shell key shuttle

Found so many unique and different shells on this island and explored it for a full two hours. Beautiful place.

Shell island is wonderful. I've found so many wonderful treasures on the island. Great place to snorkel or just lay on the beach. Fish are fun to watch.

We took the sunset cruse and had a wonderful time. Great information about the bay/area and beautiful sunset! We returned for a half day fishing trip and had a ball. They work to make sure you catch fish and it's totally about you and your experience. We went back to purchase shrimp and an evening meal. Just great! Plan to visit again and take the shall key shuttle. The weather didn't permit this trip.

It was a foggy, overcast day so we couldn't see much, although some dolphins did pop up around the boat when we were leaving the harbor. The island is a very short trip from shore. We stayed 2 hours, collected some shells, and the boat picked us up. You can snorkle, if you want. The boat crew are very nice, informative and helpful.

WE took the shuttle to Shell Island and spent two hours searching for shells and sand dollars. The tour was inexpensive compared to other operators at @$25 per person. They explained the history of the nature refuge we would be visiting. If you take the first shuttle out in the morning, you may stay all day on the island and enjoy the seclusion of the island. Bags for shell collecting, snorkeling equipment and beach umbrellas were included in the tour price.

My fiance and I debated taking the shuttle for a few days & kept going back and forth about it. One night we just decided to take a chance, fork out the $50 & hope it was worth it.. and IT WAS!!!! This is a very unique experience & unlike any other beach I've ever visited. There is simply nothing on the island, but to walk along the shore & spot HUGE pristine shells that had washed up was much cooler than I had anticipated! We also kept an eye on the water & spotted a pod of 5 dolphins right along the shoreline! So close to us & so beautiful! I would absolutely recommend this to everyone! Tips* GO IN THE MORNING! Be sure to take the first shuttle of the day to get the best shells! *Look in the shallow water for the sand dollars (it's where we found most of ours) *bring a snack & water bottle! - we stopped at St. Pete Beach Produce & Deli & picked up strawberries, bananas & pears and threw them in a bag with a water bottle & bath towel from our hotel room. After shelling for a bit we picked a sunny spot on the sand to lay out our towel, eat our fruit & check out the scenery! What a great morning spent on shell key! We came back on the 12:15 shuttle, explored Pass-A-Grille & the beach by foot then enjoyed a late lunch across the street at the seahorse restaurant! We were so happy we decided to take the shuttle & we brought back MANY shells & sand dollars!

Shell key is amazing! The trip to Shell key takes about 10 mins from Merry pier. They supply you with a bag for the shells you collect, and you will have no problem finding them as they are everywhere! It is really a great experience whether you go there as a couple or with your family. Its peaceful and quiet. We packed a lunch and it was a wonderful place to have a picnic. We saw dolphins while we were there about 20 feet from shore it was so awesome! When you go back to Merry pier you can spend all day at Pass-A-Grille if you like beacause they give you a parking pass thats good for the day. I wish we would have spent more time there but we will be going back! Go there its amazing!

The island was beautiful, the boat ride picturesque, short and sweet, and I came home with beautiful memories and beautiful shells and sand dollars!

We Love Shell Key, but the price has gone way up. $25 per person, kids half of that is kinda pricy for a 10 minute ride. When we started going there about 10 years ago we paid $11.95 per person, Anyone know of a little less expensive way to get 6 adults and 3 children there??

Really good place to go shelling. There were young men surfing there, too. Completely isolated from amenities. I hear they have primitive camping on one end of the island. We just went shelling and got some nice ones.

We enjoyed our boat trip to Shell Key but the shelling this year is for some reason seriously lacking. Not sure what is going on. BUUTTTTT we found the biggest whelk of our shelling career- an amazing size and quality. Unparalleled frankly in all our other trips. So what can we say- overall shelling experience- so-so. The biggest find- incredibly amazing.The folks who run the shell key shuttle are as usual, fabulous. I love being on the water but sadly no dolphin sightings en route. Usually we see a few. Not this year. All in all, a good experience because of the one amazing find but generally- not as many sand dollars, whelks, olives as other years.

I've been on the shuttle to Shell Key twice now, and will go again. Joe, and Colleen the owners are fantastic people! Then they give you umbrellas, and bags for shelling. When the water is warmer, they'll also give you snorkels. You can stay out there for a few hours to all day when they pick up the last group. There is also a protected nature preserve on the island. Great shelling! It's just a really nice tranquil time!

Located in Pass-A-Grille at Merry Pier, the boat ride is less than 10 minutes to Shell Island. The cost is similar ($25) to the other area shuttles to Shell Island. The husband and wife crew were very friendly and helpful, providing a complimentary mesh bag for the shelling excursion and helpful information on where to find the best shelling on the island. The schedule was quite flexible, as you could depart at 10:00am, 12:00noon or 2:00pm, and return at 12:15, 2:15 or 4:00pm. The crew was very safety conscious when embarking and disembarking, and shared the 'do's and don'ts' while on the island as well. I would definitely recommend the Shelly Key Shuttle for shelling enthusiasts,as well as those who simply want a long walk on a nearly private stretch of beach on this unihabited island. We spent hours looking for shells and wading along the shore, enjoying the views and nature that surrounded us during our visit.

I saw birds on shell island I didn't see anywhere else. Crew is professional and informed us about the nearby dolphin population on our way out to the island. Go when high tide is receding and you will find sand dollars. I found 4!!

If you love a short ride on the shuttle with a friendly Captain and his wife (crew) toan island full of shells, this is the event for you! I recommend you call before you go because ifthere is high winds, etc. he will only run at certain times. We went on the early 10 a.m.shuttle run and we're glad we did. The shoreline was untouched and serene withblue skies and shells everywhere. You are unload down stairs into the water so wearsome footwear for this. If you are wearing pants, try the kind that roll up or otherwise you'llget wet if there are waves. Choose your return time from the options they give you.Take water with you and sunscreen. Get a $2 a day parking pass from them beforeyou go so you have it on your dashboard. Also use the bathroom before you go on the shuttle. No facilities on Shell Key. Some people also brought a sandwich if you plan to stay awhile.