Snorkeling Egmont Key

Egmont Key can only be reached by boat. It is located at the mouth of Tampa Bay between Fort Desoto County Park and Anna Maria Island. If you don't have a boat there are several excursion boats out of Saint Petersburg, Florida that offer snorkeling trips of various lengths to Egmont Key.

Egmont Key itself has no facilities whatsoever: no restrooms, no water, no food, no supplies. But most excursion boats have a bathroom on board and also sell water and snacks. Some even provide snorkeling gear.

The bottom is mostly sand, but there are grass flats that can make for interesting snorkeling, and some of the ruins of Fort Dade are submerged just off the beach. The ruins attract fish and various marine life and make for fairly interesting snorkeling. It's not a coral reef, but its better than white sand. The ruins are the main snorkeling attraction.

Water clarity varies quite a bit. Late spring and early summer tend to have the clearest water, but that can be interrupted by strong onshore winds or heavy rains in the area.

Helpful links for more in-depth research on this snorkeling location:

Read TripAdvisor reviews of charter excursions for snorkeling on Egmont Key.

How to Get to Egmont Key State Park

Tampa BayFerry of Hubbard's Marina on St. Pete Beach leaves from Fort Desoto County Park. Visit their website at: http://www.hubbardsmarina.com/um/egmont.html. This can be the least expensive way to get to Egmont Key (but if you want to rent snorkel gear, beach equipment, etc., be sure to check other tours that may offer better value.)

Captain Snow out of Pass-A-Grille operates a 4 hour snorkeling / dolphin watch cruise to Egmont Key.

Captain Hal Batey runs Charlie's Charters out of the Treasure Island Marina near Blind Pass. He provides 2 hour trips to Shell Key and 4 hour trips to Egmont Key for snorkeling and sightseeing. Cap'n Batey guarantees you will see dolphins. Check out the Egmont Key video on his website.

Dolphin Landings Charter Boat Center has a dock on St. Pete Beach behind the Dolphin Village Shopping Center. Visit their website for more info. They won't make the trip if they don't have enough people ( I think they need 6 if I recall correctly).
http://www.charterboatescape.com/egmont_key_fl_snorkeling_shell_island_florida.htm

Adventure Cruises - Captain Ian operates offers daily trips to Egmont Key aboard his 40 foot, 49 passenger boat. Boat leaves from the Corey Causeway (the Pasadena Avenue approach to St. Pete Beach). Capt. Ian also offers trips to Shell Key, sightseeing trips, dolphin watching, and Egmont Key snorkeling trips. The Egmont Key excursion is 4 hours. Snorkeling is optional. Call Cap'n Ian at 727-423-4247 or visit his website at www.adventurecruise.net. Adventure Cruises also offers private charters. More info on their website or by calling.

Tropical Island Getaway Tours operates a private charter service to Egmont Key and Shell Key. Based on their website, you could pretty much design your own trip. They do weddings at sea, area tours, snorkeling, funeral services at sea, etc.

Snorkeling Egmont Key

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