Eco Explorer Cruise Packages
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 & Close-In 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 Eco Explorer can be beached and has a bow boarding ladder that makes going exploring or shelling easy.
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. Ed 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. All cruises are by reservation, with a departure time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. recommended (Eastern Time). 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. 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 1 hour. $20 per person, 4-person minimum. Year round.
--"Toast the 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.
--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. The Eco Explorer always is 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: 3 hours, $290; 4 hours, $350; 8 hours, $595. 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.
