8 to 11 AM
Morning
The early tour. Cooler air, soft light, and first pick of the beach before anyone else has walked it.
Home / Experiences / Sand Dollar Shelling
Verified operator
Sand Dollar Shelling
Marco Island's shelling tour: departs Goodland and Naples for the Ten Thousand Islands, Keewaydin and Kice Island.
Booking opens the operator's own FareHarbor calendar, with times and prices. Naples Activities earns nothing on this listing.
Three hours on the water: a ride through the Ten Thousand Islands with dolphins in the wake, then up to two hours on a secluded shell beach with a bucket in your hand.
GOODLANDFL 34140
Found on one of their tours
- DepartsGoodland & Naples
- DeparturesThree daily
- Tour length3 hours
- AgesAll ages
- Public tours12 guests max
- LicensingUSCG licensed & insured
Plan around the water
Lowest low of the week
This week’s shelling tides
Shelling is best around low tide, when the Gulf pulls back off the flats. These are the daytime low tides at NOAA’s Marco Island, Caxambas Pass station for the next seven days, and the departure that lands closest to each one.
Tide data loads live from NOAA station 8724967 (Marco Island, Caxambas Pass). If it does not load, see the NOAA chart or call the crew at (239) 301-8913.
Predictions, not observations: wind and weather move the real water.NOAA station 8724967
Three tours, every day
Pick your departure
Every tour runs about three hours and all three book on the same calendar, so pick the one that fits your day and check the tide strip above.
11:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Midday
The operator's pick for kids. Warm water, bright sun, and a sandbar stop if you packed lunch.
3 to 6 PM
Afternoon
The golden-hour tour. Long shadows on the beach and a sunset ride home. Bring the good camera.
The experience
What a Sand Dollar Shelling tour is like
“We don't run shelling tours. We run treasure hunts for kids who happen to have parents along for the ride.”Sand Dollar Shelling, in its own words
Sand Dollar Shelling is the shelling side of Sand Dollar Shelling & Boat Tours, Captain Evan's operation based at San Marco Marina in Goodland, with a second departure point on Naples Bay. The operation is USCG licensed and insured, and several crew members hold Florida Master Naturalist or Florida Coastal Master Naturalist credentials.
The ride is half the trip. You cross the backwater of the Ten Thousand Islands, which shields the route from open Gulf chop, so most days the water is glass smooth. Dolphins often ride the wake. Then you step onto a beach with nobody else on it and start filling the bucket.
It is built for families. The youngest guest to date was four months old and the oldest was 92, there are infant life jackets aboard, and public tours are capped at 12 people so everyone gets the captain's attention.
What’s included
- Shell buckets and mesh bags
- Life jackets in every size, infants included
- A cooler with ice
- A captain who knows which shells are still alive
What to bring
- Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat
- Water, and a snack if you like
- A towel
- Your own mask and fins if you want to snorkel at Keewaydin
Where you leave from
Two home ports, one backwater
The map loads with JavaScript. Departure points: San Marco Marina, Goodland (604 E Palm Ave, Goodland, FL 34140) and Naples Bay Resort & Marina (1500 5th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102). Islands: Keewaydin Island, Kice Island, Cape Romano.
In their guests’ words
Real reviews, verbatim
Three guest reviews, quoted verbatim from the operator's Tripadvisor listing on September 10, 2026 (excerpts at sentence breaks), and the two ratings we read the same day.
“we booked an 8 am tour based on the tide schedule (and our flight home later that day) and it was the right move. no one else booked so we got a private tour! when we arrived on the island there was only one other person so we got first pick of all the shells as far as we could walk. when we left around 10:30 there were so many tour groups- getting there first was key.”
“Taylor walked the islands with us and found us all kinds of unique shells, sand dollars, and conch’s. Joey turned the boat around so that the dolphins would play in the wake. He also kept us all informed about any weather conditions that might have affected our trip and diverted us to another location while the storm passed by and then finished our excursion.”
“Captain Paul is incredibly knowledgeable and knows exactly where to find the best treasures. We found a stunning variety of shells, including Florida Fighting Conchs, Horse Conchs, Lightning Whelks, and my favorite, Alphabet Cones.”
What turns up
Shells you might find
Ten of the species that show up on these beaches, from the operator’s own photo library and identified to species where the photo allows. Empty shells only: anything still alive goes back in the water.
Who takes you out
Captain Evan and the crew
Captain EvanOwner and captainRuns the operation out of Goodland and is listed on the company's Tripadvisor page as a certified Florida Master Naturalist.
Capt. Joey NadottiCaptain
Capt. JamieFlorida Coastal Master Naturalist
Capt. Paul O'NeillNaples captain
Capt. Paul StancatiMarco captain
Capt. David GrunesCaptain
Capt. KerrickSW Florida since 2002
Capt. Shawn PalmerCaptain
Capt. Jonallen VelazquezCaptain
Capt. Lauren MalinowskiNaturalist and wildlife rehabilitator
First Mate CristinaFlorida Coastal Master Naturalist
First Mate TaylorEducator and nature enthusiast
First Mate VeronicaFlorida Master NaturalistFrom their tours
Real families, real shells
How this listing is verified
Verified September 10, 2026. Naples Activities checked this operator before it went on the map, and the tide tool reads live data on every visit.
Booking goes straight to the operator. No commission, no markup, no middleman.
The affiliate note in the footer covers marketplace links elsewhere on this site. It does not apply to this listing.
- Every fact on this page was checked against the operator's own website and FAQ, or came from the owner directly
- The Google rating and review count were read from the business profile the same day
- The Tripadvisor rating, count and ranking were read from the listing the same day
- Tide data comes straight from NOAA station 8724967 every time the page loads
Good to know
Common questions
What ages is the tour good for?
All of them. The operator's youngest guest was four months old and the oldest was 92. Kids from about 4 to 14 are the sweet spot, and there are infant life jackets aboard.
Can we bring our dog?
Only on a private charter. Pets are not allowed on the shared daily tours. Book a private trip, mention the dog when you reserve, and the crew will have water bowls ready.
How rough is the water?
Usually not rough at all. The Ten Thousand Islands shield the route from open Gulf chop, so most days the water is close to glass. Pregnant guests, infants and grandparents prone to motion sickness have all done fine.
What should we bring?
Reef-safe sunscreen, water, a hat and a towel. The boat supplies shell buckets, mesh bags, life jackets and a cooler with ice. Pack a snack or a sandwich if you want one on the beach.
What happens if the weather is bad?
The captain watches radar all morning. If conditions are not safe before departure, the operator reschedules you for the next available slot or refunds you in full. Florida storms usually pass quickly, and overcast days are often good shelling days.
How big are the groups?
Public tours are capped at 12 guests. Private charters take up to 26, which suits family reunions and birthdays.
Where does the tour leave from?
San Marco Marina, 604 E Palm Ave in Goodland, about 15 minutes from downtown Marco Island and 35 minutes from Naples, with free marina parking. Naples departures leave from Naples Bay Resort & Marina at 1500 5th Ave S.
Can we keep the shells we find?
Empty shells, yes. Florida law requires any shell that still has an animal inside to go back in the water, and the captain will show you how to check. Big horse conchs and large whelks are often still alive.
Can I book as a solo traveler?
Yes, with a two-guest minimum per departure. Join a time that already has a booking, or buy two seats. Public tours and private charters are both open to solo guests.
Ready?
Pick a tide, pick a departure, go find a Junonia
Times and prices are on the operator’s own calendar. Questions first? Call the crew at (239) 301-8913.