St Augustine ECO Tours

I highly recommend St Augustine Eco Tours! Capt Lilly is a fantastic guide, answering all our questions. We saw pelicans and osprey diving for fish. Lots of bottle nose dolphin. And Capt Lilly educated us about the local marine and wildlife along with some history about St Augustine. Also the boat is a perfect size for a small group and can maneuver where larger boats don't have access.

100/5 experience! My Wife and I recently visited St. Augustine and booked an excursion with Eco Tours. What a wonderful experience! Capt. Lilly was fantastic and you could feel her love for her craft, area, and environment throughout the entire trip. We were fortunate enough to catch a few Dolphins rounding up fish for lunch and a couple of Green Sea Turtles making a dive for deeper water! Couldn't tell who was more excited for the Dolphins...Capt. Lilly or her customers! Highly recommend this adventure on the waters around St. Augustine!

What a great experience for my grandchildren, son and daughter-in law and myself. Captain Lilly was informative, entertaining and attentive! The boat was terrific and had a shade canopy. Loved the wildlife sightings—especially the dolphins. It was entertaining and educational. We hope to do it again next year.

Great time watching the sunset from the water, loved that the boat was smaller so not overly crowded and provided more of a private experience, covered a lot of the river areas. Captain Lily made everyone feel comfy and the cruise was informative. Went as family with kids in tow.

I did the sunset tour with my pup and it was a lovely way to end the day after a long drive. Kevin was a great guide and very informative - highly recommend if you want beautiful views of the city!

I took the sunset cruise with my pup and it was a beautiful evening. The weather was actually iffy so I was the only person who signed up, but the cruise went out anyway - so really, I got a private cruise! The weather did hold up and the captain was incredibly knowledgeable about the area history and wildlife. We saw an amazing sunset and all in all it was a great pup friendly adventure. Highly recommend!

I have done a LOT of boat tours in my lifetime, and this was one of my favorites! This tour is focused on education and conservation, and Captain Kevin was phenomenal! He was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the city, as well as the local eco system. It is very clear that he is passionate about the preservation of this beautiful, rich ecosystem. We saw SO MANY dolphins, including lots of babies, which was such a treat. I live in Florida, so dolphins are not new to me, but the sheer number we saw last night was absolutely amazing! The company does small group tours, making it much more laid back and relaxing. Many of the other local tours are loud party boats, so being able to avoid the drunk crowds made it so much better. I will DEFINITELY do another tour with this company! HIGHLY recommend!

We sailed with Captain Kevin last night- what a fantastic experience! Definitely book the sunset sail if possible- the view was amazing. Not only is he knowledgeable about every species you might see during your tour, he’s funny and an excellent Captain. My first time out on a small boat, and it was such a smooth ride. Bonus- we saw so many dolphins! Will definitely go again!

Me and my friend went on the sunset catamaran cruise with Captain Dan, we had such a great time, thank you!

A Nature Adventure with St. Augustine Eco Tours! In St. Augustine's splendor, where the rivers run free, St. Augustine Eco Tours offers magic for thee! Hop on a kayak or cruise the great bay, To explore all the wonders of nature at play! With guides oh-so-knowledgeable, friendly, and bright, They'll share all the secrets of day and of night. From dolphins that dance to the birds in the trees, Each tour is a journey that puts your mind at ease. The wetlands and estuaries come alive with delight, With critters and critiquers that make every sight. Feel the warm sun shining on your happy face, As you paddle through mangroves at nature's own pace. The air is so fresh, the scenery grand, Every stroke of the paddle feels joyful and planned. You'll learn about ecosystems with flair and with love, Connecting with nature and the beauty above. So whether you're solo or with family and friends, St. Augustine Eco Tours is where the fun never ends! Adventure awaits, with laughter and glee, In this eco wonderland, you'll feel wild and free! So grab your boat shoes and come take a peek, At the beauty of nature, the joy that you seek! With every moment spent, you'll find bliss in the views, St. Augustine Eco Tours is the place to choose!

Took the private Catamaran sunset cruise-and we had a great time! Weather was perfect when we set out, sun was shining and it was so quiet! Got very close to the dolphins and the captain was very knowledgeable about the history of the area. Some weather pulled in while we were out, and it got very exciting for a few moments while the captain got all the sails in! We've taken another sailboat ride in St Augustine and definitely preferred this tour. Really let us see why people love to sail! Highly recommend this tour!

