Raccoon Island Miami Boat Tour with Wildlife & Swimming
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Miami, USA
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Swap the hustle and bustle of Miami for a wildlife adventure on Biscayne Bay. Instead of renting your own vessel, enjoy a hassle-free boat trip through scenic waterways, with a crew to show you where dolphins and manatees have been spotted before. Later on, stop at Raccoon Island for a guided walk to spot the island's famous raccoons in their natural habitat.
- Ideal for wildlife fans: Look out for raccoons, dolphins, and manatees
- A guide gives expert tips on where to spot local wildlife
- Spectacular photo opportunities along the way
- Enjoy free time to hop off the boat and go for a swim
What's Included
- Scenic wildlife boat cruise through Biscayne Bay
- Crew-guided island walk to help spot raccoons and local wildlife
- Swim stop in shallow water with floats included
- Opportunities to spot dolphins and manatees along the route
- Scenic cruise past Indian Creek Island (“Billionaire Bunker”)
- Licensed captain and professional crew
- Comfortable seating, shaded areas, bottled water, bar & restroom onboard
- Opportunities to observe the island’s famous raccoons up close
- Gratuity not included$10.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Aqua Party BoatPier3, Venitian Marina, 1635 N Bayshore Dr, Miami, FL 33132, USA
Please arrive 20 minutes early at Aqua Party Boat – Pier 3, Venetian Marina (1635 N Bayshore Dr). Paid parking is available at the nearby Publix garage ($15–$30). Free parking is available in the Publix lot about a 7-minute walk away. The free Miami Beach Water Taxi stops directly at the marina. M-F
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Biscayne Bay
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
2
Sandspur Island
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Haulover Inlet
50 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Indian Creek (Pass By)
4
Biscayne Bay
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Is this toddler, child, and infant friendly? Yes
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
alexsannar
The crew was great and made the experience so fun. The view while on the boat was incredible and visiting the island was amazing!!
Reviews
4.8
based on 80 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Natalia_C, Aug 2026
Be ready to be in the sun for four hrs! Another then that we had an amazing time and I wanted to take those raccoons home with me, they were so adorable! Don’t forget to bring your own snacks… grapes and Pringle’s
Erica_T, Aug 2026
We had so much fun! The tour guys we awesome, really funny. The boat ride was great. Raccoon Island was a dream and the final swim was very refreshing after sweating on the island. Definitely recommend
Jeannine_D, Aug 2026
Prepare for an incredible experience with an amazing crew! Sunscreen, swim suits and a sense of adventure is a must!
Anthony_M, Aug 2026
Fantastic trip, Alex and Buchey were great. Very knowledgeable of the area without being too information heavy. Certainly learnt things today. Would highly recommend.
Kevin_C, Aug 2026
The captain and crew seems like they did not want to work at all. We had a really bad experience. This is not worth it.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear that you left feeling this way about your Raccoon Island experience. This is definitely not the type of experience we want any of our guests to have.
Our goal is always for everyone to feel welcomed, taken care of, and to have a great time from the moment they step onboard. We’re disappointed to hear that you felt the captain and crew were not engaged during your trip, and we’ll absolutely be addressing your feedback with our team.
We really appreciate you bringing this to our attention, as feedback like this helps us continue improving the experience we provide to our guests.
Jordan_M, Aug 2026
This is a Miami must! Boating to the island and sandbar was packed with animals and insights from the knowledgable captains of the Aqua Party Boat Team Gypsea.
Tiffany_O, Jul 2026
The guys running the boat we're cool and laid back. The duration of everything was perfect. We will be doing it again in the future.
Emily_W, Jul 2026
We did the morning raccoon island tour with Spencer and Ren. They were great and personable. We had fun learning about birds, some fish, and homes along the fancier parts of the bay. We saw lots of raccoons. And enjoyed stopping at the sandbar!
crynklin, Jul 2026
This tour was AMAZING! Definitely recommend this company for ANY boat tour (Aqua Party Boat). They were responsive to questions I had in advance of the tour via email, shared educational info about the wildlife in a fun and interactive way, were entertaining and funny. Raccoon island was awesome, what a special interactive opportunity! The swim at the sandbar was also fun and welcomed after sweating with the raccoons. If you like to snorkel or even just peer under the water I highly recommend you bring your own goggles as there were cool shells, tons of live conch, fish, and other sea life. Animals seen on the tour: raccoons, dolphins, sea turtle, conch, fish, birds, spiders (big ones, but the 'good' ones). There were drinks and snacks available for purchase, which was nice despite having brought our own water and snacks. Book it - it will be a wonderful memory!
