Clear Kayak Tour of Shell Key Preserve and Tampa Bay Area
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
St Petersburg, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Get out on the water and see Tampa Bay from a new perspective with this kayaking tour. Ride in a clear kayak—which has the advantage of greater visibility of the underwater world. Along the way look out for coastal birds, marine life, and the beautiful mangroves. No need to worry about missing out on photo opportunities—the trip includes photo stops and a break at Shell Key to enjoy its beach and sandbars.
- Go paddling in a clear kayak to admire the underwater world
- Travel light—all the kayaking equipment you need is provided
- Access great views of Tampa Bay's nature spots and wildlife
- A safe kayaking experience—life jackets and whistles are provided
What's Included
- Equipment including tandem kayaks, paddles, seats, and dry bags
- Safety equipment including lifejackets and whistles
- Gratuities
- Bottled waterWhile we have bottles available, we HIGHLY encourage guests to bring REUSABLE water bottles!
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Billy's Stone Crab1 Collany Rd, Tierra Verde, FL 33715, USA
We launch from Billy's Stone Crab Restaurant. Please park towards the back of Billy's parking lot and walk towards the restaurant entrance. Follow the restaurant entrance wooden ramp to the docks behind the restaurant, where you will meet your tour guide!
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Your experience on the water begins at your selected start time; several are offered, so you can choose the one that’s best for you. Make your own way to the departure point in Tierra Verde, meet your guide, and get acquainted with your gear. All safety and kayaking equipment are provided, so you don’t need to worry about bringing your own.
Then, set off with a small group, ensuring a peaceful and personalized experience. With the special opportunity to paddle aboard a clear kayak—something few other tours offer—you’ll have unimpeded views of the underwater scenery in Tampa Bay and Shell Key.
As you go, learn insider stories about the region’s nature and wildlife from your guide. You’ll get up close and personal with mangroves (high tide permitting), relax and hunt for seashells on the beach at Shell Key, and be on the lookout for everything from dolphins to spoonbills and pelicans.
Finally, make your way back to your original departure point, where this experience ends—leaving you lots of time to continue your sightseeing.
Then, set off with a small group, ensuring a peaceful and personalized experience. With the special opportunity to paddle aboard a clear kayak—something few other tours offer—you’ll have unimpeded views of the underwater scenery in Tampa Bay and Shell Key.
As you go, learn insider stories about the region’s nature and wildlife from your guide. You’ll get up close and personal with mangroves (high tide permitting), relax and hunt for seashells on the beach at Shell Key, and be on the lookout for everything from dolphins to spoonbills and pelicans.
Finally, make your way back to your original departure point, where this experience ends—leaving you lots of time to continue your sightseeing.
1
Shell Key
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- We require one adult per each child under age 12.
- We require two adults per each child 3 years old and under.
- For your safety, we have a weight limit of 250 lbs per guest, and a combined limit of 425 lbs for two people in a tandem kayak
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
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Frequently Asked Questions (10)
Q:Where is the departure location for the Clear Kayak Tour of Shell Key Preserve and Tampa Bay Area?
A:We meet for this tour at Billy’s Stone Crab, 1 Collany Rd, Tierra Verde, FL 33715
Apr 2021
The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
We decided to book this last minute for a fun activity to do with our 18 year old daughter. We had an absolutely amazing time. The guide was incredible and you can tell she loved her job. We saw so much wildlife, got to stop at an island and hunt for shells, and we even stopped in the mangroves for a picture. We took the 6pm time, and got to witness the most beautiful sunset when we were coming back in. I 100% recommend this activity. We were so excited we decided to book it. It became one of the best parts of our trip.
Reviews
5.0
based on 6,640 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
What an incredible adventure! Our guide, Raven, was fantastic. We loved looking around for sea life and birds, collecting shells on the sandbar, and kayaking through the mangroves. We even saw several sharks! Raven made the entire experience a memorable one!