I decided to do this spur of the moment yesterday. They have a few different adventures (e.g. kayaks, powerboats) but I chose the catamaran sail for the Queen Bee and me. As it turns out, we were the only ones booked for this particular adventure: woo hoo! We found that out upon checking in at their little office at the St Augustine Marina. So it was just Captain Jim and the two of us! That made for a much better experience than I ever hoped to receive for the $65 price tag. So as we sailed along the intercoastal out toward the breakwater and back again to the inlet between Anastasia Island and ANP, we received a very detailed narrative about the ecology, the marine life as well as a few interesting stories about Captain Jim and his adventures! Odd thing is that Captain Jim himself is an Arizona transplant!!! You'd never know he was a lifelong desert dweller by how he moved the catamaran in all the odd shifting wind patterns and cross currents from three different bodies of water. He began with a quick but thorough safety briefing and all the do's and don'ts. He had a very warm and outgoing personality; he loves questions and teaching folks about this beautiful ecosystem we are blest with having here in Florida. He seems to have the system down pat! The drawbridge tender recognized our vessel from a quarter mile off (Jim does this daily and runs like clockwork) and squawked at us over the radio. So Captain Jim didn't even have to call and announce he was waiting for the 1330 lift! True to form, we were back at the bridge by 1500 for the 1500 lift, and the bridge tender just waved and said hello as we passed through. Queen Bee has never been aboard a catamaran so this was a first and a little treat at the same time. Good part about this also: catamaran also has max tour capacity of six passengers. So you really get the feel of what it's like to sail and perhaps be like a crewman rather than just ballast. So if this is something you'd seriously think about doing while acting like a tourist, I highly recommend it over a fishing charter or some bigger harbor cruise boat. No amenities aboard and definitely not the most comfortable seating. However there are cushions and you have the option of stretching out on the trampoline toward the bow.

Took a dolphin tour with Capt. Dan this morning. Super nice guy, very knowledgeable about the area as well as the habitat. Saw plenty of dolphin on our tour. Highly recommend.

Fantastic kayak tour with Izzy today. She was very knowledgeable and fun. Zach (the owner) is excellent to work with and gives a lot back to the local community. I highly recommend this tour - a great way to learn and relax in St Augustine.

We had the most amazing tour for nights of Lights - Captain Jim was so knowledgeable and entertaining. Dress super warm but it was a night I will never forget. Can't wait to take another tour in better weather.

Hi we were lucky enough to be able to get onto this boat tour last night very last minute. I'm not a fan of small boats or water but this was the nicest most relaxing boat ride. The captain was so informative showing us the bird island and all the different types of birds. We could see the birds diving and some of them bringing food back to the mom birds sitting on the nests. He showed us where the turtles nest and gave us information of how we need to keep away from the nesting turtles for their safety. It was a 90 minute tour. We learned about the bridge and the lighthouse so much wonderful information. I felt very safe on the boat it was beautiful and comfortable. I highly recommend this tour you will really enjoy being in a smaller group. Tip: bring water & a hat.

Wonderful two hour kayaking tour on a chilly morning. We layered up and packed a change of clothes after since you get wet. Our guide, Izzy was great and was training another guide, Austin. We saw several dolphins, a fish jump out of the water and many species of birds. Very relaxing and fun way to start our day. It was our family of four and a family of three. They gave a great refresher on kayaking at the beginning before we went out into the water. Don't forget to tip your guides. Great location to go out to lunch afterwards

Dan was fantastic! We had such a great time out on the boat with him. He was polite, knowledgeable, and very respectful. Boat was clean and well kept, plenty of room, and very comfortable. Would highly recommend!

Izzy was our tour guide and she was amazing! Very well informed about the marine life as well as the St. Augustine history. This was a very fun experience for the entire family! You get to see lots of marine life up close and views of the city from the water. Highly recommend!

We did the 10 AM ecotour and were so excited to find out we had the boat to ourselves. Our guide, Chris, was personable and took the time to share a lot of history and details on our trip. We headed out to the inlet to chase down shrimping boats, and saw a large group of dolphins. We saw several babies playing and jumping in the air, something I've never seen on other tours I've done. He took us in to the estuaries to see different birds and to try to find turtles and manatees. We had a great time and will definitely be recommending this company to friends! We stayed in Palm Coast but this was worth the drive up - when researching options, this group stood out.

Did the 10am kayak tour. Super fun and a great way to see some parts of SA that you wouldn't see otherwise. Friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend!

