Wild Side Tours - Thousand Island Eco Tours and Manatee Watch

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Wildside Tours LLC: AKA Cocoa Beach Manatee Watch

The True NATURE of the Lagoon

Capt. Ben Evans is a retired Science teacher and Master Naturalist with an advanced degree in Biogeography and Education.

Wildside Tours LLC is a nature boat business providing a variety of different excursions in the beautiful Thousand Islands Nature Preserve of Cocoa Beach and the Banana River Lagoon. Sightseeing in this area is exciting; the manatees, dolphins and many varieties of birds exemplify nature at its finest. Since our trips are limited to 20 persons, you will get a much more personal experience without school bus seating. We can go into the smaller and channels that larger tour boats cannot access. Come explore this incredible, fragile and dynamic eco-system only 50 miles from Orlando. Practicing ethical, sustainable eco-tourism, we don’t chase, feed or touch the animals. We do passive viewing and respect the environment.

The Wildside Boat is a Coast Guard inspected and documented vessel. Cocoa Beach on the Space Coast is the closest beach to the Orlando theme parks.

Upcoming Special Events!

Discounts : Port Canaveral cruise ship passengers for May and June, 2012. $3.00 off each adult ticket. Cannot combine with other discounts. Call for reservations.

Beautiful sights on our Tours!

ECO-NATURE TOURS

Capt. Ben Evans, M.S. is a retired science teacher/Master Naturalist.
Capt. Jeanette Vasbinder, B.A., with advanced biology classes, has extensive years of local experience as a fishing and nature guide.

This daily 2 ½ hour excursion is our most popular trip and the best value around. We leave from Ramp Road City Park in Cocoa Beach. During manatee season (March-November) we’ll find these gentle, curious giants in the canals, as well as the open channels. Winter has some excellent birding and we could see dolphins any day of the year. The captain or mate narrates, sharing his/her knowledge and appreciation of the diverse habitats and species. Each 6-15 mile tour is unique as we have no set route or presentation, but take into consideration the weather, animals’ location and passengers’ wishes. The quiet motor catamaran with comfortable wrap around seating allows passengers to move around for optimal viewing and to interact with the crew and other passengers. The stability of the boat provides an excellent platform for photographing wildlife. The sun cover and on-board restroom add to customer comfort and relaxation. We provide free soft drinks, water and beer. There are some binoculars for your use. Adults usually appreciate that our tours are educational and informative and just plain fun. Kids will love the surprises we have for them.

Cost (includes tax and city fee & Rates are Subject to Change)*:

Adults: $33
Seniors (60+) & Military: $29
Children (12 and under): $23

All tours depart from 499 Ramp Road, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931

Private Tours

We of course have some beverages on board but you are welcome to bring your own. Food is welcome too but should be finger or lap style. Call with your special request and we’ll work to make it happen. Cost is $395 for up to 20 people for 2 ½ -3 hours. $150 for each additional hour. For the even more adventurous, charter the 21 foot Bay Boat with one captain (up to 5 passengers). It can go fast and shallow but there is no restroom. We can go onto the islands. Cost: $225 for 2 ½ hours on the river; $75 per additional hour $300 for 2 ½ hours on the ocean; $75 per additional hour

Charter the Whole Boat with Captain and Crew for:

Birthday Parties
Anniversary Parties
Business Functions
Island Exploring (Wet Feet & Legs)
Field Trips

Sunsets
Geo-Caching
Spreading Ashes of Loved Ones
Other...We Welcome Your Ideas!

Sunset Cruises

We often charter the boat to include the evening sunset. We do regular sunset tours during the dry season (November – May) on Thursdays and whenever there are enough people interested and the weather is good. A Thousand Island sunset can be as beautiful as any you will ever see. We will talk about the plants and animals we see and play tropical music on the stereo. Since cruises begin 2 hours before sunset and times vary throughout the year, please call for times, dates and reservations. The cost is the same as the eco-nature tours: $33/adults, $29 /seniors 60+ and $23/children 2-12.

BIRDING EXCURSIONS

We do specialty birding-by-boat tours led by experts for serious birders from around the world. We’re honored to do some trips as part of the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival each January but we have good birding on the lagoon from late fall through the spring. Some species are even nesting on Bird Island and in the Thousand islands well into summer.

Tour Leaders Include:

David Simpson, a full-time professional birding tour guide and outfitter with many state records. He lives in central Florida and guides in various exotic locations.
Jim Eager, a passionate birder, who has participated for years in bird counts. He has helped in research of raptors in the Florida Keys and Savannah sparrow in the Carolinas along with being the naturalist/birder for other eco tour boats.
Jim Angy, who can ID the birds even without his camera lens and has the patience and experience to really understand bird behavior.

