Shell Key Ferry From Ft. Desoto Boat Ramp In Tierra Verde, Fl

Loved the beach and hunting for shells was Fun. The view of the gulf was amazing. Recommend bringing a sun umbrella next time

Very good value, the scenery is awesome and saw a dolphin and a manatee from the beach on the island and dolphins on the trip back. Captain was very nice along with

Great trip over to Shell Key on the ferry from Ft DeSoto. Colin and Capt Greg made the trip enjoyable with info about the key Peaceful and uncrowded, great little beach for shelling and relaxing. I was sitting on the beach when a crane flew in and parked himself close by! So fun.

Fun trip and walking around shell key. Found lots of great shells. The necklace making on the trip back was so fun for our grandson

Excellent day trip. Captain Greg and Kristen were great. We found lots of shells and sand dollars. Definitely recommend.

Such a great experience that I booked again and went back a second day. The staff was very helpful and made the boat ride fun. Captain Greg was great to talk with and good at his job. Both first mates Kyle on day two and Kristen?? the first day were awesome as well. Day two I booked last minute and had actually made a mistake, Marlin at the ticket booth was able to fix things and got me the proper refund very quickly. Marlin remembered me from the previous day and made sure I was taken care of. He was a very polite young man and knew exactly how to fix everything. I would recommend going during the week, it was so peaceful, at one point I could look both ways down the beach and I was the only person, it was incredible. Well worth every penny!!!

We were able to see dolphins! It was an amazing experience, I went solo and will be doing this again with the family!

kids had a great time! lots of shells to collect.

had a great time captain ron and Kristen where great very friendly. made my birthday a special one for sure.

We had a great day- the Captain and Kyle were awesome and made the trip fun. The boat was full but there was enough room for everyone. Making the necklaces for the kids (and adults) on the way back out of shells that were found on the Island was a very nice touch! Would definitely recommend!

Sierra and Capt Greg are the ones you want to give you the tour/ride out to Shell Key Island! Sierra knows her shells and went the extra mile to make the trip memorable and no so much as a tourist attraction event! I was fortunate this time to find a Lightning Welch shell❤️🐚

It’s okay to bring a little cooler with food and bring plenty of drinks. Current is strong close to the beach make sure you stay close to any kids in the water.

Very crowded shells are everywhere but just small white normal shells way to many boats and pwc going by constantly and several folks were camping there

Traveled with grandson and husband to Shell Island for shelling. Captain Greg and First Mate Sierra were friendly and provided interesting information about the area and what to expect. Uneventful Ferry ride. Sierra made free necklaces for the kids with a shell they found. Great idea and meaningful keepsake for them. We thoroughly enjoyed the outing.

Kyle the first mate was great and Captian Greg was cool

No Bathrooms, Had to park in the back of the parking lot. Had to walk for ever to get from where we were dropped off and North side of the Island, then back.

Kyle was nice and good ride Good beach Easy we saw dolphins and shells helpful fun good day good swimming spot

My husband and I took this trip for my birthday and it was absolutely amazing. We found so many shells and had a blast the whole time.

The ferry was simple, quick, clean, easy. Shell key didn't have as many shells as expected. Ferry was $40 per person and for some reason they do still request tips although the service didn't go beyond ferrying from point A to B.

Trip was excellent. The Captain was on time and gave us a great ride.

Great experience from start to finish. Friendly service from the ticket booth to the ferry and back. First Mate Sierra was very knowledgeable and gave an excellent tour. Captain Greg was great too. Had a lovely time shelling and floating in the clear water of The Gulf of Mexico. Highly recommend!

It was fantastic!!! Plenty of shells and the captain and first mate were knowledgeable about the area and history.

Captain Gregg and Ellie on the Shell Key Ferry were absolutely fantastic! Friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole trip smooth and fun. They went above and beyond to make sure everyone had a great experience—highly recommend!

Wow, just wow! What a great, informative way to travel to Egmont Key or Shell Key, leaving from DeSoto Park. We chose Shell Key. First, the website is clear about directions, places to park, prohibited items etc. Secondly, the dude at check in is extremely knowledgeable about shells and area information, to include history. He gave a 20 minute excellent overview. Check in at the dock was fast, easy, and organized. Capt Greg and First Mate Ellie were a pleasure to sail with, pointed out places and sea life of interest along the way. A smooth, 20 minute sail to Shell Key and return. A choice of returning to Ft DeSoto at 1230. 230, or 430 made it very convenient. And one of the best things, Ellie will drill a hole one of your shells and place it on a necklace (asst colors) for you, free of charge! What a nice memento of a beautiful day! Well done, Hubbards!! Highly recommend!

Very organized check-in. The captain and first mate even stopped for us to watch a pod of dolphins. So many birds! Very worth the visit. Love the special shell necklaces!

We had a very enjoyable experience from start to finish with this ferry! Captain Greg took us on a quick smooth ride to the island and was ready for us on the pick up time perfectly! Found some LARGE beautiful, unbroken shells to take back home!

This was our 2nd time using Hubbard’s Marina for ferry service from Fort De Soto park. They have their act together and make the trip to Shell Key Island enjoyable. We were able to rent an umbrella for $5 onboard for Shell Key since there is no shade on the island. It has a gorgeous beach and great for snorkeling, shelling and swimming. The island has no facilities, so be prepared for that. Love this adventure and would do it again.