Wonderful experience! So much information about the eco system around St Augustine. We saw dolphins and learned that they are stressed!! Saw birds and marsh habitats Small boat and only 8 people! What a great way to spend a few hours to see St. Augustine from the water.

Very pleased with the decision to join JT on a 10am kayak tour one Friday morning! I called last minute (an hour before) and Zach was able to get my boyfriend and I set up for the experience. They're conveniently located right next to bridge of lions, basically in the middle of downtown. You leave from the marina, and get to take a look at the nicer boats that are docking for the weekend. Though the trip didn't feel too long in distance, we were very pleased with what we got out of it. JT passionately describes local history to downtown, the fort, the cross, bridge of lions, and of course - marine life! We spotted a group of female dolphins, as well as a mom & baby. We spent time watching them play with each other and the fish they were eating. During the entire time JT answered all of our questions (group of 6). Unfortunately no manatees were seen this time! This is an easy kayak tour for families of all ages. Nothing strenuous or intimidating about it. On the water for about an hour and a half and it's a great way to see the city from another point of view.

Weather was perfect for a day to see various birds, dolphins galore and manatees on this tour around St Augustine. The weekend I was here, it was super busy. People and boaters everywhere. There so many boaters that the dolphins spread out instead of staying in a pod of 15-20. There were mamas with their calf and it was tough to capture the photos I wanted because they were spread out so much. We saw a young Great blue heron and also near the cross there lives a older gentleman Great Blue who is at least 20 years old. We went under the Lion's Gate Bridge with Flagler College in the background. Fun first day in St Augustine.

We went with Zach today. It was a really excellent tour and a great value. I was initially hesitant because it was $10-20 more expensive than other tours but honestly we were booking last minute and it was one of a few available choices so we said ok, let's try it. I am so glad we decided to use this operator. First because the tour was kept small (only 7 on our boat but could fit more, maybe 12?) and we got to ask tons of questions. The answers were all top notch and showed a deep understanding of the area's humans (native, colonizer, and modern day) and the wildlife. Second because the company clearly took great pride in taking care of the environment and respecting the wildlife. We saw so many dolphins but were told that can be highly variable. It would have been a great tour regardless but that really pushed it over the top.

We had a wonderful sunset sail with ECO Tours! Highly recommend! Very affordable and family friendly. A must while visiting Saint Augustine.

Had a night of lights tour scheduled with them. I misread the email and read 7PM departure for a 6PM....... Got a call about 5 till asking if we were coming! Adam got us on the next and last tour of the night. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! And the tour was much more than we expected! Calm and quiet, we could hear the other boats yelling and carrying on. Adam and the young lady did an excellent job answering questions, I learned a lot from them! Definitely do a tour with them!

Great experience. Captain Jim was an amazing guide and sailor!

Our Captain Chris was extremely knowledgeable about the area and wildlife. Trip was short but sweet and we enjoyed it! Def recommend.

J.T took us out today and he was so knowledgeable about the marine life, habitat and we were surrounded by dolphins! It was a great experience. I highly recommend this company and especially Captain JT!

Eco Tours was one of my favorite experiences in St. Augustine! We decided to take the 4:30pm tour so that we could enjoy the sunset. We booked our tickets online, which was super easy, and arrived at around 4:10pm ready for our tour. Zach, our tour guide, immediately gave us a friendly greeting. We were so shocked that he already knew our names. It was absolutely amazing that he remembered all the guests' names (there were 14 of us) before the trip even started -- such a nice touch. That alone already showed me that this would be a 5-star experience. We got in the boat and went on our way. It was a super windy day, and Zach had warned us that we may get "sprayed" a little every now and then. Considering the conditions, Zach navigated through the rough waters really well. It was really smooth sailing! Zach was SUPER knowledgeable; he was able to answer everyone's questions and really taught us a lot about the area. The tour was a lot of fun, despite it being really cold! We didn't see much as far as wildlife (no dolphins or anything like that) but that didn't take away from the experience at all. We're aware that seeing wildlife is simply luck, and Zach tried his best to show us as much as possible. Regardless, it was a fun, peaceful, incredibly enjoyable experience. I'd say to definitely go on this Eco Tour when you're in St. Augustine -- it's a lot of fun!

Zach took out a group of Wounded Warriors and Veterans. Several have never kayaked and a few nervous to try it. Him and his assistant were perfect in regards to safety, instructions, care and fun. I highly recommend St. Augustine Eco Tours to anyone looking for an amazing adventure while in town. It's a must do!

