Mangrove Estuary Tour: Wildlife and Beach Adventure

Experience the beauty and wildlife of Marco Island’s mangrove estuaries on our eco boat tour. Spot dolphins, birds, manatees, and more on this fully guided adventure!

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Goodland - Discover the charming fishing village of Goodland. This census-designated place is located in Collier County, Florida, USA. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 267. Goodland is part of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area.
  • Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - Explore the mangrove…
What's Included
  • Complementary shelling bags
  • Cooler with Ice
  • Parking fees
What's Not Included
  • On-board restrooms
  • Food (Yes, you can bring your own food!)
  • Drinks (BYOB - please, no red wine!)
Additional Information

The Island Paradise: Dolphin, Shelling, Birding Eco Boat Tour offers the ultimate wildlife and nature adventure for families, nature enthusiasts, and shell collectors. This guided boat tour takes participants deep into the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, where they will encounter playful dolphins, a variety of bird species, and pristine,…

Location
220 Goodland Dr
Goodland Drive
Free parking across the street from Stan's Idle Hour Restaurant in the gravel lot behind the white fence.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(45 Ratings)
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1 star
Carrie_o
Mar 14, 2026
Great for families - This was an awesome tour with Captain John!! He was knowledgeable and accommodating! We saw tons of different birds and were educated about may different things. Dolphins and then stopped for tons of shells!! Thanks again for a memorable experience!!
Review provided by Viator
Moplopd
Mar 11, 2026
Awesome Time! - We went on the Island Paradise tour with Cape. John M. From the moment we stepped on board the boat Capt. John was very enthusiastic and informative. I especially enjoyed his ability to identify the different Birds and Fish in the area and provide habitat and migration info. John could go to great depth on each bird or fish spotted throughout the trip. I would take this trip again with Capt. John without hesitation. My wife and I had a very enjoyable day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Martha
Mar 11, 2026
Captain John M - We had a wonderful day with Captain John Melilla on our tour. Captain John shared all his knowledge of the islands, dolphins..birds and eco system in a fun and delightful way. There was never dull moment as we went from dolphins to birds to shell island and more. Would highly recommend captain John and this tour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Johnhe3768lt
Mar 11, 2026
Marco Magic - Capt. John M was a terrific guide and boat captain, very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna, and provided a wonderful experience through the 10,000 islands!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Burkso
Mar 2, 2026
Excellent experience!! - Captain John was GREAT!! We got to see so much during our 2.5 hour trip with him. The highlight of the trip was seeing so many dolphins jumping in the boat's wake - certainly a bucket-list experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
861stephank
Feb 27, 2026
Island Tour with osprey feeding - Knowing that I wanted to get some osprey nesting pictures, Captain John Mikulka delivered. As you will see in the pictures, we waited for mom to return with lunch for two chicks in the nest. An amazing thing to witness close up in the wild. Captain John also took us to a beach where he helped us collect fantastic sea shells. Great day on the water for our family.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christine_m
Nov 29, 2025
Awesome tour. Best day out on our trip! - Such an awesome tour! Captain Gary was an awesome guide, he explained everything, was kind and my 6 year old son really wants to do his tour again! Shell Island was super cool. We saw loads of dolphins. Really great tour!
Review provided by Viator
Shoshanna_e
Nov 18, 2025
Wonderful morning! - Very informative, on time, helpful and a great experience! We saw an amazing amount of dolphins and it was a magnificent day!
Review provided by Viator
Alvin
Sep 29, 2025
A wonderful and educational experience. Learn about shelling, ecosystems and Flora and Fauna of Florida. - Had a wonderful time! the captain was superb and knew so much about the islands, the shelling, the Dolphins, birds well just everything! We highly recommend this for couples, families , just about anyone. My hubby and I are both retired now and it was great!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Springfield7311
Sep 1, 2025
Excellent Experience with Captain Nate - We shared our 47th anniversary with Captain Nate for the 2.5 Eco Tour of the 10,000 Islands by Marco Island. It was fantastic. We saw a whole lot of mangroves and birds. We shelled for about 45 minutes sharing the beach with a slew of birds. The highlight of the tour was when three dolphins played in the boats wake for about 5 minutes. Captain Nate was especially knowledgeable about the habitat and history of this scenic eco system. He was nice to share with us the video he took of our encounter with the dolphins after we got home and realized most of our still pictures did not work out.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $99
up to 6 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).