Nature & Sealife Cruise
Book Now!!
The Nature and Sealife Cruise is Back! Enjoy a naturalist led, covered pontoon boat cruise around Tarpon Bay. Learn about Tarpon Bay’s rich Mangrove Estuary ecosystem and get an up-close look at wildlife. While spending roughly an hour boating around Tarpon Bay an experienced naturalist will help you spot wildlife and provide great information about the wildlife and its ecology. Possible sightings include manatees, dolphins, birds and fish! The naturalists are able to answer any questions from wildlife biology and ecology to even the history of Sanibel and the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.
RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED.
Unfortunately, Hurricane Ian destroyed our Aquarium Touch Tanks. We hope to find an alternate eventually.
Nature & Sealife Cruise Schedule: https://tarponbayexplorers.com/tour-schedule/#nature-sealife-cruise
Things to Know & Bring
- The months of February thru April are very busy! Please allow extra time to get to your destination, ESPECIALLY if you are coming from OFF ISLAND!
- Feel free to bring drinks (including adult beverages), snacks, and cash to tip guide & captain 🙂
- Infants count as passengers. Include them on any reservations, please!
Did You Know?
Both dolphins and manatees frequent the shallow water of Tarpon Bay. Coastal bottlenose dolphins grow to an average length of 6-10 feet and can weigh 400-1,000 pounds. To maintain their body temperature and metabolism, an adult dolphin eats 4-5% of their body weight in fish and squid each day. Manatees are like nothing you’ll ever see. Averaging 8-10 feet long and weighing between 1,000-3,000 pounds, they are big, slow, but powerful animals. They are also one of nature’s most gentle creatures, with only about 6,000 left in the wild. Federal laws prohibit hunting, capturing, killing or harassing both dolphins and manatees. In 1978, the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act established Florida as a sanctuary for manatees.