Great bird watching and we saw quite a few stingrays. Our guide was very knowledgeable and had a lot of experience in the area.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad you enjoyed the bird watching and got to see quite a few stingrays along the way. It sounds like you had a great day for wildlife sightings!
We're also happy to hear your guide's knowledge and experience with the area added to the adventure. Thank you for kayaking with us, and we hope to welcome you back again soon!
Our tour guide, Jenna was super knowledgeable and very attentive! It was a wonderful tour. You will not be disappointed!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you had such a great tour with Jenna. Her knowledge and attentiveness help make every adventure special, and we're so glad you enjoyed your time on the water.
We'll be sure to pass your kind words along to Jenna. Thank you for the recommendation and for kayaking with us. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Amazing views of the different bird species, Dan was an awesome tour guide, he was very knowledgeable!!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the amazing views and all the different bird species along the tour. Dan loves sharing his knowledge of the local wildlife, and we're so glad his enthusiasm helped make your experience even more memorable.
We'll be sure to pass your kind words along to Dan. Thank you for kayaking with us, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Raven was amazing - very fun, knowledgeable and helpful. This adventure and tour is a must for anyone visiting Florida. I will be back next time I am down here …
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you had such an amazing adventure with Raven. She loves making every tour fun, educational, and memorable, so we're glad her knowledge and enthusiasm helped make your experience so special.
We'll be sure to pass your kind words along to Raven. Thank you for the recommendation, and we're excited to hear you'll be back the next time you're in Florida. We can't wait to welcome you on another kayaking adventure!
Great experience & guide Jenna very knowledgeable. We learned a lot. And Frank, the tour bird, was so much fun to watch
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so glad you had a great experience with Jenna. Her knowledge and passion for sharing the local wildlife and ecosystem help make every tour both fun and educational.
We're happy to hear you learned a lot and enjoyed watching Frank, the tour bird! Jenna will be thrilled to hear your kind words. Thanks for joining us, and we hope to see you again soon!
So peaceful and a lovely morning. We saw swim sea creatures and got a chance to explore around. Our guide was great too :)
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed a peaceful morning on the water. Seeing marine life, having time to explore, and taking in the natural beauty of the area makes for a truly memorable adventure.
We're also happy to hear your guide helped make the experience even more enjoyable. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back for another relaxing and fun adventure on the water soon!
Alessia is a wonderful tour guide. She’s very knowledgeable and took the time to give us great info about the nature sights experienced on the kayak tour.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so glad you had such a great experience on the water with Alessia. She truly loves sharing her knowledge about the local wildlife and natural surroundings to help make the tour both fun and informative. She’ll be thrilled to hear your kind words! We truly appreciate you joining us and hope to see you back for another adventure soon!
I would highly recommend this kayak tour, particularly the first morning tour at 7:30am. We saw multiple dolphins, beautiful birds and jumping fish. The stop at the seashell island was awesome! Raven was our guide and she was absolutely outstanding.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so glad you had such an amazing experience on the early morning tour with Raven. Seeing dolphins, beautiful birds, and jumping fish makes for such a memorable adventure, and we’re happy you enjoyed the stop at the shell island as well. Raven will be thrilled to hear your kind words — she truly loves helping guests experience the beauty and wildlife of the area. We truly appreciate the recommendation and hope to see you back for another adventure soon!
Jesse was a great tour guide. He was knowledgeable and personable answering all of our questions. A highlight was spending 20 minutes exploring Shell Key.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so glad you had such a great experience on the water with Jesse. He loves answering questions and making the tour engaging for everyone. Spending time exploring Shell Key is always a highlight! We hope to see you back for another adventure soon!
This is a lovely way to get a close up view of the waterways and wildlife of the area. The kayaks are easy to paddle (though having some prior experience definitely helped everyone in our group), and Jenna did a great job providing information about what we were seeing (including a cool sighting of a rare reddish egret!) Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed getting a close-up view of the waterways and wildlife. Spotting a reddish egret is always such a special sight! Jenna will be happy to hear you appreciated the information she shared along the way. We truly appreciate the recommendation and hope to see you back on the water again soon!
