sarasota bay explorers boat cruise

Reservations Open Four Weeks in Advance

SARASOTA BAY EXPLORERS

Eco boat tours & bay cruises in sarasota.

LOCATED AT MOTE AQUARIUM

A HANDS-ON, EDUCATIONAL & FUN EXPERIENCE!

• most popular!
• Clock Arrive 30 min before departure
• Hour Glass Approx. 2 hours
• Users All ages

Sea Life Encounter Eco Tour

Observe our Florida manatees and resident population of bottlenose dolphins on this approximately 2 hour sea life cruise while learning about the ecology, history, and folklore of the area.

• Users Maximum of 6 people
• Hour Glass Custom

Miss Explorer Private Charter - Small Groups

Looking for an unforgettable day? Let our captain help you create your own custom cruise that is perfect for special events. Choose one activity or combine activities to make a full day of fun!

• Family Friendly
• Users Max of 40 people
• Hour Glass 2 hours

Sarasota Sunset Cruise

Join us on a relaxed trip to BIG PASS where we will observe a breathtaking Sarasota sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.

SEA LIFE ENCOUNTER ECO TOUR

About sarasota bay explorers.

Embark on an fun and educational journey through the clear waters of Sarasota, Florida, and discover the wonders of marine science and eco-conservation on one of our unforgettable boat tours.

Our expert guides will take you on a thrilling adventure, showcasing the breathtaking natural beauty of Sarasota Bay while teaching you about the local marine life and the efforts to preserve it.

We are located in beautiful Sarasota, Florida and work in conjunction with Mote Marine Laboratory to provide interactive marine science boat trips for both public and private use.

We offer several types of eco-tours including our renowned  Sea Life Encounter Cruise  and private charters aboard the Miss Explorer.

In addition to our regular cruises, you may charter a trip on one of our 40-foot pontoon boats for a private group. Private charters are available for anything from school field trips to company outings to birthday parties.

GUESTS LOVE OUR FAMILY-FRIENDLY CRUISES!

We enjoyed a wonderful multi-generational Sea Encounter trip on a HOT July Sunday...It’s hard to imagine how much everyone can learn, while having so much fun, in less than 2 hours. I wish I had taken one of these tours in the past and will definitely take one again. Well done!

This was the 6th or 7th trip I’ve done with these guys and it’s always great. An absolute blast and relatively inexpensive. If you like the ocean, sea life and are in the area it’s a ‘must experience’. Bring a camera.

This was an amazing experience and the next time my great nieces and nephews come down from Michigan we our going on this extremely well done educational and interactive boat ride!!! The marine biologist that was onboard did such an amazing job explaining things and the kids that were on the boat absolutely loved it also!!!

I love being out on the water, so this seemed like a natural fit. Our guides were very informative as we toured Sarasota bay. I loved seeing the fish and also the birds. It was a great way to spend the morning.

My mom and I really enjoyed this boat ride! The captain and biologist were professional and informative. It was the perfect amount of time spent on the water, and we got to see lots of wildlife.

Just moved to Sarasota and friends came to visit. Wanted to show them the beauty of the area and friend recommended this tour. We all had a fabulous experience with Martha. The trip was fun and educational. Loved learning about the different birds on bird island (saw my first spoonbill) and all the sea creatures. Definite must for any age. My husband and I bought membership to the Mote Marine and Laboratory so we can bring guests that visit. We will also be doing the tour again.

Sarasota Bay Explorers

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Sarasota Bay Explorers - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

Sarasota Bay Explorers

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Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Sarasota Bay Explorers - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Sarasota Bay Explorers

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Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Sarasota Bay Explorers - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• News & Press

1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34236 Ph: (941) 388-4441 Hours: 10AM - 5PM A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

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• Sarasota Bay Explorers: Eco Boat Tours
• Experiences

Have an exciting, educational and fun experience on the water—guided by experts who can tell you what you're seeing.  Sarasota Bay Explorers , working with Mote Aquarium, offers interactive eco-adventures on the Sea Life Encounter Cruise and private charters aboard the Miss Explorer.

These tours are a fun and fascinating extension of any visit to Mote Aquarium. Our cruises visit Sarasota and Roberts bays and are operated by a U.S. Coast Guard-certified boat captain and narrated by a biologist. Guests have the potential to meet our native marine wildlife—dolphins, manatees, ospreys, eagles and other marine birds in their natural settings—as they learn more about Florida wildlife from the on board biologist.

