Pineland Marina is a full service Marina offering a two car boat ramp. When you launch at Pineland…read moreyou are convenient to numerous islands such as Cayo Costa, Useppa, Upper Captiva and Boca Grande. The Marina also offers fishing charters and ferry services. Cost is $15 to launch your boat and or park. My only complaint would be that the ramp gets backed up during season on the weekends.

We went to the marina to purchase a ferry ticket to an island on Sunday Nov 21st. The man at the…read morecounter was so rude! All I wanted was a ticket to the ferry and I wasn't sure of the island name as we were referred there by our hotel. He rattled off a few island names and told me to go to the boat dock next door and when I said there was no one there he said oh well he didn't know what they were doing then.. visiting from another state I really found the man's actions disappointing. I would recommend everyone go somewhere else to get a ferry ticket anywhere. He was a real jerk.

Our family of 5 had an absolutely wonderful experience with Captain Jessica and the Island Time…read moreDolphin & Shelling Cruise! Our four-hour trip was the perfect mix of relaxation, wildlife, and adventure. Captain Jessica and her crew went above and beyond, providing iced drinks, snacks, and buckets for collecting shells. They took us to Old Hickory Island, where we found some amazing shells, a Pygmy octopus, conch, and a sand dollar. Throughout the trip, Captain Jessica shared her knowledge about the local ecosystem, answering all of our questions about the dolphins, manatees, mangroves, and the area. One of the highlights was when she spotted a pod of dolphins. She carefully brought the boat alongside them, and we got to watch them swim and jump in our boat's wake--it was unforgettable! Communication was outstanding from start to finish. We had to reschedule twice due to weather. Captain Jessica made the process incredibly easy and stress-free. She is friendly, welcoming, and shared lots of great local recommendations for places to visit and things to do. If you're looking to support a fantastic local business while having an unforgettable day on the water, I can't recommend Captain Jessica and Island Time Dolphin & Shelling Cruise enough. It was truly one of the highlights of our trip!

Had an amazing private dolphin and shelling tour this week with Jessica & Rob. Jessica was…read morefantastic to work with throughout the booking process and was communicative, prompt, and helpful! Our day on the water was wonderful - we saw 4 dolphins (including one baby!), white pelicans, and enjoyed shelling at the end of Lover's Key State park! Jessica and Rob made the experience memorable, fun, and safe. Highly recommend for your charter needs!

A group of four of us wanted to chill on a boat but didn't really want to rent a boat on our own…read more Captain Bruce's boat was great because he did all the driving while we relaxed at a great price (cheaper than renting)! Plus, we didn't really know where we should go anyway. He would have taken us where ever we wanted, although we were correct in trusting him to lead us to great places. We took a picnic lunch, then spent some time on a very secluded island, swimming, walking around the island a bit, and finding a lot of really cool shells that weren't picked over like the busy surrounding beaches. We saw one other group of people far in the distance, but other than that, the island was all ours. After a couple hours at the beach, we went out for more relaxing boat time. We saw at least 15-20 dolphins swimming around which was super cool. All in all, a wonderful, relaxing day viewing lots of wildlife... fantastic trip with Captain Bruce!

We had a great time on Captain Bruce's boat. We left from Pine Island and toured the area via…read morepontoon. We then headed to Cayo Costa for a day at the beach. It was like having our own private beach during the height of tourist season. The island which sits in the Gulf of Mexico is a State Park and the beaches were pristine. This was a great value for our money. I highly recommend this business if you want to have a carefree day in sunny SW Florida!

We had an amazing experience on our dolphin tour with Captain Karl. We saw at least a dozen…read moredolphins, a couple turtles and thousands of fish. We were not fishing but Captain Karl deffinatly knows where the fish are at! This was one of our most memorable experiences in Matlacha. Florida. We went on Monday and then went back on Wednesday and rented Kayaks and had an awesome time exploring on our own. Matlacha Boat Rides and Rentals not only does boat tours, dolphin watch tours, but they also rent kayaks, stand up paddle boards, sail boat rentals, and skiff rentals. They also do fishing trips for beginners to experienced anglers. Captain Karl was so knowledgable and even showed us private beaches that had no people on them! How cool is that? Matlacha Boat Rides and Rentals boats are super clean, and well maintained and have a great selection of boats to rent. They also let you request the type of tour and they will customize one for you. They are located at Angler's Inn on Matlacha, Florida. We loved the time we spent on the water. We will defiantly come back. Captain Karl and his wife treated us like we were old friends of theirs. We loved it.

Karl and Janette are wonderful hosts! Their room rentals come with a kitchen and lanai AND they…read moreprovide complimentary kayak rentals for people staying with them. I went on a last minute boat tour with them on my birthday and had a blast. They're genuine people who provide great service.

