We continue to enjoy some incredible summertime wildlife activity throughout Boca Ciega Bay, Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach, Shell Key, Fort De Soto and Egmont Key. Whether you join us for our Dolphin Watching Nature Cruise and Eco Tour, family fun pirate ship cruise, 3 Hour Shell Key Shelling Trip, Shell Key Ferry, Egmont Key Ferry, sunset cruise with complimentary beer and wine, or our new Breakfast Club Cruise, there are plenty of opportunities to get on the water and experience the natural side of the Tampa Bay beaches.
Dolphin action has remained solid throughout the area lately. Our local bottlenose dolphins have been moving around Boca Ciega Bay, John’s Pass and the surrounding islands, giving guests opportunities to encounter them on several different Hubbard’s Marina adventures. Our dedicated dolphin tours have been producing plenty of sightings, but we are also regularly finding dolphins aboard the pirate ship and while traveling to and from Shell Key and Egmont Key.
One of the great things about our local dolphin population is that you never know exactly what behavior you are going to encounter. Sometimes we find a small family group casually traveling through the bay, while other times we come across dolphins actively feeding, playing or working bait schools together. The abundance of mullet and other baitfish throughout our passes and back bay waters gives the dolphins plenty of opportunities to hunt, and watching these wild animals interact naturally is always one of the highlights of our cruises.
Manatees have been showing themselves in pretty good numbers lately too. We are spotting them along the beaches, around the islands, throughout the protected grass flats and even occasionally moving through John’s Pass. During the warmer months, manatees spread throughout our local waters searching for productive feeding areas, making our island adventures and back bay cruises excellent opportunities to potentially encounter these gentle giants.
Our seabird activity has been impressive as well. Boca Ciega Bay and the surrounding islands are absolutely loaded with life right now, especially with the incredible amount of bait schooling around our docks, seawalls, bridges and passes. Pelicans and egrets have been particularly active as they take advantage of these concentrations of baitfish. We are also seeing herons, cormorants, anhingas, osprey, terns and plenty of other coastal birds while cruising the back bay waters.
Watching these birds feed is almost as entertaining as watching the dolphins. Pelicans are diving into bait schools, egrets are stalking the shallows and seawalls, and cormorants are working beneath the surface. There is seemingly something happening everywhere you look, which is exactly why our Dolphin Watching Nature Cruise and Eco Tour is about so much more than simply finding dolphins. We get the opportunity to showcase and explain the entire ecosystem surrounding John’s Pass and Boca Ciega Bay.
Our sunset cruises have been another major highlight lately. The scattered and isolated summertime clouds have been creating spectacular sunsets over the Gulf. Those clouds often catch the late evening sunlight and produce incredible oranges, reds, pinks and purples across the horizon. Add in complimentary beer and wine, a comfortable boat ride, and the possibility of seeing dolphins and other wildlife along the way, and it is hard to beat a sunset cruise from John’s Pass in Madeira Beach.
We are also extremely excited about our new Breakfast Club Cruise. This trip gives guests an entirely different opportunity to experience the back bay waters earlier in the day, before the afternoon heat really settles in and before boat traffic becomes heavier.
Those earlier morning hours can be a fantastic time for wildlife viewing. Dolphins, seabirds and manatees are often actively moving and feeding, while the cooler temperatures make for an extremely comfortable cruise around Boca Ciega Bay. Guests can enjoy Bloody Marys and mimosas along with great breakfast foods from our partners at Sculley’s while taking in the scenery and keeping an eye out for local wildlife. It is a really unique way to start a Florida morning and another fun option for visitors looking for things to do around Madeira Beach, Treasure Island and John’s Pass.
Our island adventures remain another excellent way to experience the area. The 3 Hour Shell Key Shelling Trip from John’s Pass gives guests a chance to cruise the local waterways before getting out on the island to explore, shell, swim and enjoy the natural shoreline. Meanwhile, our Shell Key Ferry and Egmont Key Ferry trips from Fort De Soto provide another great opportunity to experience two of the most beautiful barrier islands along the western coastline of Pinellas County.
Every trip is different, and that is what makes exploring these waters so special. One morning you might encounter dolphins actively hunting around a bait school, while the next trip could produce a manatee cruising alongside the boat, a sea turtle surfacing near the islands or a spectacular group of seabirds feeding around the pass.
From dolphin watching and wildlife cruises to Shell Key shelling, Egmont Key adventures, pirate ship cruises, morning breakfast cruises and spectacular Gulf Coast sunsets, there are plenty of ways to get outside and experience the waters surrounding Tampa Bay with us at Hubbard’s Marina.
Royal Conquest Pirate SHip
Our Family Fun Pirate Ship Adventure continues to create unforgettable memories for families visiting John’s Pass. Every voyage is packed with excitement as our pirate crew leads guests through treasure hunts, pirate stories, sword fights, dancing, and thrilling water cannon battles.
Beyond the pirate fun, guests often enjoy unexpected wildlife encounters while cruising the protected waters around Madeira Beach and Treasure Island. Dolphins, seabirds, and even manatees regularly make appearances, making every pirate adventure a unique experience where you never know what surprises await around the next bend.
