SEAGOING ADVENTURES WITH CAPTIVA CRUISES
Island hop, dolphin watch or enjoy a sunset sail in the Gulf or sound
Southwest Florida’s abundant nature is sure to impresses visitors, but when viewed from the water it becomes a whole new experience. Captiva Cruises voyagers are in for a treat—an unhurried journey into the heart of pristine Pine Island Sound to experience firsthand the ever-changing beauty of sea and sky. With vessels departing from Mccarthy’s Marina and from South Seas Island Resort’s main Yacht Harbour, taking a cruise is easy.
Captiva Cruises General Manager Brad Junghans is passionate about the seagoing adventures that await his fortunate passengers. “We lie at the end of the road, and we take our guests to what lies beyond,” he said. While plying the surrounding waters, you’ll have a chance to spy dolphin fins on the surface and pelicans overhead.
What lies beyond are some fabulous excursions that put passengers in touch with Southwest Florida’s natural beauty and unique history. Pick from a menu that includes dolphinwatch and wildlife adventure trips, beach and shelling cruises, and sailing jaunts.
Among Captiva Cruises’ most popular excursions are the destination trips to islands accessible only by boat—useppa Island, Cayo Costa, Cabbage Key and Boca Grande. “Cabbage Key trips are fun if you want to enjoy the seascape with a great cheeseburger and a cold one,” Junghans remarked with a smile.
Vessels operated by Captiva Cruises are shown in formation in front of Mccarthy’s
Marina on Captiva
Island.
Useppa’s Collier Inn offers two full-service dining options, the Baron Collier Dining Room and the Courtyard Dining Room. The Inn’s Isaak Walton “Cool Calm” Bar and the Tarpon Bay “Watering Hole” provide lighter fare—cocktails and aperitifs. Both bars and the Courtyard come complete with a view of Pine Island Sound.
The Sunset Serenade cruise features live entertainment and a panoramic vision of the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico.
Leading the Dolphin Cruise is a Sanibel-captiva Conservation Foundation expert volunteer, who provides running commentary on the islands, the waterways, the sea life and the wildlife. “We want our trips to be as educational as they are entertaining,” Junghans said. “Captiva Cruises is eco-tourism at its finest.”
Trips are available at almost any hour. “Between Mccarthy’s Marina and South Seas Island Resort’s Yacht Harbour, we run, on average, 15 to 18 excursions every day,” Junghans said. “Our goal is to give our passengers as many exciting adventures on the sea as the day will allow.”
The most popular vessel in the Captiva Cruises fleet is the Lady Chadwick. A comfortable, slow-speed boat, it comes with a fully stocked, light bar and snacks. “I recommend our Bloody Mary,” Junghans said. “We have a special, secret recipe—definitely worth a try.”
The Lady Chadwick is intimately bound to Captiva history. In 1923, Clarence Chadwick bought 400 acres on the island, turning the land into a tropical fruit plantation. “He grew mostly Key limes and coconuts,” Junghans said.
Chadwick’s second endeavor was a hotel, which he built in the late 1920s. “That hotel evolved over time into what we know now as South Seas Island Resort,” Junghans said.
“Our goal is to give our passengers as many exciting adventures on the sea as the day will allow.” —Brad Junghans, general manager of Captiva Cruises
“Chadwick’s wife, Rosamund, is the Lady Chadwick’s namesake.” Captiva Cruises has grown in its 34 years of operation. Along with the sizable Lady Chadwick, which seats 148 people, its fleet now consists of four Coast Guard-certified craft and a handful of smaller vessels for private charters. These additional vessels seat between three and 49 passengers.
“Weather is our main challenge,” Junghans said, “but we can’t control the weather, so we go with the flow. Weather stalls happen only rarely. This is the Sunshine State, after all.”
Junghans has been general manager of Captiva Cruises since 1997, but the enterprise was established in 1986. He confesses to being as taken by the sea as are his customers. “I love watching the faces of people having their first up-close-and-personal experience with dolphins at play,” he said. “I encounter dolphins virtually every day, but seeing them frolic in Pine Island Sound never gets old. After 20 years on the job, they are still a wonder to me.”
Jan Holly has written extensively about Captiva and Sanibel islands and is a regular contributor to TOTI Media.