Gulf of Mexico Adventure

A visit to the U.S. Greek Town called Tarpon Springs, Florida is not complete without a boat ride from the historic sponge docks! My husband and I visit Tarpon Springs several times a year and rarely miss a boat ride on the Island Star! The cruise has its own "Naturist," Pam, and the Captains (there are two different ones depending on the day, Brian or Michael) are extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife in the area. The point of this cruise is to see different types of animals, birds, fish, and other critters in their natural habitat. Every time we go we see something different than the time before depending on the time of year and time of day! It could be a day of dolphins, manatees, rays or bald eagle and osprey nests with their young. It is always an adventure. Lately, the crew has been using a net to "fish" from the sea, and they have been pulling live sand dollars from the sea for the passengers to touch! The 75-90-minute cruise always seems to fly by and when we get back to the dock it is sad to say goodbye. You almost feel like old friends when you depart, because they make the passengers feel so comfortable and happy during their time on the boat. There are two marine heads on board and the boat is handicapped friendly! Children are welcome and will enjoy the cruise although I would say it would be more appealing to older children that would be interested in the marine life. The price of the cruise is very reasonable (under $20) the last time we went and they do offer a senior discounted rate.