This has been one of the best kayaking tours I've ever had. The glass kayak is super unique, and the scenery was beautiful. Our guide Jesse was friendly and super knowledgeable. Definitely he knew what he was talking about. I had a great time. Thanks again, Jesse!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review! It’s so amazing to hear that this was one of the best kayak tours you’ve been on! We’ll be sure to pass your kind words onto Jesse and we hope you’ll consider joining us again in the future!
The guide Jessie was amazing- he was very knowledgeable about birds, mangroves etc. Our trip was cut short because he felt the wind was too strong to land on the key. We were disappointed but they refunded half of our cost. I'm an experienced kayaker and while I thought the clear kayaks would be cool to see sea life, we didn't see a single fish that way and the boats were not as streamlined or as comfortable as a regular kayak. Still we had a nice hour on the water and learned a lot.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We’re glad to hear Jesse provided a knowledgeable and informative experience, despite your tour being cut short due to unsafe weather conditions. Safety is always our top priority, and our guides will always put the safety of our guests before the completion of the trip. While wildlife visibility can vary, we appreciate you pointing out that clear kayaks do have a different design and feel compared to traditional models of kayak due to their transparent hulls. We’re glad you were still able to enjoy time on the water and learn more about the area!
My guide Less is very knowledgeable about the preserve. She also helped me paddle against the wind!
The kayak tour was magical. Kayaking itself was a serious arm workout, but everything I saw made it worth it. A bird with striking green eyes kept diving for fish and swimming past our kayaks. Fish were jumping all around us. We paddled through beautiful mangroves, spotted tiny crabs clinging to the trunks, saw a bunch of white pelicans, and live oysters. And at the very end, two playful dolphins showed up, which was absolutely the highlight of the tour.
I do wish I had collected more shells at Shell Key. I already have a lot of cute ones, but my favorites were a hermit crab in a long spiral shell, a piece of sea urchin, and a shell with both the top and bottom pieces intact. I was really hoping to find a sand dollar, but all I found was a “sand quarter” 😂.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for joining us on a clear kayak adventure! We are happy to hear about your trip to Shell Key Preserve with Alessia and about all of the incredible wildlife you encountered along the way! We hope to see you again soon!
all four of us in our family enjoyed doing this. Our guide, Les, was excellent. We will do this again the next time we are in Florida.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for joining us on a clear kayak adventure! We are happy to hear your family enjoyed exploring Shell Key Preserve with Alessia! We would love to paddle with you again next time you are in town too!
We had a great trip. We took our 3 and 6 yr olds along and they enjoyed it also. Les was a great guide and very informative.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for joining us on a clear kayak adventure! We are happy to hear your family had a great trip to Shell Key with Alessia! We hope to see you again soon!
Jenna was wonderful! We got to kayak through a mangrove tunnel and pick
Shells on an undeveloped island. Excellent tour for families and kids.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
We're delighted to hear that you had an awesome time on the tour! Jenna is indeed a wonderful guide, and we're lucky to have her on our team. Your review is greatly appreciated, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
A great experience for our whole family! Ben was a terrific tour guide and made the whole trip fantastic. We loved Shell Key! Pro trip- take your shoes to wear while you’re exploring. The shell tree was super unique.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for joining us on a clear kayak adventure! We are happy to hear your family had a great time exploring Shell Key with Ben! We hope to see you again soon!
What a top notch experience! From start to finish, everything was well executed, and our guide, Jenna was outstanding as she shared about our surroundings and the wildlife we encountered.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Your review brightened our day! We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing time on the tour with Jenna as your guide. Your five star rating means a lot to us, and we hope to see you again soon for more unforgettable experiences!
