it was awesome!! We experienced going through the mangroves and got to see plenty of dolphins, including them following the boat. It was super educational and a great experience, thanks captain Nate!
~Chris Sn
Already booked our next tour
We went out on a fantastic 3 hour tour with Captain Nate! Not only was his boat amazing, but his knowledge of Marco history and wildlife in the area was awesome. We went all around Marco, shelling and to the dome houses at Cape Romano. I can’t forget the dolphins following our boat! What a beautiful day! I would highly recommend this tour company. Some of us already booked our next tour!! Thank you Captain Nate and Captain Julie for a great day!!!!
~Cheryl Kelly
Very professional and informative
My wife and I took the 1 hour Dome Tour with Captain Nate on Dec 22, 2021. He was very professional and informative. He also did a demonstration with his boat and the dolphins as they surfed on the wake caused by his boat. We were 100% satisfied and would strongly recommend this tour. We would strongly urge you to take a sweater along this tour especially in the cooler months. Also, if you arrive in an RV, the County does not permit you to park in that area. You have to park at a Publix and Uber/ Taxi to the boarding area. Marco Island is not RV friendly.
~Malcolm
Review: Captain was very knowledgeable
Beautiful sunset cruise with captain Nate! Highly recommend this tour. Stopped at sandbar and Captain was very knowledgeable. Saw dolphins and lots of wildlife.
~Colleen Murphy
Captains made the whole experience memorable and enjoyable
We had very knowledgeable guides, and we went on the perfect day. The water was very clear, and we saw quite a few dolphins! The Captains were very nice and fun, and they made the whole experience memorable and enjoyable. Thank you!!
~Amanda S
We felt privileged – definitely a must-see
Awesome boat trip with Captain Nate! Before heading to the dome house, Nate took us to some wildlife hotspots which didn’t disappoint: dolphins up close that wanted to show off and play in our boat’s wake, and an abundance of birdlife, plus Nate’s knowledge, we felt privileged. The uniqueness of the dome house itself was so unusual and different, definitely a must-see. Thanks Nate!
~Sapna
So glad we took this tour!
Can not speak too highly about the tour we took today! Nate was very knowledgeable about the islands, flora and fauna, and the dome house. So glad we took this tour!
~John Pletikapich
Kids loved captains – they make you feel like family!
Most amazing island tour of any vacation. Kids loved captain Nate and Jules. They make you feel like family! Way better pricing than the hotel at JW. Also availability was more accommodating even when the hotel concierge tells you everything is sold out.
~Max Parikh
Great knowledge of the area
Had a great trip with Captain Nate visiting the southern shores of Marco Island and part of the 10,000 Islands. We saw a manatee, white pelicans, and did some shelling on Second Chance sandbar. Very glad we got to visit the dome house off Romano point since it won’t be there forever. Captain Nate is a very friendly and professional captain with great knowledge of the area.
~Glenn Gallant
Phenomenal! Guide was professional, fun and knowledgeable
My husband and I did a one hour dome house tour and it was phenomenal! Our tour guide was professional, fun and knowledgeable. I felt the tickets were a great value and would highly recommend!
~Sadie Barnes
Excellent tour and great experience!
Excellent tour and great experience! Beautiful!
~Joel A. Montilla
Informative, personable and fun!!
We enjoyed an interesting and fantastic tour on Monday, November 16th, with Nate as our guide. We toured the Dome Homes and surrounding waterways. Super interesting history! Nate was informative, personable and fun!!
~Ralph Bava
Highly recommend
Without a doubt, we would highly recommend Nate / Florida Island Tours!
~Bobby S
Have already booked another Cruise
Captains Nate & Jules are awesome! Will never use any other company! Have already booked another Cruise for Sunset on Monday! Captain Nate is very informative about the Island!
~Connie Hawkins
Highly recommend this tour
We had a great time with Captain Nate. Very professional and informative. Would highly recommend this tour.
~Becky Burke
Hospitality and knowledge of the area added to this great experience
I had the best time today with five friends on the Florida Island Tours out of Marco Island. Captain Nate and Captain Jules hospitality and knowledge of the area added to this great experience. We took the 3 hour tour and the time went by so quickly. We saw Dolphins, spoon billed ibis, along with shelling and viewing the Dome home and many beautiful homes along the way. The music was great too. I can’t wait to take our family when they visit this winter. It was great!
~susan sternberg
Review: Fun Fun time!!
Wonderful tour with professional and knowledgeable captains. Fun Fun time!!
Highly recommend.
~Bruce Nance
Captain really knew his stuff regarding all island creatures, especially dolphins
We took a private tour with Captain Nate and Julie. It was the highlight of our week. There were dolphins swimming along side our boat and they took us to an island with abundant shells. Nate really knew his stuff regarding all island creatures, especially dolphins. Julie was a blast! We will be back next year with grand kiddos.
~Sheila Corey
An immersion in Florida history
We had a wonderful tour with Captain Nate and Julie——-Dome houses, Dolphins, many birds, beautiful shoreline——-accompanied by excellent descriptions and information about the area. It was an immersion in Florida history and the changes wrought by the tides. So worthwhile——highly recommended!
~Julianne Grace
Very knowledgeable and personal
Great experience with Capt Nate. Took us out to the Dome House. The dolphins followed our boat which was fun. Very knowledgeable and personal. Would definitely recommend his tour.
~Public Physician Schedule
Sightseeing boat tour
We arrived on Marco Island and have always wanted to see the island from the water, and we are glad we did. My husband and I hired Florida Island Tours to take us out on a sightseeing boat tour. We saw more than we ever expected. Watched a manatee slowly feed and swim right past us. We saw so many dolphins and even saw some baby dolphins just feet away from us. As we were pulling up to a small island loaded with shells we even saw a sea turtle swimming in the currant peeking at us as he came up for air. We strongly recommend Florida Island Tours to anyone visiting this piece of paradise. Thank you Captains Nate and Julie.
~Mary trayner
Boat is well equipped and comfortable
We did two 4 hour trips with captain Nate for shelling and sightseeing what a great addition to our Marco vacation. The boat is well equipped and comfortable captain Nate’s knowledge of the area and the native wildlife is outstanding. I would recommend Florida Island Tours with captain Nate and Julie to anyone looking to enjoy the incredible beauty of the gulf and ten thousand islands region you won’t be disappointed. We will be back next year !
Thanks again from Pam and Danny
Very knowledgeable & safe!
Nate was awesome!!! Super informative, interesting & patient!!! He answered every question, was very knowledgeable & safe! It was a wonderful experience and I would definitely use him in the future! ☀️🛥😀
~Helen Facella
Review: Knowledgeable, and a friendly guide!
Captain Nate was an amazing, knowledgeable, and a friendly guide! The three hour dome tour was perfect. We had time to cruise the area, hear about the history, and end on a beautiful beach! I highly recommend this tour!!
~Breanne Costa
Such a great Birthday Tour I will never forget
My husband surprised me with a Birthday Tour that he tailored just for me that consisted of time for shelling and also a boat ride out to the Cape Romano dome house off Marco. Along the way we also encountered dolphins jumping and following us for another special treat! A special thanks to Captain Nate and Jules who made this such a great Birthday Tour I will never forget😊👍🏻🚤
~Paula Hennessy
Review: We found an abundance of beautiful shells.
Captain Nate, and the 4 hour private tour, were both amazing!!! Nate is beyond knowledgeable! At all times we felt safe, well informed, and well taken care of. He brought us to some unique spots, where we found an abundance of beautiful shells. We HIGHLY Recommend Florida Island Tours!!!!
~Lori Tunstall