4 Hour Ten Thousand Islands Shelling Trip

Had a great time shell hunting. Ali was awesome to work with.

Colleen was the ABSOLUTE BEST SHELLING GUIDE!! She is so knowledgeable about shells and the ecosystem. I learned so much from her and she helped us find some GREAT shells! And she is SUPER FRIENDLY! I felt like I was shelling with one of my good friends! We will definitely be back and will most definitely ask for Colleen! Thank you Colleen! What a great memory and great shells!

We had an absolutely wonderful time! Our guide, Captain Lloyd, was extremely knowledgeable. He told us all about the wild life, helped is identify shells, and gabe is some tips! We saw dolphins, and they came right up to the boat. My mom and I were the only ones on the tour (lucky us!). We had an amazing time. I can not recommend Florida Shelling Adventures or Captain Lloyd enough!

If you’re even remotely interested in sea shells, do yourself a favor and book a trip with Florida Adventures. My friends and I joined Capt. Colleen for opening day at the Cape Romano shoal, and it was hands-down one of the most enjoyable excursions I’ve ever been on. Capt. Colleen is an absolute gem — a master captain and true master naturalist who clearly lives and breathes this ecosystem. She wasn’t just driving the boat and pointing out dolphins; she and her 1st mate Dylan (who is a marine mammal specialist) taught us the whole time, explaining the biology, tides, and history of the area in a way that was engaging even for experienced nature nerds. Dylan also helped us solve the mystery over who smarter, a dolphin or an octopus? Diplomatic answer- they are both equally as smart in their own way. Colleen & Dylan’s enthusiasm was contagious, and they made the day feel like an adventure with knowledgeable friends rather than a typical tour. Opening day at Cape Romano shoal marks the start of the SWFL shelling season and sometimes referred to as the “Black Friday” of shelling. But it’s such a fun way to kick the shelling season off and the boatloads of shellers attending were way nicer than any Black Friday shoppers. Capt. Colleen knew exactly where to point us for the best shell piles, and we came home with some nice specimens and a much deeper appreciation for the coastal ecosystem. If you’re looking for a shelling eco-tour that’s fun, educational, and led by people who genuinely care about the environment, book with Florida Adventures and ask for Capt. Colleen. I’ll absolutely be back!

Captain Colleen was a wealth of knowledge about the eco system and shelling! What an amazing trip. She was sweet enough to share some of her tips and a few finds with me :)

Colleen was amazing!! My sister and I had so much fun shelling and learning so much from Colleen. You could tell that she is passionate about the work that she does. We learned so much about the marine life, mangroves, dolphins, shells (and how to improve our shelling), turtles, and so much more. She even told us about some of the other incredible work she does, which includes seal turtle research and her primary work of cetology. We encountered a few different pods of dolphins on the way back, and it was amazing and intriguing that she could tell them each apart from such a distance. Though shelling was the main reason to go on this trip, I think my favorite part had to be the dolphins! There was a point when a young group of dolphins came to play with us by trailing behind the boat and using the current to swim on their sides, breach the water, and just play! If possible, I would request Colleen!!

Elliott provided the best service, educating us, ensuring our safety, and tailored the trip to meet our expectations…which was all about shelling🤗 Thanks Elliott! We had a great time!

We had so much fun! Great tour! Lloyd was so interactive and smart! He knew all about the islands! He was the best he took a photos for us and we took photos with him!!! Best experience in Marco island! 100 million percent recommend to families and many more! We booked and had our own private tour! It was awesome! We saw manatees and dolphins. We also saw some amazing birds! We saw the biggest horseshoe crab that I’d ever seen, didn’t know they got that big!!! Book the tour now you won’t regret it!

Our guide Lloyd was great! He was very knowledgeable of the area and took us to phenomenal spots for shelling. He was also fabulous with recognizing intentions of the dolphins and got them to play! We even spotted a few manatee. It was our favorite tour of the week. Highly recommend! Will definitely be back.

Captain Colleen was the best. Taught me quite a few things I didn’t know about the mangrove ecosystem and the dolphin habits. We got to see a few dolphins dancing in our wake. She identified all the shells we found. Gave us full knowledge of all the safety equipment on the boat and emergency procedures. Thanks Captain. You’re the best!

Absolutely a wonderful trip! I will definitely do it again!! Captain Marco was an amazing captain and guide!!

We had the best time with Captain Colleen!! It was like hanging out with a friend! She is very educated on all things shells, marine life, and history of the ten thousand islands. We couldn't have asked for a better guide! We will be back just for her!! Highly recommend.