We had an amazing time on the water with our guide, Ben! It was very cool seeing all the wildlife and enjoying the beautiful Florida weather.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for joining us on a clear kayak adventure! We are happy to hear you had an amazing time paddling with Ben! We hope to see you again soon!
DONT miss this one!!! Great wildlife experience!! Our tour guide Less was amazing. Gave us so much information !!
Response from Host, Sep 2025
We're thrilled that you had such an enjoyable tour experience with Alessia! Your praise for her skills as a guide means a lot to us. Thank you for your review, and we're excited to have the opportunity to create more memorable moments for you in the future!
We went on your with Jesse, he is very knowledgeable and great at spotting wildlife. Definitely recommend
Response from Host, Sep 2025
It's fantastic to hear that you had a great time on the tour with Jesse! We'll be sure to pass on your kind words to him. Thank you for recommending us, and we look forward to hosting you again for more unforgettable experiences!
Alessia, our guide was very generous in sharing her knowledge of the surrounding nature - vegetation, mangroves, variety of birds, shells, a live conch in it's shell. She knows a lot & shares it well! :)
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for joining us on a clear kayak adventure! We are happy to hear you had such a great time learning about the local wildlife with Alessia! We hope to see you again soon!
Jenna was truly fantastic. Great learning experience about local wildlife and the area. Would highly recommend.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for joining us on a clear kayak adventure! We are thrilled to hear you had a fantastic time learning about the local environment with Jenna! We hope to see you again soon!
Insanely beautiful! Jada was very knowledgeable and shared great fun facts about all of the wildlife we saw. Would definitely recommend.
Also very much appreciated the cold water provided
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your glowing review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that Jada provided such an exceptional experience. We strive to offer memorable journeys, and your recommendation means a lot to us!
Shell Key is a beautiful place with plenty of wildlife in & out of the water. Our guide, Alesia, was extremely knowledgeable and made the tour great.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you for coming out on a tour with us! We’re so happy that Alessia was a great tour guide and that you were able to see some wildlife! We hope you’ll join us for another paddle soon!
Alessia was absolutely fantastic during our kayak tour! She was friendly, professional, and made the whole experience so much fun. She shared interesting facts along the way, kept the group safe, and made sure everyone was having a great time. You can tell she loves what she does, it made the tour even more special. Highly recommend taking a tour with Alessia!
Response from Host, May 2025
We're thrilled that you had such an enjoyable tour experience with Alessia! Your praise for her skills as a guide means a lot to us. Thank you for your recommendation, and we're excited to have the opportunity to create more memorable moments for you in the future!
Great tour - knowledgeable about the area and the flora and fauna! Funny and entertaining day out in nature with dolphins swimming under our clear kayaks.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you for joining us on a clear kayak adventure! We are happy to hear you had such a wonderful time exploring the mangroves and that you even encountered dolphins along the way! We hope to paddle with you again!
We decided to book this last minute for a fun activity to do with our 18 year old daughter. We had an absolutely amazing time. The guide was incredible and you can tell she loved her job. We saw so much wildlife, got to stop at an island and hunt for shells, and we even stopped in the mangroves for a picture. We took the 6pm time, and got to witness the most beautiful sunset when we were coming back in. I 100% recommend this activity. We were so excited we decided to book it. It became one of the best parts of our trip.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you for joining us on a clear kayak adventure! We are happy to hear you and your daughter had such a blast exploring Shell Key Preserve and learning about all of the local wildlife! We really appreciate your recommendation and we hope to paddle with you again!
Our guide Alyssa was very knowledgeable about all the wildlife and kayaking techniques. It was an educational and fun experience for us and our teen boys
Response from Host, Apr 2025
It's fantastic to hear that you had a fun time on the tour with Alessia! We'll be sure to pass on your kind words to her. Thank you for reviewing us, and we look forward to hosting you again for more unforgettable experiences!
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per personWas $79.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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