Capt. Dylan Hubbard here with your latest update from the waters of central west Florida. This past stretch of weather has set up some excellent conditions across Tampa Bay and the surrounding beaches of Madeira Beach, Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach, Shell Key, Fort De Soto, and Egmont Key. From dolphin watching nature cruises and eco tours to shelling adventures, ferry trips, pirate ship cruises, and sunset cruises with free beer and wine, we are seeing a great mix of opportunity and activity on the water right now.
One of the biggest improvements we are anticipating in the coming days is water clarity. As the winds settle and conditions stabilize, the water should clear up significantly. This will make it much easier to spot dolphins, manatees, and sea turtles during our dolphin tours, island trips, sunset cruises, and pirate ship adventures. Clear water always enhances the experience, allowing guests to see more wildlife both at the surface and below.
Seabird activity continues to be strong across the area as well. The island rookeries are active with roosting birds, and guests are seeing a wide variety of species throughout our trips. This is a great time of year to observe bird behavior, with pelicans, egrets, cormorants, and other coastal birds actively feeding and gathering along the islands and passes. Whether you are on a dolphin watching nature cruise, eco tour, or pirate ship adventure, birdwatching has been a consistent and enjoyable part of the experience.
Cruise News: Island Ferries
Shelling has been the standout highlight this week. Following the recent cold front, the beaches have really come alive with fresh finds. Egmont Key has been producing some impressive shark teeth, including larger specimens that have guests excited to keep searching the shoreline and shallow waters. At the same time, both Shell Key and Egmont Key have seen a strong push of sand dollars washing up along the beaches. Shell Key in particular has also been producing some beautiful whelks over the past few days, adding to the variety of treasures being discovered by guests exploring the islands.
Before the front moved through, water temperatures had warmed enough that many guests were comfortable getting in the water, leading to excellent sand dollar finds in the shallows. The recent drop in temperature has cooled things back down temporarily, but we expect a quick rebound. By the end of the weekend, we may start to see a few swimmers testing the water again, and by next week conditions should be much more comfortable as we are not expecting another major cold front in the near term.
With fresh shells washing ashore, improving water clarity, active wildlife, and warming conditions returning, this is shaping up to be a fantastic week to get out on the water. Whether you are joining us for a three hour Shell Key shelling trip, a ferry ride to Egmont Key, a relaxing sunset cruise, a dolphin watching tour, or a family fun pirate ship cruise, there is plenty to see and enjoy along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
