Key West Schooner Backcountry Eco-Tour: Sail, Snorkel & Kayak

Highly recommended trip in key west. We travel to tropical places a lot and take a lot of tours and this tour was a highlight for myself and the kids. We showed up at 10:33 for a 10:30 departure and they were nice enough to let us on, I wouldn’t recommend it though. Get there early and avoid a trip to Dunkin’ Donuts before your adventure in Florida! Took 30 mins for coffee and one sandwich!! The tour was great, snorkeling was good. Not a lot of sea life but the first time for the kids so was gentle waves and a good learning experience. The kayaking was heaven. Saw so many birds and the wonderful tour guy, who kayaked with us, explained the history and nature around us. Was great with the kids as well. Ages 6,9,10, and 8. Highly recommend your and I would do it again. The kids are still talking about it!!

Great trip! Crew answered the many questions about the boat and local sailing. (Quite a few of us were sailors) The first surprise, was how well the crew waited on the passengers. They were constantly serving water and soft drinks on the way out. The ride out was extremely smooth. We motored out. My wife didn't sign up for this trip as she gets seasick. The water was very smooth, and the relatively slow speed would not have bothered her at all. Once we arrived at the mooring site, the passengers were split into two groups. Half went kayaking, while the other half snorkeled. As I was an extra single, I was paired up with our tour guide Mario. I enjoyed being paired with an experienced paddler as it was easy to stay in sync. The crew gave a very good briefing on the procedure to enter the Kayaks from the boat. A few were nervous about falling in, but everyone got aboard safely. We then went on a tour of a nearby Mangrove "island". I thought, the briefing could have included a few tips for novice kayakers or people who hadn't paddled a tandem before. The tour of the "island" was great! After we got back to the boat, we swapped with the snorkelers. When I had snorkeled in the Caribbean, it was in about 20 feet of water. (Requiring a dive to depth, holding your breath while swimming around, clearing the snorkel upon reaching the surface, and then breathing in some air for the next "dive". This time, we were in about 6 feet of water. The bottom was too close to dive down too and hovering too close to the bottom would stir up a lot of sediment. The visibility was excellent. The procedure was to basically float on the surface, breath through the snorkel, and watch the sea life. The crew recommended using a pool noodle (provided) to just float around. While I would have preferred actually diving down to a few feet above the bottom, this is a great way for someone who has never snorkeled or might be slightly claustrophobic in a dive mask to give snorkeling a try. After both groups were back aboard, the crew served drinks to those old enough, and severed an excellent lunch. (I wasn't expecting much more than a sandwich). On the way back in, the crew hoisted the sails. Captain Russ did cut the engine for a short time, but there was not enough wind to "sail" back in, so he augmented with the engine. The advertisement did state that passengers could participate in sailing the boat, if desired. However, that was not allowed. Overall, this was a fantastic trip and well worth the money!

The crew, including Russ, Mario, and Bradley, was courteous the entire trip. Their helpfulness and friendliness made the experience a lot of fun and relaxing. The Appledore was clean and well maintained. The snorkeling was fun and we saw a lot of different fish. The kayaking was peaceful and informative (Mario is well informed).

Beautiful day, relaxing fun kayaking and snorkeling. Great captain and crew!! Lots of fun!! Highly recommend!

We had a great trip on March 19th 2022 with Captain Russ and mates Brad and Mario. Boat left the dock promptly on time with only 10 passengers aboard, so there was plenty of personal attention from the staff. We were offered something to drink upon boarding and at all times throughout the day. After leaving the dock, we motored out to a shallow water sponge garden where we snorkeled until everyone had their fill. Captain Russ explained that a sponge garden is a transition zone for growing fish between the mangroves, where they are born and the reef, where they move to fully mature. I saw a lobster, a couple of sting rays and plenty of small fish nestled among the bottom structure. One school of larger fish swam past me pretty quickly. After snorkeling, we moved on to sea kayaking among the mangroves. Mario led the trip giving us interesting ecosystem and wildlife facts along the way. It was a bit windy and choppy, but the sea kayaks were very stable and no one had any issues on the water. We paddled around the island seeing a number of different fish and bird species and paddled through a narrow channel that led through the middle of the island to the other side. It was neat to explore the inner workings of the mangroves. Once we finished kayaking, we had a lunch of sandwiches, chicken tenders, shrimp and macaroni salad that was prepared by Brad while we were off the boat. Brad moved to Key West from Idaho only 9 days before the trip, but he handled himself very well and was very personable, sharing many stories along the way. The food was good and the drinks were flowing. They had many types of pop, wine and a variety of beers. After lunch, we sailed back to Key West harbor to end the day. All along the way, the staff was very attentive and helpful. They took many pictures of us in the water with our cameras and we got some excellent photos to remember our trip by. It was a nice relaxing day on the water and I'd recommend it for anyone seeking a casual day on the water! Thanks, Russ, Mario and Brad!!

The crew was wonderful. Mario,Brandon and Capt. Russ was great very attentive and helpful. We would again

Very pleasant trip! Enjoyed the boat ride, kayaking and snorkel and the crew + captain Russ were very friendly and professional. I would highly recommend.

Great captain and crew made this sailing snorkeling and kayaking trip a perfect day. Snorkeling Saw a lobster I it’s own habitat for the first time. Kayaking and learning about the flora as well as spotting three sharks was a treat.

The crew was fantastic. Snorkeling was ok. A couple of sting rays, some cuddle fish, and other little fish. Didn’t eat b/c of food allergies. Informed the booking company, but the crew was unaware. So, call the schooner company directly if you have food issues. Drinks were plentiful. Kayaking was superb.

This trip was good family fun. Davin and Mario were great crew members. And captain Russ did a nice job