Could note be more impressed with Captain Zach and his Eco tour! I am admittedly not an outdoorsy girl, but as a mother of 4 young (per-school and school aged) kids we try to give them as many life experiences as possible and this tour was by far one of the best to date. We didn't get lucky enough to see any dolphins but that didn't take away from this tour at all! Zach is so passionate not only about the wildlife but the whole history of the city. For the whole hour and a half my children (and husband) were completely drawn in to everything Zach was telling us. This tour should be at the top of your list of things to do when visiting!

We had a blast! This was by far my favorite experience in st Augustine. The kayak tour was a beautiful way to get to know the area. Our guide JD was very engaging with the group and encouraged questions about the experience. It was a great activity to get some exercise and relax while getting some sun.

Although the wind was terrible, our guide was super patient. It was a fun trip and we saw some beautiful wildlife!

Strong recommendation for St. Augustine Eco Tours and most importantly our guide Daphne. Great ability to manage new and seasoned Kayakers while providing insight into the water, land and animal life viewed during the tour. The location is ideal to view Historic Old St. Augustine and a unique view of the Intracoastal. We were fortunate to view sharks, manatees, sea turtles and many jumping Mullets Many thanks for their part during a surprise weekend getaway

Took the family for a tour with Chris. He did an amazing job finding interesting wildlife and the ride was very comfortable. My kids get seasick very easily and this was such a pleasure.

We had so much fun . Captain Chris was very pleasant and informative. We were able to see many dolphins, sharks, and local birds. Highly recommend and will definitely be coming back!

Friday night Sunset Cruise with JT was perfect! There were 6 in our group and we had an amazing 2-hour (private) trip. JT asked what we might want to see (dolphins, manatees, birds...) and we said "anything and everything"! JT was very knowledgeable and took good care of us. There was a green turtle in the marina when we left; and we spotted a green heron on the trip (who knew). As the waters were relatively calm, he took us a couple of miles into the ocean searching for dolphin. JT had a story for the points of interest (the Fort, Julia Island, Anastasia, etc,) but also for the different species of birds we saw, and the (anticipated) dolphins and manatees. This trip was very well done and our group was thankful. As can be the case, we did not spot any dolphins or manatees, but JT made the trip exciting and educational.

So wonderful to see St Augustine from the water in a kayak. My husband & I took the tour with Adam who was very knowledgeable & helpful. We learned so much about the ecosystem & saw a lot of wildlife we had not previously seen. Highly recommend!

We did a private water tour for our family. JT was our captain. He was friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable! We saw dolphins, manna ray, sharks, osprey, manatee, and loads of other wildlife. JT also gave us the history of the waterways which was very interesting as well. Overall, a great experience that I would recommend for sure.

Very personal and informative tour, with just ten people in the boat and a comfortable connection with our guide. A highlight of our visit to St Augustine!

Took a evening cruise Echo Tour with five of my closest friends. Captain JD was our tour guide. Cannot say enough about the Echo Tour experience viewing St Augustine from the Mantanzas River, and experiencing hundreds of dolphins, birds and other assorted wildlife. Captain JD was very knowledgeable on bird species and the other wildlife. We saw an amazing sunset over Saint Augustine, and overall the tour was amazing. Highly recommended.

We had a 5pm to 6:30pm slot and had a great time, the weather was a concern but the afternoon cleared up nicely. My wife, daughter and parents were very impressed with our guide Adam. He was funny, knowledgeable, and great with my daughter. I definitely recommend this if your in the area, it really shows a different side of St. Augustine that we never really see. If you can get the sunset slot get it, that was the one thing I would do over. Just a really positive experience.

If you have a chance to visit St. Augustine, I highly recommend taking time to take an Eco Tour. My kids and I took the 6:30pm powerboat tour so we could enjoy the sunset and, because it was a little off season (April), we had the boat to ourselves. Our captain was very knowledgeable and really answered all of our questions and taught us a lot about the ecosystem in the area. My kids were ages 2, 6, 9, and 12 and they all equally enjoyed it.

We had a wonderful trip out with JT. and another couple. We saw a whole bunch of dolphins, and JT. also shared a lot of the history of St. Augustine. He was energetic, interesting, and super attentive; a wonderful educator. He knew all our names, as well, which was really nice. Definitely worth the money; it really made our visit to St. Augustine perfect.

