Boat Tour activities in South Florida
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SSarasota Bay Explorers
Under the supervision of marine biologists, boat cruises trawl a net and then examine the sponges, sea horses and various fish you catch. You also inspect rookeries and stop on an uninhabited island for a short nature walk; you may spot manatees and dolphins. The 1¾-hour ecotours (adult/child $26/22) depart from the Mote aquarium daily at 11am, 1:30pm and 4pm. They also offer guided kayak tours (adult/child $55/45).
reviewed
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A
Palm Beach Water Taxi
Water taxis run between downtown West Palm and Singer Island ($15), as well as to Peanut Island (round-trip $10), leaving from Singer Island. Additionally, the outfit offers guided tours along the Intracoastal, including 90-minute narrated tours of Palm Beach mansions ($28).
reviewed
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B
Jungle Queen Riverboat
Runs three-hour tours along the waterfront, Millionaires' Row and part of the Everglades on a Mississippi-style paddle-wheeler; four-hour evening excursions include all-you-can-eat shrimp or BBQ dinners and entertainment (adult/child $40/21).
reviewed
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C
Glass Bottom Boat Discovery Tours
Glass Bottom Boat Discovery Tours depart daily in summer at 11:30am, 2:30pm and sunset, and in winter at 10:30am, 1:30pm and sunset. In Key West style, the sunset cruise includes a complimentary glass of bubbly.
reviewed
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D
Jolly II Rover
This outfit has a gorgeous tanbark (reddish-brown) 80ft schooner that embarks on daily sunset cruises under sail. It looks like a pirate ship and has the cannons to back the image up.
reviewed
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Boat Cruises
Flamingo Lodge Marina & Outpost Resort has naturalist-lead boat tours through the backcountry for two hours and sailboat cruises on a 50ft schooner.
reviewed
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E
Carrie B
Hop aboard this replica 19th-century riverboat for a narrated 90-minute 'lifestyles of the rich and famous' tour of the ginormous mansions along the Intracoastal and New River. Because Florida's infamous 'homestead exemption' law prevents houses from being seized by creditors, some of these homes are used as money shelters for white-collar criminals ('to your left, note the Spanish-style villa of notorious tax evader Richie McRicherson'). Tours leave at 11am, 1pm and 3pm from Las Olas at SE 5th Ave.
reviewed