Eco Explorer Cruise Packages
As we cruise through picturesque Apalachicola on our way to share nature with you, Captain Walt will briefly sketch the area's history through the quaint fishing town; including steamboating, sponge diving & Native American trading up the river. Apalachicola was established on February 8th, 1832 and according to some authorities is a Native American word meaning those people residing on the other side or allies.
After your tour, let Captain Walt suggest some great seafood restaurants which include our world-famous Apalachicola oysters. We also recommend you visit the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve for more information about the area and take a quiet walk into the reserve. For a more unique perspective, a walk through the Chestnut Street Cemetery under the beautiful moss-draped live oak trees gives more insight into the people that have lived here. The site reflects the history of the town since it is the final resting place of Confederate soldiers who fought in the Civil War, victims of shipwrecks off the coast, children lost to childhood diseases, even whole families that died from yellow fever.
As previously stated by William Popham, an Apalachicola oyster entrepreneur and self-proclaimed author, lecturer, poet & traveler "The best investment on earth is the earth itself."
Our boats are available for private charters up to 6 people. Why not visit when the Tupalo trees are blooming in April - May and the air smells like honey with bees buzzing around? Or a romantic sunset or star-gazing cruise, a pre- or post-wedding cruise for some quiet relaxation. Even a trip up the Apalachicola river to visit historic Fort Gadsden State Park for more history. Captain Walt can also throw out a cast net for marine identification and explain the gator mating habits for the curious.
The River, Swamp & Marsh Cruise
The chief jewel in the area's environmental crown is the Apalachicola River. It is unique in Florida, the only major river or waterway on the state's coast to go virtually untouched by modern development. The River's delta -- with its maze of creeks, sloughs and swamps -- still is the same subtropical watery wilderness that the Indians knew centuries ago. Today the River is a protected environmental treasure on a par with the Everglades. To see the River is to catch a glimpse of Florida's primeval past.
The Bay, Barrier Island & Gulf Cruise
(Weather Permitting)
Because Apalachicola River is so pristine, Apalachicola Bay is one of the most productive estuaries in North America. The Bay yields bountiful harvests of fin fish, crab and shrimp in addition to nationally famous Apalachicola oysters. The Bay also is one of America's major natural nurseries for salt water marine life. Juvenile fish, crab and shrimp hide from larger predators in the Bay's sea grasses and amongst its oyster reefs until they mature and migrate into the Gulf.
On this cruise we almost always see dolphins surfing on our bow wave and shorebirds like Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers and Terns, even occasionally a Frigatebird. We also will give you a close look at two uninhabited nearby islands reachable only by boat. Little St. George and St. Vincent Islands are wildlife preserves, and the cruise boats can be beached for exploring or shelling.
Prices
The River or Bay Cruise lasts two hours and costs $35 per person. The goal always is to have a minimum of four passengers, so Capt. Walt will try to put a party of two together with another party of two to four people. Six is the max number of passengers, by Coast Guard regulation.
A Powerboat cruise on the fast Sea Ray boat, Bad Company lasts 2 hours and costs $35 per person, 4 people minimum. Captain Walt will put multiple parties together if needed to make the minimum of 4 people.
All cruises are by reservation. Call 850-653-1666 for reservations and more information, including rates for children.
Special and Seasonal Cruises
(Call 850-653-1666 for reservations)
--The B.Y.O.B. Happy Hour Cruise. Bring your own wine and cheese or other favorite beverage and snack. We provide glasses, ice, the scenery and a dash of history. 1 hour. $20 per person, 4-person minimum. Year round.
--Sunset Cruise. We provide complimentary champagne, Nature provides the sunset colors over the Bay and, of course, the romantic toast is up to you. 1 hour. Boat charter price only, $120. For two to six persons. Year round.
--Migratory Bird Cruise. Autumn, winter and spring. Thousands of birds of many species either winter in the Apalachicola River or Bay or pass through on their annual migration. 2 hours. $35 per person, 4-person minimum.
--Monarch Butterfly Cruise. As winter approaches the northern United States and Canada every fall, monarch butterflies begin a migration south. Millions of monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains winter at a specific forest in central Mexico every year and to get there, they use Florida's river corridors and coastal barrier islands. 2 hours. $35 per person, 4-person minimum.
--Tupelo Blossom Cruise. Tupelo honey is produced from the White Tupelo tree. The White Tupelo tree is a fast growing tree and reaches a height of 40 feet in 20 years. Height at maturity is about 50 feet and some trees will grow to 70 feet. The tree blooms for only two to three weeks in early April to early May. Most all Tupelo honey that is commercially produced comes from the river and swamp areas of the Apalachicola, Chipola and Ochlocknee rivers. It is the only honey that does not crystallize. 2 hours. $35 per person, 4-person minimum.
--Color Cruise. That's right, it's Vermont in the Swamps in late October and early November. Cypress trees turn a burnt orange while the leaves of hardwood trees turn red and yellow as the sun dips lower in the sky after the autumn equinox. Call 850-653-1666 for best viewing dates. 2 hours. $35 per person, 4-person minimum.
--Private Charters. Our cruise boats are always available for a cruise custom-made to your taste. Charter prices are based on the time use of the boat rather than per person, so the price is the same whether there are two or six people: 2 hours $250, 4 hours $350 and 8 hours $550. Year round. Such cruises could be a picnic excursion to two uninhabited barrier islands reachable only by boat, Little St. George and St. Vincent, for example, or to historic Fort Gadsden, a fort built on the Apalachicola River by the British in the War of 1812, coupled with a visit to the partially submerged wreck of a century-old steamboat. Call 850-653-1666 to discuss the possibilities.