We had a wonderful time. Not only did we find a lot of shells, but we saw dolphins and manatees! Our captain was incredibly knowledgeable of shells, animals and the area. We will absolutely take this trip again next time we are in Marco Island.

Fantastic tour. We would go with Florida Adventures again. Lloyd our captain was awesome. He took us to two islands and we found plenty of cool shells. 10/10 would recommend.

Lloyd and Sonia were fantastic! went to several islands and they gave us tips to help us find the shells we were looking for. i would highly recommend them

The boat tour was fantastic, fun and insightful. The tourguide Dylan and captain was very friendly, funny and very good with their job. We felt safe and learned alot along the way. The shelling was awesome. Weather was perfect for our trip. We didn't fund huge shells but had alot! We highly recommend this tour. Hopefully w You get the same guide & captain because they were great people.

Captain Colleen made this tour the best one I have experienced. She was so knowledgeable about shells, dolphins, and the 10,000 Islands. The day started out with the excitement of just myself and one other lady going on the tour. That was one of the best things about the tour. Although that was probably rare considering how excellent the tours are. We went to 3 islands and each one offered a variety of different things to experience. I look forward to future tours with Captain Colleen to the other islands. You are awesome Captain Colleen!!

Our guide was knowledgeable and helpful. We got to see dolphins and manatees plus shelled on several islands!

Another fantastic tour with Capt Colleen! She knows where to go for the shells, birds, dolphins, and manatees. This is our second tour with her and it always exceeds our expectations.

Florida Shelling & Adventures was an absolute 10/10 experience! Today was one of the best days I've had on the water. We spent the day island hopping, finding endless beautiful shells, watching pods of dolphins, and even seeing a group of manatees up close. The highlight was ending the day with playful dolphins putting on an incredible show—it was the perfect way to wrap up an already amazing adventure. Every moment felt special and unforgettable. Capt. Lloyd was top-notch—knowledgeable, friendly, professional, and clearly passionate about making sure everyone has an incredible experience. If you're looking for a true Southwest Florida adventure, I cannot recommend Florida Shelling & Adventures enough. We will definitely be back!

Our shelling tour was so fun!! Our captain, Elliott, was fantastic. We found so many shells a learned so much. This tour is so worth the money. Highly recommend!!

We had the best day with Lloyd. He found us dolphins and knew the name of every shell we picked up. He was a terrific captain too. We laughed and joked all afternoon. A true host. Can’t wait to do this again! Funny thing was that I enjoyed the boating and warm water even more than the shelling! 15 out of 10 experience.

Marco was an excellent guide! Very personable and knowledgeable. The boat was comfortable and grateful for the bottled water!

Went out today with Captain Marco and Lloyd, we had an amazing trip. This is the second time travelling with Captain Marco, they were very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, friendly people, knew the best spots to take us to, shared their finds, has been the highlight of our holiday. Met a lovely couple of ladies on the tour, we all agreed we would definitely book again and would not hesitate to recommend. Thank you !

Went on a shelling tour with this company and captain Colleen was absolutely fantastic. The group was small, the company works the tours around the tides, etc. We went to non touristy islands that were full of some unique and definitely whole shells, and being from Florida myself, that in itself is quite rare. ( and sad to say, what we missed while combing for shells, captain Colleen found and shared). While getting from place to place on the pontoon boat, saw numerous birds, dolphins (who swam in the wake following us) and even a manatee. This is a definite must do tour

Had great tour with Colleen. She even made a special trip to Kice for my wife. Very knowledgeable and would definitely take a tour with her again

Our guide, Colleen was super knowledgeable and fun!!! I would highly recommend booking with her!

Great trip, I recommend it 100%! Our captain, Mark, was so knowledgeable and helpful. We found so many cool shells and Mark was able to tell us about them. And a couple of dolphins swam and played right by the boat!

Had a great day on our tour with Colleen. She was super-friendly and extremely knowledgeable about all things marine. She made sure she got us to an area for finding sand dollars early, and it paid off. The time flew by!

The four hour shelling trip with captain Colleen yesterday was wonderful. Great shelling on Dickson/Little Dickson and Kice Islands. Leaving at 7 a.m. we saw a gorgeous sunrise.

What a fantastic shelling trip! Colleen was a fantastic captain! She is very knowledgeable about the marine life and shells. Will absolutely do again next time we visit!

Made a very memorable moment for my wife on her birthday. Captain Marco was knowledgeable and made the trip awesome. It’s amazing how there’s so many beautiful shells that you have to be picky and not like being on a public beach where you’re picking up every nice shell. We also found some rare shells. Highly recommend!

Marco was An excellent captain. He made sure everyone was ok. He took waters to shelter. He would find awesome shells and give them to a shelter.

