Hop on a pontoon out of 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 Captain Evan at San Marco Marina in Goodland. Life jackets in your size.
20 minutes through mangrove maze, dolphins riding along, kids wide-eyed.
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.
Bring your pup. We supply water bowls and toss the ball a few times. Most of our boats have leashed dogs on board.
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.
Every photo here was taken on a Sand Dollar Shelling tour. The shells, the smiles, the sunburns — all real.
We depart Goodland and weave through Florida's last great wilderness — a maze of mangrove islands that protects Marco from open Gulf chop. Our shelling beaches are not the ones tourists can reach by car.
San Marco Marina — old Florida fishing village, plenty of parking, easy boarding.
8 miles of undeveloped barrier island. Sand dollars by the dozen on the right tide.
Lightning whelks, horse conchs, fighting conchs. Our top pick for shell variety.
It's literally called Shell Island. Need we say more? Best in calm winter mornings.
Our secret spots. Where we go to find Junonias when conditions line up.
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 over a decade — and he can spot a half-buried Junonia from twelve feet away. His crew of three USCG-licensed captains all trained under him. Every one of them is a parent.
Evan and crew don't just take you to a beach. They walk it with you. They name every shell you pick up. They show your kids the tricks — what to look under, what the tide tells you, 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!"
Book online in under 60 seconds. No deposits forfeited if weather reschedules. Easy 24-hour cancellation.
