Hop aboard in Goodland, cruise into the Ten Thousand Islands, and step onto secluded shell beaches with a buckets-full of treasure to take home. Junonias, lightning whelks, sand dollars — and dolphins along the way.
Tap any shell to learn its story — and what makes Marco Island's beaches unlike anywhere else on the Gulf Coast.
Three hours of adventure. Two hours of beach time. One memory your kids will replay for years.
Meet your captain at San Marco Marina in Goodland — or in Naples for Keewaydin Island trips. Life jackets in your size.
Wild dolphins almost always find the boat on the run out — surfing the wake while the kids lose their minds — before the mangrove maze opens up.
Two whole hours on a secluded beach. Buckets and mesh bags provided. Kid magic.
Sort your finds on the boat ride back. Top picks come home in your own bucket.
Our entire boat — and our entire tour — is designed around making sure every kid has the best beach day of their life.
USCG-compliant vessels with infant life jackets on board. Our youngest guest was 4 months old.
Love bringing your dog along? Pets are welcome on our private charters — just book a private tour and let us know when you reserve.
Mesh bags for hunting, big bins to sort on the boat, and your own bucket to take home the keepers.
The Ten Thousand Islands shield you from open Gulf chop. Most days feel like a lake — perfect for queasy travelers.
Every captain holds a Coast Guard Master 100-ton license. Fully insured, fully vetted, fully obsessed with shells.
Our captains identify every shell, dolphin, and bird you spot. Your kids will leave smarter than they arrived.
A Junonia (Scaphella junonia) is the rarest shell on Florida's west coast. Local shellers can hunt for years and never find one. We take families to islands where Junonias wash up every season — and we know where to look.
It's hiding among the shells on this beach. First-timers usually find it in under 30 seconds. Captain Evan spots it in two.
Real families, real shells, real dolphins — every photo here was taken on a Sand Dollar Shelling tour.
You pick the area when you book; your captain picks the exact beach for the day's tide and season. There's no fixed route, and Junonias turn up across all of it.
Depart San Marco Marina into a maze of uninhabited barrier islands (Kice among them). Your captain reads the tide and picks the day's best beach.
Depart Naples for eight miles of undeveloped barrier-island sand — sand dollars by the dozen on the right tide.
Goodland and Naples are both home ports. You choose 10K or Keewaydin at booking — we choose where the shells are running.
Shelling is best at low tide — when the Gulf pulls back and treasures sit exposed on the sand. Here's how the next week scores.
Each tour is ~3 hours. Each has its own personality. There's no "wrong" choice — pick the one that fits your family's rhythm.
The early bird tour. Cool air, soft light, and the freshest shells before anyone else has touched them.
The popular pick. Sun's up, water's warm, and dolphins are usually feeding. Pack lunch — we'll find a sandbar.
The golden-hour tour. Long shadows, glowing shells, sunset ride home. Bring a real camera.
Captain Evan grew up walking these beaches with a bucket. He's been running shelling tours out of Goodland for years — and he can spot a half-buried Junonia from twelve feet away.
Behind him is a hand-picked crew of USCG Master Captains, naturalists, and first mates who know the Ten Thousand Islands by heart. They don't just take you to a beach — they walk it with you, name every shell you pick up, and show your kids what to look under, what the tide tells you, and why the rare ones hide in plain sight.
Real reviews from real families. Pulled from Google & Tripadvisor.
"Kerrick was incredible! He talked the whole boat ride and gave us the history of Marco Island, told us about the dolphins and osprey, and showed us where to look to find shells. We could not have had a better time!"
"We did the Keewaydin Island trip and it was honestly the highlight of our trip to Naples! We booked the 8 AM tour based on the tide schedule and got first pick of all the shells. My 8 and 11 year olds agreed."
"Captain Paul knows exactly where to find the best treasures. We found Florida Fighting Conchs, Horse Conchs, Lightning Whelks, and my favorite, Alphabet Cones. He even got some dolphins to play with us!"
"Captain Kerrick was welcoming, informative and funny. We found lots of shells and the sunset did not disappoint. On the way back, several dolphins jumped and played in our wake. It was pretty magical!"
"A great shelling tour out to Shell Island. Lots of shells, and our captain was very knowledgeable about the shells, wildlife and islands. We saw dolphins, a sea turtle and many birds. Well worth it!"
"The shelling, dolphins and sunset tour with Captain Kerrick was spectacular! We found many interesting shells and saw dolphins jump through the wake. The sunset colors were amazing. We will never forget it!"
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Book online in under 60 seconds. No deposits forfeited if weather reschedules. Easy 24-hour cancellation.