Victoria_S, Jul 2026
This trip is amazing value for money. We had a truly amazing experience from start to finish. Captain Hayes and David were knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife, friendly, chatty and fun. We felt comfortable the whole trip.
Racoon island was amazing. We got to see the racoons and a rather large iguana. It was just so cool to experience.
We then went over to a sandbar and splashes about a bit. We even found a couple of starfish!
Highly recommend this trip. While my husband and I did this as a couples trip, it’s definitely family friendly and I would’ve had no problem bringing my kids when they were younger as well as now in their teens.
jeannine_f, Jul 2026
Boat ride was great! Raccoons were so cute & friendly. Your guides fun & friendly! Swim spot was nice & relaxing
Helen_W, Jul 2026
An amazing fun day. Spenser and David were awesome. We even saw dolphins! Highly recommend this trio and crew for a fun day in Miami
Kenneth_G, Jul 2026
We had the best time. The crew was terrific. The boat ride was fun. The island was so cool. A great time.
Jessica_K, Jul 2026
Decided to do this tour as an animal lover while waiting for my husband to arrive in Miami! Not uncomfortable at all for someone solo. The racoons were adorable, docile and easy to feed/give water to. The sand bar was relaxing and a nice spot. Our tour guides, Zoey and Alex (I think it was Alex) were excellent and well informed! Great activity for a half day! Do the morning one so you're the first to feed the raccoons and before it gets too hot. 9:30-1:30 was perfect.
Emmanuelle_M, Jul 2026
We had THE best time. So so much fun. Incredible swimming. Loved the hosts. Loved feeding the raccoons. Exceeded my expectations by far. Very worth it. My 5 year old had the best time too!!!!
Wesley_S, Jul 2026
The raccoons love cracks and grapes. They are so lovely and cute. Also Alex the captain he is very cute and funny, good guy.
Alyssa_C, Jul 2026
This experience was great. We had captains Alex and Hayes. I would definitely do this again, the raccoons are picky eaters but love Cheeto puffs, grapes, cheese burgers and prefer to make Cheeto water instead of the fresh water. The water felt perfect for the swim after and they had cute souvenir shirts. My husband did recommend they add raccoons slippers to the souvenirs haha.
Cheryl_Z, Jul 2026
This was a great tour! I took my niece and nephew that are 11 and 12 and we all absolutely loved it! The raccoons on raccoon island were so cute! And we enjoyed the time to swim at the sand bar. The tour guide and captain gave us some history and facts of the area along the way and we had music and dancing on the way back. 4hrs well spent!
Leigh_M, Jul 2026
What a fun morning! The raccoons are so cute and relaxing at the sandbar was just what we needed in the blazing heat. Highly recommended.
erica_p, Jun 2026
Very disappointed! The captain seemed like he didn’t want to be there and barely spoke. Was just on his phone most of the time. We were given peanuts to feel the raccoons which they didn’t seem to like. Luckily, someone brought a bunch of cat food so we were able to see them. The raccoons were the only highlight of the excursion. Then went to a sandbar where we had 25 minutes to hang out. Then saw 6 homes owned by wealthy people but you could hardly hear the captain mention them. Was no microphone. That literally was it and the two crew members were just blah- had no enthusiasm. If you wanted to purchased a ham sandwich it was $24. Needless to say, I would not recommend this tour. Just visit the raccoons in your backyard!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the communication and energy from the crew didn’t meet your expectations. We definitely want our team to be welcoming, engaging, and informative throughout the trip, and we’ll be addressing that feedback with them.
Our Raccoon Island tour is designed to give guests three unique Miami experiences all in one trip, visiting Raccoon Island, spending time at the sandbar, and cruising by some of Miami’s beautiful waterfront homes. We’re glad you were able to enjoy seeing the raccoons, and we’re sorry the crew’s communication didn’t make the rest of the experience as enjoyable as it should have been.
We also appreciate the feedback on the food. We’ve recently improved the quality of our sandwiches and updated our catering options based on guest feedback.
We appreciate you bringing these concerns to our attention and will continue working with our team to improve the experience for our future guests.
Justin_B, Jun 2026
Zoey and Alex were great and the racoon experience was better than expected, we will definitely be back.
