Three Hour Shelling Cruise to Shell Key Preserve from John's Pass
Recommended by 96% of travelers
St Petersburg, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
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Overview
What's Included
- Restroom on board
- Gratuities
- Snacks
- Parking Fees
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 170 Boardwalk Pl E, Madeira Beach, FL 33708, USA
Located inside beautiful Johns Pass, directly below Hooters on the water, closest to the Johns Pass Bridge.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.10:00 am
Itinerary
1
Tierra Verde
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
John's Pass Village & Boardwalk (Pass By)
Madeira Beach (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 45 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
Kathy_D
The captain was very knowledgeable, friendly and had a good sense of humor. We saw lots of dolphins on the way to the island and he made sure to slow down and let everyone get the chance to see them. And once we got to the island, the shells did not disappoint! I found several intact conch shells. The water was a beautiful blue/green and the little island was peaceful. I would definitely take a tour with Hubbard’s Marina again!!
Reviews
4.8
based on 456 reviews
Michael_W, Jun 2026
Captain Mike and his First Mate were AWESOME!!!! You will not be disappointed. Great trip for the kiddos.
Lesley_K, May 2026
Very relaxing have plenty of time on the island to explore and just a beautiful boat ride with many dolphins view!
Hillary_F, May 2026
We had an absolute blast! Mike and Kyler made the trip even better. Lots of knowledge about the area and great personalities! Kyle even made shell necklaces for the kids on the way back to the marina. 10/10 experience! Will be back again to do snorkeling!
Sarah_L, May 2026
Wear swimming gear, bring a towel, sunscreen even if you don't plan to get into the water to go after your shells or sand dollars, having a small shovel and net would be perfect for digging and scooping shells while they are washing to shore. If you plan to take beautiful pictures get a waterproof/floating phone casing that's on lanyard
Jayme_A, May 2026
Excellent trip. Kids had a blast but make sure you bring sunscreen, nets, and a bag for the shells. Kyle kicked ass on the necklace making.
Mary_M, May 2026
This shelling experience was amazing my crew was robin and Ellie, Ellie made shell necklaces for everybody that wanted one and robin gave all the kids a shark tooth they played music the whole time and even played the dolphins favorite song and yes they did have a favorite song as soon as she played it they all came out and swam for a while. Robin does say lots of jokes and there really funny we also saw a manatee in the water so yeah come book your boat ride at Viator 5/5 stars .
Troy_R, May 2026
Awesome. The guys on the boat did a great job of taking care of everyone. I would recommend the trip to anyone.
Amy_K, May 2026
The island isn't secluded to find lots of shells, many jet skis, boats and campers already on island, unless you get in the water and dive for anything you're not gonna find shells other than regular clam shells on any beach, was disappointed on the shelling. We did see dolphins and a manatee swimming and the crew was great, very personable and friendly.
michelle_c, May 2026
Shell Island was wonderful! The crew ate very nice and have good guidance! Would highly recommend to everyone!
Sarah_J, May 2026
It was truly a great day. A lot of fun and the crew was great! Very knowledgeable about everything and we had an overall great experience.
Jessica_G, May 2026
Love Shell island and we got to see dolphins. Also the special touch was making a necklace out of the shells we found.
Jane_B, May 2026
Bring sunscreen. You can purchase shell bags and snacks onboard. Your safety is their #1 concern. We had ample time onshore to search for shells. And we got an absolute bonus watching a society of dolphins putting on a show for us on ou way back to the marina.
Rachel_B, May 2026
My family had an amazing experience during this shelling trip. The boat ride was safe and very informative. We found so many shells, sand dollars and live creatures!
Mariadela_B, May 2026
It was a fantastic experience, lovely crew and fantastic atmosphere!!! Loved the whole thing!! And the island is really secluded and we had such lovely weather!!! The only thing I would say is that I would’ve loved a longer stay at the shell key but other than that it was a great experience! Highly recommended!!
Nujood_H, May 2026
What a fun experience! We got to see dolphins and catch cool shells. The people working the boat were very nice and helped other find shells and sand dollars. It was worth it. Next time I’m back in FL I’ll do this again.
Connie_M, May 2026
Very informative. We saw a couple of manatees too. Shell Island wasn’t what I thought it would be. I expected more.
Amanda_H, May 2026
Friendly, got to see sime dolphins and a manatee. Good music vibes, overall great experience. Highly recommend trying it out.
Gina_G, May 2026
Beautiful ride sprinkled with dolphin & manatee sightings and a great time on the beach! We love Captn. Mike!
Greg_H, May 2026
Captain Mike and Elle were friendly and helpful. The shelling was better there than on Treasure Island, and there was plenty of time to look.
Kathleen_G, Apr 2026
It was fantastic. Capt and his first mate were awesome!! Very informative and educated staff about the whole experience.
Elizabeth_S, Apr 2026
The whole experience from booking to departure was easy and pleasant. We took our grandkids and they made happy memories. The two crew members, Mike and Dan were very attentive, knowledgeable and fun. Highly recommend the experience.
Lynn_B, Apr 2026
Our tour guides were top notch!
They were knowledgeable and friendly and went out of their way to make sure we had a great time even including a view of some playful dolphins! The shelling experience was fun and we plan to come back again!
Ginger_M, Apr 2026
The Boat was way too crowded and the amount of time on island felt rushed. There seem to be lots of trash on island
Tiffaney_L, Apr 2026
We went out in a windy day. The captain did his best to make the trip comfortable and keep us dry. We ended up at a closer part of shell key preserve than expected. It was a little disappointing to not see the remote portion of the key. I wish we would have been told of the change in plans ahead of time. We would have chosen to wait a day and hope for smoother water.
JUDITH_L, Apr 2026
Great trip out to the Shell Key Preserve! Fun boat trip and lots of shells to collect. The crew was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend!
Rod_T, Apr 2026
Very professional and entertaining crew. It was the first time I had seen an all-female crew. They were great. At one point, they circled for a few minutes so everyone could see the dolphins. The island had plenty of small shells to pick from.
reble_h, Apr 2026
Really fun day. If you want a sand dollar bring mask and bathing suit. We collected sand dollars and great shells. Super fun. Ellie and Mike collected shark teeth for us too. Also, saw a dolphin.
Wendy_K, Apr 2026
The Captain Mike made fun! He is friendly and knowledgeable! He made sure we got the most out of our tour. And his first Mate was sweet and made necklaces out of some of the shells we collected at no extra charge. What a nice way and touch to end the tour. Will definitely book again!
Sarah_M, Apr 2026
This was a highlight of our trip. Captain Mike and Ellie were very friendly and knowledgeable! They found sharks teeth and shared them with our kids. We also loved the complementary necklaces Ellie made with the shells we found. Captain Mike had a great playlist for our ride and was happy to answer all of our questions. Highly recommend, just make sure you park in the parking garage with their deal, parking in the main lot got pricey (our fault for not following the instructions with the booking!)
Cassidy_S, Apr 2026
The captains Robin and Brandi were amazing. Told jokes and were very knowledgeable about shells and the beaches heading to Shell key. Brandi made necklaces with shells on the way back from the island. Overall a great experience for my family and my daughters loved it!
From $44.95
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Three Hour Shelling Cruise to Shell Key Preserve from John's Pass
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