Bring a beach umbrella or rent one on the boat for $6. There is no shade unless you go into dense brush. Boat also sells snacks on the ride to and from the island. We walked down past where everyone was set up and found lots of great full shells in the water. The staff are fantastic, they offer turning one of your found shells into a necklace for you on the way back.

Horrible experience. Attempted to contact the operator and received no response for a refund. I felt unsafe taking a ferry in 30min winds

I would highly recommend this it is a lot of fun and not over crowded

Booked this ferry to shell key after 2 other boat tours were canceled. We went on the 2:00 pm trip. The boat ride is about 30 minutes each way with the last ferry leaving the island at 4:30 pm, I wish we had gone sooner to allow more time on the island. I really wanted to be there at low tide to do the best shelling, but I didn't find the low tide overly impressive. The boat ride was good, nothing special on the way out. Best part on the way back is they would make necklaces for free with shells that you collected, my teen and tween loved this.

First Mate Sierra was great, gave an overview of the shells before and made shell necklaces for kids and adults after. Friendly, helpful, on time and weather was perfect. Didn’t find as many shells as I’d hoped but the day was great value for $$. Would do again.

This shelling experience was definitely worth the trip! The day was windy and cloudy at times, but I found a lot of different kinds and unique shells! We even saw a live conch and a sponge!

We had a great time with First mate Sierra & Capt. Greg. Sierra's shell talk was very good & our time on Shell Key was wonderful. Highly recommend Hubbard's for any time on the water.

The boat captain and first mate were friendly and knowledgeable. The boat ride to the island was fun and picturesque. We enjoyed our time on the island, looking for shells, soaking up the sunshine, and just relaxing. We would have loved to stay longer but had plans to see family later that day. On the way back to the dock, we saw dolphins!

It was a nice venture. We got lots of shells. The island is nice and clean. We would do it again. Fun day

It was beautiful. The only thing I wish was a better description of what to expect & what to bring.

Bring sunscreen and an umbrella for shade. There are no trees or shade anywhere. Bring a lot of water and snacks. Plan on walking a lot. Not everything on the Web site is the same in person. There are no places to rent anything, no place to buy water and the boat does not stay docked to use the bathroom.

A lovely way to spend a few hours or a day..stunning beach with lots of shells. The operator was friendly and helpful. A great trip enjoyed by the whole party.

The staff at Hubbard’s Ferry went above and beyond to make our visit special. We put the wrong address in Waze and ended up at the Madeira Beach location instead of Fort DeSoto. Dylan couldn’t have been kinder about putting the correct address in our phone so we could be on our way. Also he notified Marlon to help us get on the 12 pm ferry when we missed the 10 am by 5 minutes. Our first ferry over to Shell Key was a delight with Captain Greg and First mate, Leah. It was a beautiful day and we collected a ton of shells. On the trip home they offered a free service of making shell necklaces to the passengers. It was an excellent experience. Thank you to the staff.

Sierra & Cpt Greg were amazing. Cold & windy day. Still had an amazing day. Got lots of shells. Saw lots of beautiful birds $ dolphins. Sierra makes a necklace for you out of one of your shells but will tell you if it’s too fragile (rather than shatter it). She knows her stuff. She also has some premade, which we chose. Thanks again for helping us make memories! Yes we put the live critters back!

Great experience! Capt Greg & Alia were very welcoming. The trip to the island is pretty quick but super pretty. The island itself was beautiful, tons of birds and shells. The weather was perfect. We would absolutely return!

Captain Mike and First Mate Nick were fantastic!! Kept the crowd entertained during the boat ride to Shell Island. Made sure everyone knew the rules and regulations and also made it a very entertaining boat ride. Free shell necklaces were made on the ride back by Nick and the kids loved it. Very good experience and would definitely refer everyone to go to Hubbard’s Marina for some entertainment during your trip.

A very short and slow ferry ride to a deserted island that is filled with shells! Don't take this for the ferry ride, but for a day at a beautiful beach. Take a shell bag and a shell digger. Though the ride was short, our captain and first mate were engaging and knowledgeable.

This was one of my favorite experiences in Florida. Sierra was so knowledgeable about shells. She did a great job of explaining the area on the boat ride to Shell Key.

Easy to book, well looked after on the trip. Parasols, drinks and snacks and also shell bags available to purchase on ferry. On Time both ways. Friendly crew. Beautiful island but walk further round to avoid the currents.

This experience was fun for the whole family. My granddaughter enjoyed the boat ride and finding beautiful shells on the island. The shell necklace from the first mate was a big hit! Take sun screen no matter the time of the year.

The tour was an excellent experience. The boat itself was very comfortable and accommodating for families who need to bring a lot when travelling with kids. I was with 3 toddlers and I felt like we had enough space. We brought all the kids we normally bring to the beach; cooler, snacks, sand toys etc. We rented an umbrella for $5 which was worth it. My kids loved being able to make a necklace with their shell on the journey back. We would do it again, it was well worth it. Shell Island is a Florida treasure, I would say its a must see experience.

This was a great way to get out on the water, see the various beaches (Treasure Island Beach, St. Pete Beach) and then get to the Shell Key Preserve. Captain Mike and First Mate Kimberly kept everything fun, lively and informative as they both described the area, the local weather, the local marine life--which we saw Dolphins, Turtles, Birds of all kinds and Manta Rays too. Time spent on the island hunting for seashells, of which there wereany thousands, made for an excellent stop and time on land before returning back to the marina. The three hours went by very fast and it was an enjoyable time had by all, including the two crew members who were both very fun to be with.