FLORIDA EXCURSIONS
EASY WAY TO GET AWAY IN TAMPA BAY SALTY WATER TOURS EMBRACES NATURE’S WONDERS mily Seibert is a naturalist, and it shows.
As the Tour Teacher on the Sea Hare, Seibert embraces a lifestyle of studying the natural environment and passes that passion on to her guests. Together with her partner, Capt. Rob White, they run Gulfport, Florida-based Salty Water Tours. Their company specializes in custom excursions of the Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve and the sprawling Tampa Bay ecosystem. White and Seibert pride themselves on being “Stewards of the Sea”—working diligently to take care of the environment and marine life in the delicate waters of the bay. This is evident in their approach, their attitude and their knowledge. Recently, we met up with the captain and crew at Gulfport Municipal Marina and hopped aboard the Sea Hare, a 26-foot Twin Vee eco-friendly boat that zipped us out to
pristine Boca Ciega Bay in no time. About only 10 minutes after leaving the dock, the Sea Hare was within just a few yards of dozens of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. We watched in amazement as these clever animals jumped, twirled and played alongside our boat, seemingly without a care. As we motored in safe, lazy circles, more and more curious dolphins swam up next to us, often even diving below the boat and resurfacing on the other side with what could only be called a “smile.” At times, the captain sped up enough to create a wake behind us, and many of the playful dolphins dove in and out of it as we zigzagged through the waters. We spent an easy half hour in the same area, interacting with dolphins of all ages—and it was an amazingly engaging show. For the next part of our Salty Water Tours experience, we headed into Lower Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. On
CUSTOMIZED PACKAGES INCLUDE SNORKELING, DOLPHIN WATCHING, SUNRISE YOGA LESSONS, SUNSET CRUISES, SHELLING TRIPS AND MORE.
Boats tie up at Shell Key Preserve, where visitors can snorkel, shell and swim in the picturesque waters.
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PHOTO BY EMILY SEIBERT
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Written by: Dave Kelly