Never seen that many shells in on place. I had a blast and a great guide. I Would highly recommend it.

This trip was beyond amazing. I told our captain exactly what I was looking for and he took his out to the island where I could find the shell. We even squeezed in a little extra stop where we found some nice treasures.

Spent hours at two islands where we found a large number of sand dollars, as well as Florida cones, alphabet cones, shark eyes, starfish, brittle stars and a variety of other shells. Captain Colleen is truly the best and highly knowledgeable and this is our 2nd trip with her.

A must do activity while in the area. We took a morning shelling trip with Captain Marco, he is the real deal… very knowledgeable, helpful and a knows the right places for whatever you want to find or see. Tons of shells, and I mean tons, sand dollars, dolphins, just an amazing trip. Will be back for more.

We did a 4 hour shelling trip to Kice Island with Captain Colleen. Even though the trip had a maximum of 14 people, there were only two of us that day, my sister and myself. My sister and I had an absolutely wonderful time. Colleen was extremely knowledgeable about shells, catered to our requests (a sand bar and going by the dome houses) after Kice AND she found an incredible amount of shells for us! We cannot recommend this tour/trip and Captain Colleen enough. We would give more than 5 stars if we could.

We have tried a few places for shell collecting including Sanibel Island and its famous Bowman’s beach, but we always left a little disappointed. We saw pictures of beaches with nothing but shells but the reality did not match up. So my wife was a little skeptical when i booked the Kice Island 4 hour tour. It far exceeded even my expectations. The boat felt safe and comfortable. the Captain, Colleen was incredibly knowledgeable and the shell collecting was the best we have ever experienced. Colleen knew exactly where we should look. We visited three islands which each had different shells and we saw a lot of dolphins and birds. It was really great. Strongly recommended.

1 Captain Colleen was amazing and full of energy and knowledge. I will do this again and request her.

Marco was awesome, super knowledgeable which made it more interesting, and he took us to some awesome spots, we found amazing shells and saw some blue crab and a sting ray, as well as plenty of dolphins

Don’t overload your shell bag because they get very heavy!!! Fill half full and get a second bag. Wear sunscreen!

We chose Florida Adventures based on past reviews and their shelling destination. The trip did not disappoint! Marco was our guide/captain and he created enormous added value to the experience. From shell development, to the future of the fishing industry we remained captivated. In addition we found some amazing sea shells. We saw no dolphins until we were about 50 yards from the dock on our return. Marco made a special effort to insure we had an opportunity to view these beautiful inhabitants. I would recommend this excursion for others. We will schedule again when we return in the future.

A long awaited dream come true. Everything more than I ever expected. Captain Marco is so knowledgeable about the area, history, wildlife and best shelling beaches, even where the most delightful dolphins play! Couldn’t have been more delightful!

My wife and I had a wonderful experience shelling the Kice Island area with Captain Marco on October 3rd. It just so happened we were the only two people on this trip which made it extra special for my wife's birthday. Captain Marco was an expert on all the shells we found, helping us identify even the tiniest ones we didn't recognize. He is also very friendly and outgoing which made for a very comfortable morning. We have never had a better shelling experience. The boat we sailed on is very modern, smooth, and had all the appurtenances one could want. We were lucky to be able to visit 6 different beaches because it was only my wife and me. Capt. Marco was also very helpful aiding my wife in getting in and out of the boat. She has some difficulty walking but managed just fine on this trip. My wife and I highly recommend Florida Adventures and Rentals if you are looking for an extraordinary, outstanding morning or afternoon around Kice Island! Thank you, Captain Marco!

We enjoyed our trip with Marco. He was very informative. You could tell that he Wanted us to enjoy our trip. We got some really nice shells. We will never Forget the experience with the dolphins!

Marco, our guide, could not have been more accommodating. His passion for the 10,000 Lakes was evident. His knowledge base of shells and wildlife was broad. We saw many dolphins, including 4 or more, that played in the wake between two boats. It was the closest we have been to dolphins. The shelling was top-notch also. Truly, if you get the opportunity, don't pass it up

We had an unforgettable experience with Florida Adventures and Rentals in Marco Island! Our shelling tour was nothing short of incredible and Colleen was the perfect host—knowledgeable, welcoming and full of warmth. She made the entire adventure seamless and fun for the whole family. This is a memory we’ll treasure forever. Highly, highly recommend—and we’re already looking forward to coming back!

Marco was THE BEST! Not only did he take us to the best, least populated spots for shelling, he also provided ice cold water (for those of us of a certain age that wore out quickly) and even carried our shells back to the car! Super bonus... his knowledge of all things marine and local.