3 to 6 hours · Private · Up to 6
Famous Sandbar Trip
One sandbar stop in three hours, or more with more time.
| 3 or 4 hours | $500 |
|---|---|
| 5 hours | $700 |
| 6 hours | $800 |
Editorial spotlight · Hurricane Hole Marina, Slip F49, Stock Island
2026 Conch Shell Awards nomineeBest Eco/Wildlife Tour
Key West Coastal Charters
A captain with a biology degree, a critical-care nursing career and a 100-ton master's license, running her own 23-foot Parker for six. Sandbar days, custom combos, and a hands-on backcountry eco tour where the bathyscopes come out.
- Sandbar trip
- $500
- Shared seat
- $125
- Tripadvisor
- 5.0
- Guests
- Up to 6
Editorial spotlight. Key West Coastal Charters is a nominee in the 2026 Conch Shell Awards. They did not pay for this page and had no say in it. We earn a commission when you book through the links here; your price is the same.
The captain
Biologist, nurse, divemaster, master captain
Amy Ellington moved from Oklahoma to Key West in 2000 and has worked the water since: a biology degree, a divemaster rating, a career as a cardiac critical-care nurse, and a USCG 100-ton master's license. She ran Sand & Sea Charters on a 28-foot panga before renaming the company Key West Coastal Charters, and she runs it alone.
The boat is Caretta Caretta, named for the loggerhead turtle: a 23-foot Parker center console with a bow bimini, a stern platform and ladder, and a 145-quart cooler. Floats, snorkel gear, bathyscopes and sandbar games are aboard. Pet-friendly. Reviews talk about the ecology and history narration as much as the sandbar.
“Hands-on eco-tour.”
Owner and captain
Capt. Amy Ellington
Owner-operated. Bio on the About page.
The one to book
Backcountry Discovery
Four, five or six hours in the backcountry with a biologist at the wheel: mangrove channels, flats, sponges and grass beds seen through bathyscopes, the birds and the rays named as they go. It is the trip to book if the group asks questions.
The Famous Sandbar Trip is the same boat pointed at the sandbar, from $500 for three hours. The Custom Combo lets you mix sandbar, snorkel and backcountry.
| Backcountry Discovery, 4 / 5 / 6 hours | $700 / $800 / $900 |
|---|---|
| Famous Sandbar, 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 hours | $500 / $500 / $700 / $800 |
| Custom Combo, 4 / 5 / 6 hours | $700 / $800 / $900 |
Whole boat, up to six. Checked against FareHarbor on September 30, 2026.
Check AvailabilityThe boat
Caretta Caretta
A 23-foot Parker set up for shallow water and long afternoons.
Caretta Caretta
- Make
- Parker center console
- Length
- 23 ft
- Guests
- Up to 6
- Aboard
- Bow bimini, stern platform and ladder, 145-qt cooler, floats, snorkel gear, bathyscopes, sandbar games
- Berth
- Hurricane Hole, 5710 Overseas Hwy, Slip F49
Book it
Trips
Private trips are for the whole boat, up to six, all ages. The shared sandbar trip is per person and needs four booked to run. Checked against FareHarbor on September 30, 2026.
4 to 6 hours · Private · Up to 6
Custom Combo Excursion
Choose the activities: sandbar, snorkel, backcountry, sightseeing.
| 4 hours | $700 |
|---|---|
| 5 hours | $800 |
| 6 hours | $900 |
4 to 6 hours · Private · Up to 6
Backcountry Discovery
The hands-on eco tour with a biologist.
| 4 hours | $700 |
|---|---|
| 5 hours | $800 |
| 6 hours | $900 |
4 hours · Per person · 6 max
Shared Sandbar Trip
A seat on a sandbar afternoon without booking the boat. Runs with four or more booked by departure day.
| Per person | $125 |
|---|
The lobstering excursion runs in season (August to March) and had no dates open at this check. Clothing-optional charters and pets are by arrangement: (305) 923-6343.
Before you go
Know before you go
Where to board
Hurricane Hole Marina, 5710 Overseas Highway, Slip F49, Stock Island. Your confirmation has the time.
Included
Floats, snorkel gear, bathyscopes, sandbar games, water, ice and cooler space.
Bring
Your own food and drinks.
Weather
Reviews single out proactive weather calls; if the day is wrong, she says so early.
Pets
Pet-friendly by arrangement.
Reviews
What guests say
- 5.0TripadvisorRating as of September 30, 2026
- #108of 397Boat tours and water sports in Key West, Tripadvisor
- 100-tonMaster captainCapt. Amy Ellington
Reviewers write about Amy's ecology and history narration, weather calls made early and honestly, and a boat that is immaculate and set up for the day.
Questions
Good to know
Who is the captain?
Amy Ellington, a USCG 100-ton master with a biology degree, a divemaster rating and a nursing career. She owns and runs the boat herself.
How many people can go?
Six on private trips. The shared sandbar trip sells seats at $125 and runs with four or more booked.
Where does it leave from?
Hurricane Hole Marina on Stock Island, slip F49.
What does it cost?
Sandbar trips from $500, custom combos and the backcountry eco tour from $700, all for the boat. Checked September 30, 2026.
What is the Backcountry Discovery?
A four-to-six-hour hands-on eco tour of the mangroves and flats with bathyscopes and a biologist explaining what you are looking at.
Go out with Capt. Amy
Private sandbar, combo and backcountry eco trips from Hurricane Hole.
Check Availability