Turtle Mound River Tours Delivers Memorable Afternoon

Wildlife and History Highlight Indian River Tour

With the familiar theme from Gilligan’s Island drifting through the speakers, we started our two-hour tour of the Indian River with Captain Bill and his First Mate Caroline.   When we returned to port a few hours later, we had huge smiles plastered on our faces.  A voyage filled with cool wildlife encounters, interesting historical tidbits and a slew of corny jokes is guaranteed to make everyone happy.

Turtle Mound River Tours embarks from the Southern end of New Smyrna Beach three times a day for a comfortable excursion on the placid waters of the lagoon.  The pontoon boat comfortably seats 24 and there is plenty of room to move about.  Captain Bill is a second-generation tour operator who knows this area as well as anyone.  He knows where to find the wildlife, and knows everything about the area’s rich past, and he’s more than happy to share.

The Wildlife

We were underway less than 15 minutes when we spotted our first dolphin, and as we slowed down, we noticed a few more members of the pod playing in the water.  The nimble creatures were breaching and twisting frequently much to the thrill of everyone on board. That alone was an inspiring sight, but then things got better.

As we moved out and the boat picked up speed, a few of the dolphins followed behind the boat and frolicked in our wake, including the one pictured here.  Awesomeness!

About half an hour later, we spotted an aggregation of manatees.  Yup, that’s the word for a group of manatees, and this group was large – probably 8-10 just rolling lazily around the water.  I could sit and watch manatees forever, they are peaceful giants who always make me feel relaxed, but on this day, they were actually very animated.  We anchored about 75 feet away and watched for about ten minutes, and were surprised when a few actually came right up to the boat.

It is illegal in Florida to harass, feed or provide water to marine mammals (dolphins and manatees). Captain Bill follows all of those rules, but he also knows where to go to observe them and how they are likely to behave.  He shared plenty of educational information about these beautiful animals, as well.  When you go on board, ask him how the manatees get fresh water to drink, or where they go when the snowbirds come to town.

In addition to the mammals, we saw plenty of interesting feathered creatures.  There were sightings of herons, egrets, cormorants, ducks, osprey and a bald eagle. The prior day, they came upon a flock of white pelicans.  As Caroline mentioned, every day is a new adventure with new things to see.  And, thanks to annual migratory patterns, just as the manatees head out for the winter, scores of birds flock to the area.

The History

Much of the journey is in the waters of Canaveral National Seashore. It’s a natural wonderland of historical importance, and you will learn plenty about the huge park.  The crew also shared interesting historical tidbits about Turtle Mound and the Timucua Indians who once inhabited the area. They created the famous mound hundreds of years ago.  And, “Yes,” it does look like a turtle mound from the water.

We learned about the old ghost town of Eldora. During their brief existence, the isolated town was a major steamboat destination. We also glimpsed the home of Doris “Doc” Leeper, a local philanthropist who contributed a lot to NSB culture.

Cool Stuff

Other things we discovered on our two-hour tour

• JB’s Fish Camp has a clam lease not far from their restaurant (it may currently be inactive). By the way, the process for growing clams is quite interesting, as we learned on board.
• Oyster beds and crab traps are abundant in these waters, and are actually impromptu navigation aids.
• We learned why the Red Mangrove are known as walking trees.
• We even had a bit of Hollywood trivia.  Did you know a movie about a famous dolphin was filmed in these waters?

NSB Insider Tips

• Return tours are only $17.
• Turtle Mound River Tours is available for private tours.
• They just completed their first craft beer tasting sunset cruise, in conjunction with NSB Brewery.  It sounds like an amazing experience, with lots of cool touches.
• Bring a little cash to tip the crew on your way off the boat.
• Park in JB’s lot and walk to the waterfront to board for your trip.

Bottom Line

Turtle Mound River Tours is one of the most entertaining activities we’ve ever done in New Smyrna.  It’s a wonderful two hour escape, jam packed with fun and educational opportunities.  We will be back, and it gets our unquestioned seal of approval.

Get more info at their website: Turtle Mound River Tours.

If you like what you’ve read here, check out other features on our site, and make sure you Like us on Facebook.  NSB Guide is a local blog keenly focused on sharing the best of New Smyrna Beach to fellow locals, and visitors alike.

Make sure you Like / Follow Us above to keep in the loop, or just to be nice to us…

Thanks!
NSB Guide