Barrier Island Shelling Tour
Barrier Island Shelling Tour
Our three-hour Barrier island shelling tour is the perfect tour if you want to spend a little more time looking for a really special shell. Captains are always US Coast accredited master captains with decades of experience to ensure safe passage even in rough weather. Your guide is a certified Florida Master Naturalist with a wealth of knowledge to help you understand not only what you'll find but also where to look to locate the most sought-after and rare shells like the infamous Junonia.
A truly memorable shelling experience as all of our tours are small groups and very intimate. Tour destinations may include Caxambas sandbars, Kice Island, Morgan Island, Cape Romano, and Second Chance Shell Bar (aka Shell Island). Shelling locations are dependent on the time of the year, weather, tide, and wind.
Book This ExperienceA glimpse of the journey
Your Itinerary
A curated journey through the experience
Kice Island
Kice Island is regarded as the "shellers" island near Marco. The barrier island has fantastic shells on the gulf shore but is a notoriously difficult anchorage with a shallow mangrove shoreline, and is open to wind and waves. Our expert captains know where to go, and our certified Florida Master Nauturalist guides know where to find the rarest and most exotic shells.
1 hourTEN THOUSAND ISLANDS NWR
Boat tours explore barrier islands of the 10,000 Islands.
1 hourMarco Island
Tour the barrier islands surrounding Marco Island Florida. Marco Island is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico off Southwest Florida, linked to the mainland by bridges south of the city of Naples. It’s home to resort hotels, beaches, marinas and golf courses, as well as a network of inland waterways. A long, sandy beach covers most of the west coast, with resort hotels in the south. Tigertail Beach Park has a tidal lagoon, popular for kayaking and paddleboarding.
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Experience the mangrove estuary of the Rookery Bay Preserve. Rookery Bay is a National Estuarine Research Reserve in Naples, Florida supported by the Friends of Rookery Bay.
Southwest Gulf Coast
Our tour includes Gulf waters weather permitting. Florida's Southwest Gulf Coast contains a constellation of enticing coastal gems. Stunning beaches, including Ft. Myers Beach, Tigertail Beach and Pensacola Beach, fringe the Gulf, down the I-75 from Tampa to Naples.
Cape Romano
The boat tour will cruise by Cape Romano to see the famous Dome House. The Cape Romano Dome House is an abandoned house consisting of six dome-shaped modules on stilts, located approximately 300 feet offshore from Cape Romano Island, south of Marco Island, in the Ten Thousand Islands of Collier County, Florida.
15 minutesGoodland
See the quaint fishing village of Goodland. Goodland is a census-designated place in Collier County, Florida, United States. The population was 267 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Included
- Complementary shelling bags
- Cooler with Ice
- Shelling tools including buckets, baskets, and shelling scoopers
- Entry/Admission - TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS NWR
Not Included
- Restroom on board
- Parking fee $10
Good to Know
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Children 6 and under are required to wear life vests (provided).
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Beaches can require walking long distances on uneven terrain, walking through water, and navigating areas around mangrove trees and stumps.
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
- COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Tickets & Cancellation
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.