Why Is Shell Island Called Shell Island
Your stay is unlimited, but you must return to the mainland by the end of each day. When purchasing your Ferry ticket, please make sure you check the daily schedule.
You may be able to see dolphins on the Ferry ride. Or, you might even spot them while snorkeling around Shell Island. These are wild dolphins and we don't offer scheduled dolphin encounters. Our Panama City Beach Dolphin Tours offer a great opportunity to see dolphins.
Shell Key is also considered a large nature reserve. The island's nearly half is locked to guests. It allows native seabirds as well as sea turtles to have a small section of undisturbed beach. This preserve is home of many nesting birds, nesting turtles.
Your stay is unlimited, but you must return to the mainland by the end of each day. When purchasing your Ferry ticket, please make sure you check the daily schedule.
In the 1990's, a sandbar located south of Pass-a-Grille Beach became Shell Island. It joined its neighboring island to make one contiguous Island. Pinellas County received a lease agreement from the State of Florida in 2000. This lease allowed them to establish Shell Key, a.k.a. Shell Island) to preserve wildlife. Shell Key, today, is a Florida paradise made of pristine white sand.
The natural reserve at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach Florida includes the Shell Island barrier, which is 7 miles long. This stretch of undeveloped beach, coast scrubland, and pine hammocks divides St. Andrews Bay and the open Gulf of Mexico. Shell Island is a refuge for wildlife, marine creatures, and beach enthusiasts looking for a day out in a serene natural setting far away from the condominiums or resorts that line the shore to the north.
Any shells with no living creatures inside can be kept. For empty shells that aren't broken, you can snorkel or go knee-deep in the water away from the beach landing and main boat landing.
Shell Island can only been accessed by boat. Shell Island Ferry allows visitors to access Shell Island in a safe and easy way. Since its inception, the Shell Island Ferry has been ferrying people between the mainland (and Shell Island) for many years.
Shell Island is seven miles of undeveloped scenery between the Gulf and St. Andrew Bay. At one point, Shell Island was inhabited by Native Americans, Spanish Settlers, and even pirates.
Shell Island can only be accessed by boat, and the Shell Island Ferry is the easiest, safest, and quickest way for visitors to reach Shell Island.
Snorkeling is safe and easy for people of all ages. One of the best things about Shell Island is that the calm shallow water behind the jetty is the perfect place for first-time snorkelers to try the sport.
Shell Island is a nature preserve with no restrooms or any other visitor facilities such as trash receptacles, picnic tables, or shade pavilions. There is no trash removal service. Island visitors are asked to be responsible and take everything they bring to the Island with them when they leave.