We did the kayaking tour and loved loved LOVED it! Our guide, Zach (sorry if he spells it differently) was wonderful and so knowledgeable about the area. The tour started at the marina, and we went around the old fort and into the salt marshes. We saw a cannonball jellyfish and even got to hold it (don't worry - they don't have tentacles and can't sting you) plus saw the little crab guy that lives inside the jellyfish (yes, you read that right). We also saw fiddler crabs, lots of oysters - some even spitting, birds, and a live starfish. Apparently there's a 50/50 chance of seeing manatees or dolphins but we didn't get those this time...bummer! Zach gave is a lot of the history of the area as well. We had so much fun, and it doesn't hurt that we got a great work out too! FYI, the tour lasts about 2 hours. They kayaks are extremely nice kayaks - very comfortable to sit in and they even cone equipped with a rudder. Keep in mind they encourage you to use the tandem ones, and I was definitely worn out from all the paddling at the end and thankful I had someone else with me. If you're in the area, check this place. It is well worth your money!!

Just an outstanding experience with Captain Adam - it was a beautiful day and we had a blast. We were able to see all sorts of wildlife including plenty of dolphins. I particularly enjoyed the educational nature (no pun intended!) of the trip - Adam taught us some really interesting things without being boring or distracting. We just moved to the area and this is going to be one of our "must see" tours that we will take guests on. Can't wait!

The captain knows his stuff and we saw lots of dolphins and even got to hear them talking with the sonar on the boat!

My husband and I took the catamaran sail for his birthday and it was absolutely wonderful. Austin was a fantastic captain, personable, knowledgeable, professional and fun to ride with. Lounging on the trampoline and taking in the beautiful views was spectacular. Loved the casual and personal nature of this ride. Just perfect!! We are locals and can't wait to sail on this catamaran again!

This was such an amazing experience! Our tour guide was so nice and knew a lot about St. Augustine! It was such an easy and relaxing process too. The view you get is amazing, and you get to see a lot and learn a lot of new things. I'm so happy we decided to do this. I give this a 100/10 review!!! Please do this tour ASAP!

Yes yes yes! Everything about Eco Tours was a great experience. All the way from my phone call the week ahead regarding all of my "how to keep mom" comfortable questions to the day of where we ended up being the only two on the tour! Our captain Joe was super nice, incredibly knowledgeable, enthusiastic and such good company on the 90 minute tour of the waters around st. Augustine. Our trip included seeing dolphins (a baby one too!!!), two manatees and tons of cool birds that my mom was interested in. Joe had tons of information about Florida ecosystems and about the history of the area. We had an amazing time and I would recommend anyone visiting st Augustine check out Eco tours.

I will recommend this tour to all I know visiting St Augustine. Kyle did a great job. We learned so much about the area and marine wildlife....definitely the highlight of our trip

- Get your money's worth - Educational - Great staff We looked at all the other options between the Pirate boat ... which had bad reviews and they charge you for drinks (they make it seem included), Schooner which is lengthly and didn't want to spend half the day on a boat, to the Scenic Cruise - that got horrible reviews. Adam was our Captain. We saw what he had said but being such a busy week, we didn't expect too much. Boat traffic was high. But we did see Manatees, saw types of shrimp and heard the sound they make and also dolphins. He explained so much about the marine life in the area and was attentive to our attentions. We were taking pictures of the lighthouse ... he suddenly went into this area so we could get the best picture. Adam was also collecting floating trash that was in the area. That alone impressed me! Overall ... we left the boat knowing more ... sunburnt :) and just the right amount of time to experience the harbor (2 Hours) Yes! Without a doubt I would recommend this ride!!! We sat in the middle for about 30 minutes reading reviews on here and trip advisor ... reviews were correct!

We did a private sail at sunset with Eco Tours and couldn't be happier! Price was very affordable, our tour guide was knowledgeable, and it was a beautiful view. 10/10 would definitely do it again!

Aaron took us on a great trip this am. Weather was clear, and so was the water, so we checked out oyster beds as well as the more mobile sea life. Got to see jellyfish, manatees, dolphins, a couple of different types of egret, and possibly a shark. Aaron was well informed, personable, and totally tailored the trip to what we wanted to see. Fun!

Fantastic trip! Our awesome guide Austin was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. We were out for 2 hours. Perfect timing. The trip wasn't rushed. We saw manatees, sea turtles, crabs, area urchin, and several different types of birds. Austin interacted very well with everyone in the group. Did great including my young son as well. Highly recommended!