Beth_W, Jun 2026
Travelers should know that Viator had both the description of this experience and the start time wrong. We almost missed the boat. Once on the boat it was a super fun experience. Raccoon Island was a lot of fun- bring bug spray! You can also bring coolers and your own food on board.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for sharing! We’re so glad you had a great time once onboard and enjoyed Raccoon Island! 🦝
We’re sorry for the confusion with the start time. We always send out notifications directly to our guests if there are ever any changes to the trip details or departure time, which thankfully is very rare. We understand how important clear communication is, especially when you’re trying to make it to the boat on time.
And great tips, bug spray is definitely recommended. Thanks for joining us! 🌴🚤
Sarah_Z, Jun 2026
We had a great time with Alex and Zoe. We were able to give water and peanuts to several raccoons and it was an amazing experience
Adaryll_J, Jun 2026
I initially questioned if I wanted to pay for this experience or go it alone. Really glad I paid for this. Guide, Zoe, is a local, was great with all of us on the tour, and was able to insert all sorts information about the island and everything and every place we passed along the way. Well worth the money. Memorable tour!
Laurie_G, Jun 2026
Bring sunscreen, watch your belongings so don’t blow off boat. A little girl lost her hat to wind. There is no fresh water really at island so the raccoons loved drinking water from the bottle. They are friendly but I did see people trying to pet them like a dog or cat. That’s just an invitation for them to bite you. They would jump back nervously. One person brought a small Tupperware type of bowl and a huge bottle of water. The raccoons all scattered to it to drink and wash hands and play in the water. Just make sure to bring home more trash from island. The sandbar swimming with floats looked fun but if you have knee issues the ladder is a double knee push up ladder so too high for my old knee replacement. Crew Zoey and Ren were very friendly and Ren drove us smoothly to our points. Both worked well together when anchoring etc so made you feel safe while on boat.
wykbvtnd6k, Jun 2026
We had so much fun! The guides were chill and very friendly. Gave lots of good info and had jokes to keep things fun. The island absolutely delivered—lots of raccoons, iguanas, and hermit crabs. The boat was clean and comfy, and my family had a blast!
Melanie_Z, Jun 2026
If you're contemplating this tour... DO IT!
I took my sons, ages 20 and 15, and they both said it was the best part of our trip. The boat ride was lively, with great music, a fun atmosphere, and interesting information about the area as we made our way to the island.
Once on the island, you can join a short guided tour or explore on your own. I highly recommend exploring independently. We encountered raccoons almost immediately! As long as you respect the animals and their environment, you'll have an unforgettable and positive experience.
The sandbar and swimming stop were also a blast and the perfect way to cool off and relax. By the end of the day, we were happy, exhausted, and ready for a late dinner in Little Havana.
This tour delivered adventure, wildlife, beautiful scenery, and plenty of family memories all in one experience. It was absolutely worth it, and I'd recommend it to anyone visiting the Miami area!
Jennifer_B, Jun 2026
This was a great excursion! Got to see many raccoons & swim in a local spot! The captain and first mate were very energetic & fun. Highly recommend!
Makenzie_D, Jun 2026
Zoe and Alex were fantastic! Tunes were top notch, the jokes were flowing and Zoe gave a great island tour to exactly where the raccoons were on the island. 100% recommend this was such a fun excursion!
Lara_V, Jun 2026
We had such a great time on the Raccoon Island Adventure party boat! The crew was super friendly, the ride was fun, and getting to see the raccoons up close was an unforgettable experience. The views were beautiful, and the whole trip had a fun, laid-back vibe. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something unique to do. Just a friendly tip: there are quite a few mosquitoes on the island, so don’t forget to bring some bug spray. Other than that, it was a perfect day! 😊🦝🚤☀️
From $89.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Raccoon Island Miami Boat Tour with Wildlife & Swimming
80
4 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$89.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Half-day Tours
- Nature and Wildlife Tours
- Bus Tours
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Day Trips
- Outdoor Activities
- Private and Luxury
- Miami
- Half-day Tours - Fort Lauderdale
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Fort Lauderdale
- Bus Tours - Fort Lauderdale
- Half-day Tours - Boca Raton
- Half-day Tours - Key Largo
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Key Largo
- Bus Tours - Key Largo
Attractions in Miami, USA
- Jungle Island Tours & Tickets
- Biscayne National Park Tours & Tickets
- Miami Beach Botanical Garden Tours & Tickets
- Aventura Mall Tours & Tickets
- Wynwood Tours & Tickets
- Miami Beach Tours & Tickets
- Art Deco Historic District Tours & Tickets
- Coconut Grove Tours & Tickets
- Rickenbacker Trail Tours & Tickets
- Miami Children's Museum Tours & Tickets
- Mango's Tropical Café Tours & Tickets
- Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) Tours & Tickets