Sea Sights: Boat Tour Sights You Must See

I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise to you that some of the best sightseeing in Fort Myers Beach happens while smack dab in the middle of water. A quick search on Google will result in a long list of boat tours and charter companies, so which do you choose and what will you see?

For choosing made easy. Here are a few of our favorites and what you can expect to encounter on a Southwest Florida boating adventure:

Boat Tour Companies:

#1: Sight Sea-R Cruises offers many of the following on-the-water must-sees detailed out below.

#2: Fish Tale Marina specializes in a number of different themed cruises, plus rental boats so you can be the captain of your own ship as well as adventure.

#3: Key West Express takes you to far-south Florida seas for different vistas, a thrilling fast-ferry ride, and the ultimate party destination at the end.

Must-See Sights:

• Wildlife
  Dolphins are an idolized sighting on any boat trip, and Estero Bay in Fort Myers Beach ranks as one of the world’s hotspots for bottlenose dolphins. They love to jump and smile in a boat’s wake. The bay’s preserve is also home to abundant birdlife including bald eagles, ospreys, pelicans, and various species of herons and egrets. If you’re lucky, you might even spot manatees in the bay and stingrays and sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico waters.
• Fish
  Book a fishing charter at Fish Tale Marina to take the direct route to hungry, trophy catches such as snook, tarpon, redfish, and snapper on half- or full-day excursions.
• Mound Key
  Eons before powerboats ferried us around these waters, Calusa tribespeople traveled about in dugout canoes. Remnants of their ill-fated civilization remain, most wholly at this small key accessible only by boat. Fish Tale Marina and Sight Sea-R Cruises both schedule tours of the island and the eponymous mounds the Calusa built for the erstwhile capital of their kingdom. Archeologists have found evidence of the king’s house, a Spanish fort, and mission on the key’s two mounds. Excavations are ongoing at the archaeological site, and a .75-mile trail ascends the mounds with interpretative signage.
• Day’s End
  Sunset is more than a time of day in Southwest Florida. It’s a destination. Just when you thought your day in the sun couldn’t get better, this happens. Practically every boating operation offers a sunset cruise. Sight Sea-R Cruises has a bar on board for toasting the day’s farewell.
• BONUS: Key West
  Whereas it takes about six traffic-riddled hours to drive from Fort Myers Beach to the United States’ southernmost city, the Key West Express makes quick work of it in under four sea-breezy hours. With its cash bar and island music, the boat is as much fun as strolling the legendary Duval Street in Key West’s Old Town. When you’ve reached your destination do the Duval Crawl from pub to bar or jump aboard the Key West Trolley for a tour of the island’s historic sites. Stay as long as you’d like or return the same evening in time for sunset.

Fort Myers Beach boat tours are a veritable choose your own adventure in Southwest Florida. Now all you have to do is decide which Sea Sights you’d like to experience and book a tour.