Egmont Key Ferry from Fort De Soto: Dolphins & Island Shelling

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration5h

GroupUp to 49

Mobile ticketAccepted

The ferry ride surprises you with dolphins before you even reach the island

You board at Fort De Soto Bay Pier for a 45-to-60-minute ferry ride where dolphins and sea turtles often appear. Once on Egmont Key, you get three hours to swim, shell, explore Fort Dade, or watch for gopher tortoises. The ferry includes onboard restroom access and runs daily spring through summer, nearly daily the rest of the year.

Step-by-step itinerary

Ferry trip and island exploration

Board ferry at Fort De Soto Bay Pier
Spot dolphins, sea turtles, and manatees
Arrive at Egmont Key Island
Explore Fort Dade historic fort
Enjoy shelling and swimming
Observe native gopher tortoises
Return ferry ride to Fort De Soto

The Experience

The Hubbard's Ferry—that big blue boat—leaves the Fort De Soto Bay Pier and within the first stretch of the 45-to-60-minute ride, you'll spot them. Dolphins cutting through the water, sometimes sea turtles surfacing, occasionally a manatee if you're lucky. The water's calm enough that you can actually see things instead of just hoping. Sea birds show up too, and there's something about watching wildlife from a boat that makes you realize how close you actually are to their world, not the other way around.

Once you land on Egmont Key, you've got three hours to do whatever appeals to you. Some people spend it in the water swimming or wading. Others hunt for shells along the beach—the shelling here is legitimately good, not the picked-over kind you find at crowded spots. If you're into history, Fort Dade sits on the island, a Spanish-American War fort that's still standing and worth walking through. The island's also home to gopher tortoises, an endangered species that lives here, so you might see them if you're quiet and patient. Snorkeling is available but sold separately on the day, and it depends on water quality and weather, so don't count on it as a guarantee.

The ferry to Egmont Key runs daily during spring and summer, nearly every day in fall and winter, so timing is flexible depending on when you can get to Fort De Soto. The boat has a restroom and a galley onboard while docked, which matters if you're bringing kids or just need a break. The whole thing—ferry ride there, three hours on the island, ferry ride back—is a full half-day that doesn't require you to drive anywhere else or figure out your own boat.

What’s included

Round-trip ferry passage aboard the Hubbard's Ferry from Fort De Soto Bay Pier to Egmont Key State Park, three hours on the island, onboard restroom access, and a galley for snacks. Service animals are allowed.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Hubbard's Marina

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want a half-day island trip without arranging your own boat or managing timing—the ferry schedule and three-hour island window handle both, and the dolphin sightings on the ride there are what make the journey itself worth the ticket.