Madeira Beach - Shell Key - Dolphins - Half Day Private Boat Tour

Recommended by 100% of travelers

St Petersburg, USA

4 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

What's Included

Captain included with price
Bottled water
Floats and water toys
Gas included with price
Cooler and Ice

Bring your own snorkel equipment if you like

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

348 Boca Ciega Dr, Madeira Beach, FL 33708, USA

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Arranged start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

04/06/2023 - 05/25/2027
Monday - Sunday : 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Itinerary

John's Pass Village & Boardwalk (Pass By)

Shell Key Preserve

1 hour • 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
Most travelers can participate
The boat trip is a four hour excursion. The four hours includes the transport time
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Dominik_S

The experience was four hours and included two stops on two different beaches along with the trip there and back on the water. Shelling was enjoyed by all. On the way back, Captain Mike was able to find some dolphins to view which was also a highlight. He had asked about music and jokingly, I said the girls would request Taylor Swift. He had a playlist with her music and other similar artists. It was a great time and he is very knowledgeable about the area. Local recommendations on supper spots and parking, both appreciated. He was very attentive to tell the kids when it would be bumpy or going faster, which my daughter appreciated. He reached out the next day about an interesting starfish like animal we found. I would strongly recommend booking a tour with Captain Mike!

Reviews

5.0

based on 18 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

My family and I had the...

Kelly_C, Apr 2026

My family and I had the best day out on the water with Cpt Mike! My husband and I booked as a group of 5 with 14 and 10y old boys and my mother as well. Everything was a breeze and tailored to our preferences including departure time. We enjoyed shelling, swimming and taking in the scenery along the bay. But, the highlight was definitely when Mike got a pod of dolphins to play in the boat’s wake! We will be sure to recommend this trip to anyone we know coming to the area and hope to one day make it back ourselves!

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks for the nice review Kelly. It was a pleasure meeting your family and talking about lacrosse with your son. Enjoy your summer and thanks again. Capt Mike.

Perfect low-key afternoon

Katelyn_W, Apr 2026

We had a wonderful afternoon on the water with Captain Mike. He accommodated our schedule, and when we arrived we went straight to his boat. So easy. Mike toured us around, showed us points of interest and gave history or the area. We saw dolphins to and from Shell Key. His boat was clean and full of extras, like a football for my son to toss. It felt like going out on a family member’s boat. Highly recommend.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thanks for the great review Katelyn. Glad you all enjoyed the day on the water. Hope to see you and the family in future travels. Capt Mike

Great private charter for secluded beaches and dolphin watching.

Aaron_V, Mar 2026

Capt Mike was very accomodating and provided an excellent, personalized experience. My family never felt rushed as we moved thru the itinerary, and Mike was very informative when we had questions on local history or sites. 10/10 we will book w Capt. Mike next time we are in the area.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thanks for the nice review Aaron. It was a pleasure to show you our gulf waters and happy you all enjoyed the day. Look me up when you visit again. Capt Mike.

Beautiful day on the water

Dominik_S, Feb 2026

Response from Host, Apr 2026

I'm so glad you all enjoyed the day shelling and learning about our gulf coast. Thanks for booking with me and leaving the great review. Capt Mike

We had the best day with...

Lisa_L, Oct 2025

We had the best day with Captain Mike. When we saw dolphins he got them to play in the boat wake, and we also saw a couple manatees. We went to one of the keys to hunt for shells and swim, and took us through the intercoastal on the way back. We highly recommend booking with Captain Mike!

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thanks for booking with me Lisa and it was great meeting you and the family. Thanks so much for the kind review. Safe travels.

Beer Family Adventure

Peggy_B, Oct 2025

Captain Mike was amazing to work with and he communicated with us from time of booking through the adventure day. While out on the boat he provided a lot of history about the area. Great time was had by all! Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thanks so much for the kind review Peggy. Glad you enjoyed the day. It’s was a pleasure to meet you all and thanks for booking with me.

Special Needs Approved

Cherie_L, Sep 2024

We have a special needs son and we weren’t sure how receptive he was going to be to the boat. Captain Mike gave us a later start time and basically built the day around our son. Our son really enjoyed the speed and wind blowing in his hair. We stopped at a few sandbars, cooled off in the water and walked around. Captain Mike helped us assisting him in and out of the boat. Captain Mike gave us some history/back story of the local area which we appreciated. We had an amazing time on the water. As a bonus we saw some wild life, dolphins, Ospreys, Pelicans and Storks.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Thanks so much for the kind review Cherie. It was great to meet you all and Robert made my day a joy. I’m glad you booked and that you all enjoyed the boat trip. Hope to see you again in the future. Capt Mike.

Best trip ever!!!

Margrit_M, Sep 2024

Great trip. Captain Mike is a great host. Saw dolphins and great shell hunting. He's full of great info about the area. Definitely looking him up next time we’re in town!

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thanks again for the opportunity to show you and your family our local waters. I appreciate the great review and look forward to seeing you all again.

Fantastic day with Captain Mike!

BRENDAN_S, Aug 2024

Captain Mike was fantastic! He took my family and I to see some cool spots, houses and sea she’ll key. To top it off, he went above and beyond to bring us to Madeira beach to see the dolphins. We stay in Redington Beach every year and will be using Captain Mike again in the future. Thanks again for a great day!

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thanks so much for the great review and I’m glad you enjoyed your day on the water. Thanks again for booking with me.

Best family adventure

Merari_L, Jul 2024

Captain Mike was great! My family and I enjoyed every moment of our adventure! Mike's boat was awesome and safe. We were able to play our own music and had time to eat our snacks. We went to different sandbars and enjoyed beautiful views of awesome homes. We were able to see some of the most famous hotels in St. Pete Beach. And the highlight was being able to see lots of dolphins. Every time we spotted one, he would stop and get as close as possible to be able to take videos and pictures. This was an unforgettable experience! We will be back some day with Captain Mike!

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Thanks so much for the super review Merari. It was my pleasure showing you all the best spots on the waters. Hope to see you again. Capt Mike.

Tons of dolphins, fun day!

Andrea_G, Apr 2024

It was a fun day and captain Mike was great! We saw a ton of dolphins! He’s flexible to do what you want. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Glad you all had a nice time and thanks for the great review. Thanks so much for booking with me and hope to see you on your next Florida visit.

We had a great day on...

Liz, Nov 2023

We had a great day on the Gulf. We went to shell key and Csptain Mike showed us which parts of the island had been transformed due to recent hurricanes. He pulled in close enough that we only had to wade through a couple feet of water to get to the island and explore. C.Mike let us bring our 12 lb Yorkie, and he had lots of fun chasing the birds on the island. C.Mike spotted a school of stingrays and got close enough so we could really see how many there were. It was very cool! Then he took us to a nice beachy area where we had a picnic. C.Mike was very knowledgeable about the area and it's landmarks. Saw some beautiful mansions along the intercoastal waterway. We booked this excursion for our daughter's 18th birthday, and I don't think we coukd have had a better day!