Sarasota Bay Explorers at Mote Aquarium

The weather was a bit cool for the beach so we came over to the Mote and did the combo with the Sea Life Encounter Cruise. Our trip was pretty crowded and had about 45 people on the boat. Even with that many people we had a good time. Right off the bat before we even left the dock we saw some dolphin’s out in the bay. Then on the trip out, we saw a few more.
The stop on the island was a nice little break to stretch your legs but there really wasn’t anything special about it. You learn a bit about the islands and the trees on it but that’s about it. Then its back on board and over to another small island with lots of nesting birds. If you are a bird watcher then this would be a nice extra. We saw quit a few birds and since they are used to the boats, you get pretty close and can get some really nice pictures.
Then its back to the dock. Along the way you drag a net and then they talk about the things they catch. They also had some fish already on board, like a puffer fish, seahorse and other items. On our way back we saw a manatee. Then about 10 minutes later we caught a glimpse of a second one. i think the manatee sightings are a bit rare from what our guide said. I think we just got lucky with the dolphins and manatee sightings.
Overall, even if we didn’t see the dolphins or manatee, its a least a nice little boat ride around the bay.

While visiting Mote Aquarium we decided to pay the extra fee to take part in the explorers cruise sailing that afternoon. The cruise itself lasted a few hours and sailed in and around the bay which believe it or not is only 5 feet deep in most places.
I was surprised by that being that the bay was so large and had inlets that lead out to the gulf. Anyway the cruise went passed some mansions which were owned by celeb’s before heading to a more private were there was a bird rookery. «One Small stretch of land with a ton of birds»!
We then sailed to a small private island where we wee educated about the eco system and the programs to keep both the bay and all the islands clean from pollution. At the end of the day we were treated to many different types of small sea life aboard the cruise were the staff even passed around the creature that could breath air.
The icing at the end of the day was having 2 Dolphins swim right up and past the boat. The cruise directer explained that there was 170 Dolphins that lived in the bay year round. Overall it was a nice day.

We went on the Sea Life Encounter Cruise. What a great activity to do with kids. We had three adults and three children (11, 4 and 2) and it was great for all of us. The marine biologist (Keylee) was extremely nice and knowledgeable. We only saw dolphins at the end of the trip, but it was kind of like the icing on the cake. The kids got to see a puffer fish, a seahorse, crabs, a flounder, a snail and a live sand dollar that were all passed around.
We learned a lot about the area that we didn’t know even though we’ve been coming down here for a few years. I think we might do this every year — it was definitely worth the money.

A really nice, relaxing boat tour of the area. Lots of dolphin sitings, beautiful views, pretty smooth ride. Minimal snacks provided (cans of soda, pretzels etc). No restroom on board.
Stopped at a tiny island to check out some birds and trees, then they threw a net in back, picked up local sealife. A guide went through each item and described it, allowing us to touch alot of it. So great for a kiddo! Would def. do again.

Housekeeping Item: I’m adding this separately from the existing entry for the aquarium itself. This is just for the boat tours.
Last year we took a public tour boat out of the downtown Sarasota marina, for a standard two hour tour. It was fine, but we wanted to stay out longer this year. So, six of us rented our own boat, with a captain/​guide supplied by the SBE. We took a very long four hour tour all the way down from the southern edge of Longboat key to Midnight Pass, way south of Siesta Key. We got to spend some time at the bird rookery, then went down to a remote beach at the end of Midnight Pass Road to have a picnic on the Gulf-​side beach. (Bring your own food/​drinks.) The total price was like $ 380, but split six ways that was not bad. I recommend it if you’re looking for more than the standard 2 hour public tour and you want someone else to the driving and who can give the nature/​ecology tour along the way. They do have other types of structured tours though, so check the website. We just took the free-​form do-​what-​we-​want tour option and loved it. The ticket booth is right at the entrance to the Mote Aquarium, so just park at the aquarium and walk to the door area.
TIP: 1) Even before the museum is open, the ticket booth will allow you to use a staff entrance to the museum restrooms. I recommend you go one more time before leaving. The little porta-​potty on the boat is a tight squeeze. 2) Also, if the water is choppy, plan on getting wet. This is a standard low pleasure craft, so bring towels and dress beach-​appropriate.