12:00 pm and 3:00 pm, plus 9:30 am on busy days
Day reef tour
Coral heads, sea turtles and schooling fish in full daylight, with a naturalist narrating the whole way out on the reef.
- About 2 hours
- $75 adults, $60 ages 5 to 17, under 5 free
Sunset Cruise in Islamorada
Transparensea offers a two-hour bayside sunset tour departing from World Wide Sportsman Bayside Marina in Islamorada. We leave in the late afternoon, cruise the calm Florida Bay side looking for dolphins and manatees along the mangroves, and catch the sunset on the way home. It is $50 for guests 5 and up, and kids under 5 ride free.
- About 2 hours
- $50 ages 5 and up, under 5 free
- Late afternoon into sunset; midday bayside trips on windy days
- Seakeeper stabilized
Live times and open seats are on the booking calendar. Prefer to talk? (305) 214-5277
At a glance
- How long
- About 2 hours
- When
- The sunset cruise leaves in the late afternoon. On windy days we also run 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm bayside trips in place of the reef.
- Check-in
- 30 minutes before departure at World Wide Sportsman Bayside Marina, 81576 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036
- Best for
- Sunset lovers, windy days, guests who want the calmest ride
- Weather
- Runs in most wind, since the bay stays calm when the ocean side does not.
- Stability
- Seakeeper gyro stabilizer, rated by Seakeeper at up to 95% less roll at anchor. How it works
Live availability
Check dates and book
Pick a date to see open seats and departure times.
Why the Transparensea
What makes this boat different
- Stabilized by
Florida’s only Seakeeper-stabilized glass-bottom boat
Up to 95% less roll at anchor (Seakeeper’s rating)
A gyro stabilizer that pushes back against rocking exactly when we stop over the reef. Steadier view, happier stomachs.
How the Seakeeper works Starts with the sunset
The night tour begins with sunset from the open deck, then lights up the reef after dark.
Learn more: Starts with the sunsetNever a full boat
Certified for 49, we keep it to about 30, so there is room to move and everyone gets time at the glass.
A plan B before cancelling
Too windy for the reef? We run a calm bayside tour instead, and tell you ahead of time.
Learn more: A plan B before cancellingOpen air, full shade
Sea breeze on an open deck with a full roof overhead and a restroom on board.
Bring snacks and drinks
You are welcome to bring your own. Soda and bottled water are sold on board too.
What to expect
Trade the reef for something just as wild
- Turtle grass beds, the occasional lobster, and a window into the bay’s hidden ecosystem
- Open-water cruising with a real shot at spotting a pod of dolphins in their natural habitat
- Mangrove canals where manatees, iguanas and birds make their home
- Same expert narration, same glass-bottom experience, same two hours of calm-water comfort
- $50 per guest ages 5 and up, children under 5 free
How a sunset cruise in Islamorada works with us
The sunset cruise leaves in the late afternoon, so the departure moves with the season, the same way the sunset does. The booking calendar shows the exact time for your date. Check in at the kiosk on the waterfront dock at World Wide Sportsman Bayside Marina (at Bass Pro Shops) 30 minutes before departure.
We stay on the Florida Bay side the whole trip, where the water stays calm even when the ocean side is rough. That makes it the easiest ride on the water for anyone worried about seasickness, and the boat has a Seakeeper gyro stabilizer on top of that.
Want the sunset from the ocean side instead? Our night reef tour also starts with the sunset, then lights up the reef after dark. Here is how the two sunset trips compare.
Windy day tours
Too windy for the reef? We go bayside.
When winds are too strong to run 4 miles out to the reef or Alligator Lighthouse, we take the tour bayside instead: 2 hours in calm water, cruising for dolphins or exploring the mangroves for manatees, iguanas and birds.
2-hour tour
Same length, same quality, just a different and equally beautiful side of the Keys.
Captain’s call
Every departure is based on real-time conditions. When the reef is reachable, we go. When winds pick up, the bay delivers.
We tell you first
If wind is forecast for your date, our team reaches out ahead of time. You’ll never find out for the first time at the dock.
Night tour note
Our night tour is a reef experience, and the reef is worth waiting for. On windy days we keep things closer to shore with our 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm bayside tours, so you still get out on the water safely and comfortably.
Questions about this tour
Is there a sunset cruise in Islamorada?
Yes. Our bayside and sunset cruise leaves in the late afternoon and spends about two hours on the calm Florida Bay side, looking for dolphins and manatees and catching the sunset on the way home. It is $50 for guests 5 and up, and kids under 5 ride free.
What time does the sunset cruise leave?
In the late afternoon, timed to the sunset, so the departure moves with the season. The booking calendar shows the exact time for your date. Check in at the kiosk on the waterfront dock 30 minutes before departure.
Should I pick the sunset cruise or the night tour?
Both start with the sunset. The bayside and sunset cruise stays on calm Florida Bay, looks for dolphins and manatees, and is $50 for guests 5 and up. The night reef tour watches the sunset from the ocean side, then lights up the reef after dark; adults are $75, and it runs only when the reef is reachable. How the two sunset trips compare.
How long is the tour?
About two hours on the water. FareHarbor lists the reef tours at 2 to 2.5 hours, and the booking calendar shows the exact length for your date.
How much does it cost?
Day and night reef tours: $75 for adults (18+), $60 for ages 5 to 17, and free for kids 4 and under. The bayside and sunset cruise is $50 for ages 5 and up, free under 5. Taxes and booking fees are added and shown at checkout before you pay.
What happens if it is too windy for the reef?
The captain makes the call based on real-time conditions. When weather moves your tour from the oceanside reef to the bayside, we contact you first and offer the bayside trip or a full refund. The bayside version is two hours in calm water looking for dolphins, manatees and wildlife in the mangroves, and because Bayside Eco-tours are $50 per guest (ages 5 and up), guests who take it get a partial refund of the difference. If we cancel for weather or other unforeseen circumstances instead, you get a full refund or credit. You never find out for the first time at the dock.
Does the night tour run on windy days?
No. The night tour needs the reef, so on windy days it does not run and only the 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm bayside trips go out. If we cancel your trip for weather or any other unforeseen reason, that is a full refund or credit.
What is a Seakeeper?
A gyro stabilizer mounted inside the boat. A flywheel spinning at up to 9,750 rpm in a vacuum-sealed sphere pushes back against the rocking motion waves cause, automatically and without anything hanging off the hull. Seakeeper rates it at up to 95% less roll at anchor, at drift and at low speeds.
Where do we meet the boat?
At World Wide Sportsman Bayside Marina (at Bass Pro Shops), 81576 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036. Park there and walk through the arches down to the waterfront dock, where there is a check-in kiosk. See directions and parking.
When should we arrive?
Arrive with time to park and check in: our attendant is at the kiosk on the waterfront dock 30 minutes before departure, and boarding begins about 10 minutes before we leave.
See all FAQs or read how to plan your visit.
Other ways aboard
Departs 15 to 30 minutes before sunset
Night reef tour
Starts with the sunset from the water, then the reef after dark under the boat’s underwater lights. Eels, octopus and lobster come out to hunt.
- About 2 hours
- $75 adults, $60 ages 5 to 17, under 5 free
Book the bayside and sunset cruise
Pick a date on the live calendar. Prices, times and open seats shown there are the final word.
Trouble booking? Call us or email info@glassbottomtour.com.