Wildside Tours is an eco-tour which provides an exciting and educational opportunity to view a real mangrove eco-system, the Banana River, and Cocoa Beach canals. A typical experience would include up close and personal viewing of manatees, dolphins, and a constantly changing array of tropical birds. Because our tours are limited to 20 persons you will get a more personal tour and our boat can go into the smaller canals that the larger tour boats can't. This is an ideal way to explore the thousand islands of Cocoa Beach. These delta islands were formed thousands of years ago when hurricane force storms cut through the barrier islands of Florida. The Banana River and the Thousand Islands are a part of the greater Indian River Lagoon and estuary system. Here you will see the red mangrove, white mangrove, and black mangrove. Florida and the Indian River Lagoon are one of the most popular fishing spots in the entire world. Come see this incredible, fragile, dynamic eco-system; only 50 miles from Orlando!

Wildside Tours also, provides tours to view rocket and space shuttle launches, private parties, and custom cruises.

Eco and Nature Tours

Eco and Nature Tours
The “Thousand Islands” really are the “Wild Side” of Cocoa Beach if you love nature. Enjoy an educational eco-tour of the Banana River and the beautiful Thousand Islands nature preserve in Cocoa Beach, Florida on a comfortable 22 passenger catamaran We run daily trips for 2 and 1/2 hours, leaving from Ramp Road city park in Cocoa Beach at 10:00 am. You will travel through the mangrove channels of the nature preserve and the grassflats of the Banana River, seeing lots of birds and dolphins. During manatee season (March-November) we will find these gentle, curious creatures in the residential canals, as well as the open channels. The Indian River estuary system is the most bio-diverse area in North America and the Banana River, Thousand Islands Nature Preserve is the prettiest part of the lagoon. The scenery is spectacular. Birders, photographers, boaters, plant and animal lovers, nature enthusiasts and anyone who loves the outdoors will want to participate in this tour. Captain Ben narrates the trip, sharing his knowledge and appreciation of the diverse habitats and species. Each trip is unique. The 22 passenger catamaran, with comfortable, wrap-around seating, allows passengers to move around for optimal viewing and to interact with the crew. The size and maneuverability of the boat allows us to go into some areas that larger tour boats cannot enter. The stability of the catamaran not only ensures your safety but also provides an excellent platform for photographing wildlife. The sun cover and onboard restroom add to customer comfort and relaxation. We provide free soft drinks and water and have binoculars on board for your use.

Sunset Cruises

Sunset Cruises are popular during the dry season (November-May) and last for 2 hours. You will still enjoy a narrated tour of the eco-system along the Banana River and Thousand Islands and will see tropical birds, dolphins and other plant and animal species. Manatees return to the area in March. The bottlenose dolphins are often more active toward evening. It’s a beautiful, quiet time of the day to sit back, relax and enjoy a Thousand Island sunset that is as gorgeous as any you will ever see.

Cruises begin 2 and ½ hours before sunset, so the time will vary some each month. From December, 2008 to March 7, this tour begins around 3:00-3:30 pm. When daylight savings time begins March 8, the tour will begin around 4:00- 4:30 pm. Please call to confirm the exact departure time just prior to your cruise. The cost is the same as the morning cruise, $29 for adults (plus $1 launch fee and $2 tax) and $18 for children 16 and younger (plus $1 launch fee and $1 tax).

Remember to bring your camera to capture the sunset, as well as well as the wildlife. We will provide free soft drinks and bottled water. A jacket will be appropriate for the cooler evenings.

Specialty Tours

Space shuttle launches, rocket launches, boat parades, holiday parties,
etc will be announced as they occur. These trips are popular and tend to fill
up in advance.

Not only will you get a wonderful, unobstructed view of the shuttle, but
you will also view the mangroves and wildlife of the Thousand Islands and the
beautiful homes of the Cocoa Beach waterfront.

Private Tours

The ♫ “Three Hour Tour” ♫

If you have a larger group or a special occasion, you can reserve the whole boat with Captain and crew for just your party. The rate is $350 for up to 20 people for 3 hours and $100 for each additional hour. This is a perfect opportunity for birthday or anniversary parties, Sunday school outings, business team building, scout field trips, science class field trips, real estate viewing, photography groups or just a BYOB party with friends. You can bring your food, beverages, gifts, assignments, etc aboard. Call us with your special request and we’ll work to make it happen. The time of day can be your choice.

Fishing trips:

Captain Ben has over 20 years experience as professional fishing guide.
For a comfortable half day of family river fishing, we’re a great choice!
Fish in comfort on the tour boat, with live and cut bait provided. Bring the
kids; having been a teacher, Capt. Ben enjoys teaching children to fish.

For the more experienced fishermen, the 20 foot Newport skiff allows
casting lures and live bait while drifting the grass flats and poking into the
mangroves. This does require some skill as an angler.

We also do near-shore, 4-hour trips from Cape Canaveral when the migratory
fish are biting.

Rates:

River Fishing: $49 adults; $29 children under 17 (4-person minimum)

Ocean, near-shore trips: $300 to charter the boat for 4 hours (up to 6 people)

Schedule:

* For all cruises, plan to arrive 15 minutes before departure

• Nature cruise:

Tuesday-Saturday:
1. Departs at 10:00 am and returns at 12:30 pm
2. Departs at 1:00 and returns at 3:30pm.

Sunday and Monday:
Departs at 2:00 pm and returns at 4:30 pm

• Sunset cruise:
1. Tuesday: Departs 2 hours before sunset
2. Friday: Departs 2 hours before sunset
(Since the sunset times are different throughout the year, call us for the exact departure times)

• Private charters:
Call us to arrange date and time of day.
Please make arrangements well in advance to assure that cruises are not already booked.

Cancellation Policy:

If we cancel a trip due to inclement weather, you can either reschedule or will receive a full refund. (See weather below) If you cancel a trip 72 hours before departure, you will get a full refund. If you cancel 24-71 hours before departure, you will get a 50% refund. If you cancel less than 24 hours before departure, there will be no refund.

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. You will get a full refund if you are unable to reschedule. Please bring a jacket or windbreaker because it always feels much cooler at cruising speed in the open river.