Some of the habitats include spoil islands, natural islands, mangrove channels, sand spits and the open lagoon. You might also want to include residential canals for more passerines. We provide a library of bird ID books, I Bird Pro and some general use binoculars. You can also charter the 21 foot Skeeter Bay boat to go fast, shallow and quiet with a captain/naturalist.

FISHING TRIPS

Our captains and mates have several decades of combined experience as professional fishing guides and several tournament wins. Kids are welcome! We love to teach and share angling skills. Rods, reels, bait, tackle and fishing licenses are included, for free (along with beverages).

Family Fishing on the Tour Boat

Up to 10 anglers can fish in comfort with a restroom on board (most boats are limited to 6 anglers)

Serious Fishing on the Tournament-Rigged 21' Bay Boat

Charter the boat for up to 4 anglers for fishing with lures, fly rod or live bait. Fish the flats and canals of the Indian River Lagoon or near- shore ocean and bay trolling, chaising bait pods or bottom fishing.

Rates:

Tour Boat Family Fishing for 3-4 Hours: $49/Adults, $35/Kids Under 16 ($250 minimum)
Bay Boat Charters:
- Lagoon/River: 4 Hours - $275/1-2 People, $25 Per Additional Person Up to 4
- Near-Shore Ocean and Bay: $325/2 People, $25 Per Additional Person Up to 4

We catch all of the game fish in our area (some are seasonal) plus hard head cats, pinfish, stingrays, etc. that we cannot seem to avoid. We encourage catch and release fishing with barbless hooks but will let you keep the common, legal size eating fish. We insist on release of tarpon and almost all sharks

NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES AND EVENTS

Of course, any of our boat trips could produce a great photo, but we’re pleased to offer some very unique opportunities for photographers.

Nature Photography Classes:

These will be led primarily by Jim Angy, who is a widely published professional with 40 years of local experience. He is also an accomplished naturalist and birder.

Classes will be scheduled during times when there are good subjects available. Most trips feature the incredible “Bird Island” Rookery and some mangrove channels. We usually leave at dawn and stay about 3 hours or leave 3 hours before sunset. These classes are on the Tourboat with plenty of room for your gear and a limited number of participants. At least a 300 mm lens is recommended.

The classes are usually geared towards beginning, long-lens nature photographers with an emphasis on composition, exposures, the fine points of natural light and catching the animals at the right time and position. An advanced amateur or pro would not be out of place though since these islands are only accessible by a long boat trip and are best shot with a local interpretive guide. We don’t cover Photoshop or advanced editing.

Call to check on upcoming classes or schedule one for your photo club or birding group. The cost is $40, including taxes and free beverages.

Custom trips can be arranged on the shallow water Bayboat or the Tourboat. If you’re a fellow professional photographer, birder or tour leader, please consider leading your own trip with our pros for support; just letting us take you to the perfect spot at the right time.

TOUR SCHEDULE & CANCELLATION POLICY

Schedule: (*For all cruises, plan to arrive 15 minutes before departure. Please call for reservations as weather impacts schedule.)

Nature:
- Year Round:
  - Daily: Departs 10:00 AM and returns 12:30 PM.
  - Daily: Departs 1:00 PM and returns 3:30 PM.
  - Please Note: The afternoon trip on Mondays leaves at 2:00 pm and returns at 4:30 pm.
Sunset Cruise:
- November through May
  - Thursday: Departs 2 hours before sunset (call for times, dates and reservations since sunset times vary throughout the year).
- June through November
  - As weather allows or through special arrangement.
Private Charters:
- Call well in advance to reserve the date and time.

Cancellation Policy

If we cancel a trip due to inclement weather, you can reschedule or not, without charge. (See weather below) If you cancel your reservation, you must do so 24 hours in advance or your credit card will be billed. While your credit card is needed to hold a reservation, it will not be billed unless you choose this method of payment on the day of the tour or do not cancel your reservation within 24 hours of scheduled departure.

Weather

Coast Guard regulations (and the desire for each trip to be safe and enjoyable) require that we may have to cancel a trip on short notice due to weather conditions. If there is a greater than 50% chance of a thunderstorm or small craft warning due to winds, we will usually cancel or attempt to reschedule. Therefore we need to have your cell phone or local phone number to notify you. We also encourage you to call us to confirm within 24 hours of departure time.

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Wildside Tours

We have received your reservation for a nature tour. To hold this reservation, we will need a credit card number; please call any day after 3:00 with this information. The numbers are listed below.

We also need a number where we can reach you on the day of the tour if we must cancel due to weather conditions.

Thank you for booking a tour with us. We look forward to meeting you. Please contact us if you need assistance with directions or other information.

Capt. Ben Evans
Wildside Tours LLC
800-695-1770, 321-799-5495
Capt.benthere@yahoo.com

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