Boat trip ticket prices:

• Non-members: $36 for adults and $32 for children (3-12)
• Members: $33 for adults and $29 for children (3-12) 

All schedules are subject to change.

Register on the Sarasota Bay Explorers website.

For more information, visit  Sarasota Bay Explorers  or call (941) 388-4200.

Mote Aquarium is likely to be busy this week, with many timed-ticket entry slots selling out. Please purchase your tickets in advance to guarantee entry.   Mote Aquarium is open seven days a week at our normal hours, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. We hope to SEA you soon!

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Sea Life Encounter Tour - Sarasota Bay Explorers

• United States    
• Florida (FL)    
• Southwest Gulf Coast    
• Sarasota    
• Sarasota - Things to Do    
• Sarasota Bay Explorers

Terrific experience for the children and adults. The most fun part was when they trolled for... read more

What a wonderful adventure with the family. The guide was very knowledgeable and funny. I can't... read more

Sea Life Encounter Tour

We did get to see wild dolphins in the bay, which was great. The tour guide was great at giving us both info on sea life and interesting factoids about famous people who live in the area. My toddler was a little bored by all of the talking and didn't really enjoy the VERY brief "nature walk" on the uninhabited island. She did love the opportunity to touch the various sea creatures. A tour later in the day will yield you more fish, rays, etc. to see and touch than an early morning tour.

We took this boat trip specifically to see the nesting birds on the rookery island. We enjoyed the whole experience much more than expected. An onboard marine biologist told us about the history of the area and about dolphins and manatees. It was very interesting and informative. Short walk on an island not terribly interesting but then on to see the baby pelicans and baby great egrets at the rookery. We certainly picked the right time to do this tour. It was great. On the way back we trawled for marine life in the sea and she talked about what we found and handed things round the boat for us to look at in plastic pots. I got to hold a seahorse. You didnt need to be a kid to find this exciting! Good discount deal available if you purchase a combo ticket to get into Mote Aquarium together with the cruise. A very enjoyable trip, whether you have kids or not, if you are interested in marine life and birds and a boat ride. I'm not really a boat lover, but i had a great time. In fact we then booked a private boat from this company to take us back to the rookery another day so we could photograph the nesting birds.

We did the Nature Safari trip, where you boat out to the sandbar, get out with nets and catch things. We had two grandparents, two kids (ages 5 and 8), and a mom. We all had a fantastic time! We caught baby sea stars, a seahorse, lots of different crabs and whelks, urchins, many different fish, shrimp, a clam, and more. Our biologist, Michelle, had lots of holding tanks waiting on the boat, so she moved our specimens there so we could view them, touch them, and hear all about them. We were all fascinated. My only caution is that if your kid is under about 45", I wouldn't do this tour. My daughter is a tall five-year-old, and she was fine, but the water was up to her waist. Any deeper and she would've been unhappy. This was well worth the money. I love getting my city kids right in the middle of nature, and this definitely accomplished my goal!

My husband and I took the 1.45 hour trip, which we enjoyed very much. It was easy to get on and off of the boat, in case that is a concern. I especially liked seeing the rookery island with its nesting birds, plus looking at the marine animals pulled up in the net, then returned to the water..... all explained by a marine biologist on board! An interesting trip for all ages! The boat leaves from the Mote Aquarium, which you could visit for an additional fee after the boat ride; we did not have time to do so.

I realize you can't predict it, but I was a bit disappointed that other than birds, we didn't really see too much. Once we boarded we learned that the manatees have moved to warmer waters and the dolphin sightings were pretty few at best. A fin here or there. The most interesting part was when they pulled the net up and you got to see and touch some of the sea life. I'm not sure the purpose of the island walk but it was good to stretch legs. They tried very hard and it was a nice day to be out on the water but from the description I expected a bit more. I've travelled a bit so the nesting birds probably weren't as unique to me as to others.

This is a must if you are interested in learning about sea life. The boat takes you out into the bay for an informative tour of the area. They take you past the islands that serve as a rookery for sea birds. Then the nets are dropped and the sea life is pulled aboard. It was exciting to see and touch the starfish, pufferfish, sea urchins and more. Reservations are recommended in order to assure a spot.