We've sat on writing this review for over a week because we genuinely wanted time to cool off. But…read moreno matter how we look at it, this was unfortunately one of the worst charter experiences our group has ever had. However, the atmosphere on the boat made the experience incredibly uncomfortable from the beginning. I was there with my husband, my parents, and their friends, an older couple in their 60s. From the moment we boarded, Dan was not warm or welcoming at all. That alone wouldn't normally bother me much, but there was very little direction given about where to put our belongings, where to sit, or how things would work onboard, and asking questions felt like we were inconveniencing him. Early on, my mom politely asked if she could use the bathroom (which is a bucket at the front of the boat). She asked twice and was ignored both times while everyone else onboard clearly heard her. After waiting a few minutes, she stood up and Dan abruptly snapped at her that she couldn't use it right then. That could have been communicated kindly the first time she asked instead of just ignoring her. I knew from here there would be more issues. Once fishing started, we received almost no instruction or overview about how grouper fishing works, what to expect, or techniques to use. Our group isn't inexperienced! We're outdoorsy people from Nebraska who have fished our whole lives and been on multiple charters before. But every charter I've been on still gives some level of instruction, especially when targeting species people may not be familiar with. Any time we had a fish on, it was immediate frustration and criticism for some reason? My husband instinctively lifted his rod on a fish once, which apparently is wrong for grouper fishing. Instead of calmly explaining that beforehand, Dan repeatedly berated him after the line broke, cursed under his breath, and talked down to him for much of the trip. My husband genuinely felt like he was being treated like an idiot all day. Directions also felt contradictory at times. Being yelled at to reel faster, then later being yelled at for reeling too fast. Everyone became anxious anytime a fish got on because it felt like we were going to get scolded no matter what. The worst part of the trip involved my parents' friend, who is honestly the sweetest older man imaginable. He briefly took a video of his wife fishing. Dan immediately became upset about GPS coordinates possibly being visible and launched into a loud scolding about protecting his livelihood and how he normally makes people lock up their phones. I can understand not wanting coordinates filmed, but there were far kinder and more professional ways to communicate that. This man was clearly just taking a video of his wife to show family later. He apologized immediately and thanked Dan for telling him, yet the whole interaction felt humiliating and completely unnecessary. After, he man apparently made some harmless joke about tipping that I didn't fully hear, and Dan absolutely exploded. He repeatedly threatened to end the charter right there in the middle of the ocean and spoke to him like a child. The tension afterward was awful. We didn't even want to fish anymore. Oddly, after that confrontation, Dan seemed to soften and become more personable for the last couple hours of the trip. If your only priority is catching fish, you will. But for us, a charter is also about having fun, learning, and enjoying the experience with family and friends. Instead, we spent most of the day walking on eggshells around someone who was angry and irritated with us. I truly hope this was just an off day because his other reviews are very positive. But due to our experience, we would not book again. EDIT: I originally gave 2 stars, due to catching fish and hoping he would acknowledge having a bad day. But after the response (on google) dismissing 6 people's collective feelings, I've edited it. Dan's response is untrue (and see other photo reviews with screen visible) and he was incredibly disrespectful to us. If I could post a longer review, I would in detail.

From the owner: We offer private deep sea fishing trips for up to 6 people on our awesome 33 Ft World Cat. The boat…read moreoffers a comfortable and spacious deck, an amazing ride, a full toilet on board and plenty of shade to escape the sun. We catch lots of different types of fish that may include grouper, snapper, amberjack, barracuda, sharks, mackerel, cobia, bonita and many more! We can cater towards the first time fisherman or the most experienced angler. Not only will you have a great time, you'll get some great photos for a lifetime memory. Whether its taking a guys trip (or ladies!), spending time with your wife and kids, friends, parents or loved ones, Deep sea fishing is a fun unforgettable experience. We are one of a handful of local charter boats that have the required NOAA Gulf Reef and Pelagic Permits allowing us to charter outside the state line into federal waters. Your Captain, Daniel Medina, is a Florida native with close to 30 years of saltwater fishing experience. He charters full time and is passionate about making sure you have a great time! He is well regarded within the Marine and Fishing Industry and regularly puts clients on their fish of a lifetime. After our trip is done, Capt Dan is happy to clean your fish for you and even share some of his favorite local restaurants and or recipes for cooking up your fresh fish. Make sure to give Salty Fishing Charters a call to book your offshore fishing adventure!

Had a great time with Capt Todd. We rode to Cayo Costa and hung out on a beautiful beach. He made…read moresure we were well taken care of but still with a cool, laid back vibe.

From the owner: Sorry we are temporary closed as we are doing hurricane debris clean for fema read more

Caveat Emptor - Extremely Disappointing Experience with Tropic Star (Pine Island, FL)…read moreIf you're considering booking a "private nature tour" with Tropic Star, I strongly suggest you think twice. On March 23rd, my group paid $350 for what was clearly marketed as a private, multi-hour nature tour experience: lunch at Cabbage Key followed by a relaxing nature cruise with stop at Cayo Costa, wildlife viewing, dolphins, and a scenic return to the dock around 2-2:30 PM. What we got instead felt like a complete bait-and-switch. The ride to Cabbage Key was rushed, and after lunch, we were picked up at 1:00 PM only to be sped straight back to the dock at full throttle--arriving before 1:30 PM. No nature tour. No stops. No wildlife. No relaxation. Just a high-speed return trip where we were bracing ourselves on coolers and folding chairs instead of enjoying anything remotely close to what was promised. Prior to leaving the dock, my friend heard Captain Steve had multiple other groups scheduled and needed to rush back. So much for a "private" experience. It was clear our trip was cut short to accommodate their overbooking and miscommunication from staff. Customer service was just as frustrating. After multiple attempts to get a response from Vincent, the owner, we finally received a generic apology with "We have a great reputation and it's rare that I get confronted with any negativity and I sincerely apologize. We have not been able to run our big boats since Hurricane Ian 3 years ago. We're doing our best to accommodate some passengers with our smaller boats" and a vague offer for "free passage next time." When I asked for clarification--no response. I then requested a full refund to resolve the issue privately and avoid posting a review... and completely ignored. At this point, it's not just about a bad tour--it's about misleading advertising, poor communication, and zero accountability. Save your money and your time. There are plenty of reputable operators in the area who actually deliver what they promise.

What a great crew, what a great experience. The vote was comfortable and easily accessible. Finding…read morethe place was a little bit of a challenge. However, when you make the reservation they do fill you in on the GPS coordinates, and tell you that they are not necessarily correct. I would definitely do this again but I would spend all day at the beach I would not bother to go to the restaurant on the itinerary.