Experience the wonder and beauty of one of Florida's crown jewels on an unforgettable Eco-Tour with Capt. Bryon Chamberlin!

Despite being surrounded by more than 2 million people, Tampa Bay offers a surprising amount of unspoiled scenery. In fact, Florida's largest open-water estuary boasts an astounding variety of wildlife and wild areas, including some of the most important seabird nesting colonies in the continental United States. Every summer, these island outposts in the bay host some 40,000 pairs of 25 different species of birds, from brightly colored wading birds like the reddish egret and roseate spoonbill to the stoic and stately Eastern brown pelican. You also are likely to encounter ospreys as they put on a beautiful acrobatic display while hunting for fish below, or even see an American bald eagle soar overhead.

Several kinds of reptiles and mammals inhabit the bay and its more than 100 named tributaries. In the upper reaches of the rivers and streams, where the water is less salty, you may encounter alligators, painted turtles, snakes and even the occasional otter. Where the rivers empty into the bay, you are likely to see raccoons and the diamond-backed terrapin. Once you reach the open waters of the bay, sightings of dolphins and endangered Florida manatees are common. As many as 500 bottle-nose dolphin reside in Tampa Bay year-round, while the summer manatee population of around 100 animals more than doubles in the winter, when these "gentle giants" gather in large herds to bask in the warm-water outfalls of bayside power plants. Three species of sea turtle also feed in the bay, including the Kemp's Ridley - one of the world's most endangered animals. In fact, research has shown that Tampa Bay is an important nursery area for juvenile Kemp's Ridleys which are the size of dinner plates.

There is much to see under the water too! The bay's fertile seagrass meadows - easily visible through the transparent water of Tampa Bay's expansive flats -- support an amazing array of life. You could see horseshoe crabs, blue crabs, conchs, sea squirts and starfish. Fish teem in the living waters of Tampa Bay, including snook, redfish, and huge schools of mullet, as well as squadrons of graceful cow nosed rays swimming wingtip to wingtip like a precision underwater drill team.