st, johns river tours, inc. - day tours

Our two hour Sunday boat tour was wonderful...THANKS to Captain Chris and beautiful Florida weather! It was awesome to see the wildlife in this pristine habitat. Captain Chris had a very nice personality and had a lot of interesting facts to share. Our group of four would highly recommend this boat tour.

Awesome river tour. Our Captain, Ernie Brundage offered a very informative and relaxing tour of the back waters. The trip included some time on the St. Johns River, a ride through some of the Ocala National Forest and a trip to Lake George. We saw alligators, bald American eagles, numerous other bird species and turtles. It was interesting to learn some of the history of the area. Captain Ernie has obviously been doing this for a long time and knows the area and the history very well. My husband and I are boaters ourselves and have traveled many waterways, canals and lakes so we were considering renting a boat and doing this on our own. I am glad that we chose to do this tour with our friends, we would not have seen and experienced everything that we did on our own, even as experienced boating travelers. Will definitely do it again. There is also a restaurant at this location offering river view dining and good food, the Blackwater Inn. The charge for the tour is $25 per person - adult and $15 for children 10 years and under. The tour takes about 2 hours. There are two departure times, 10:30am and 2:30pm. We chose the afternoon one because it is still chilly in the morning. They are closed on Monday.

Our trip was a very good trip. We had family visit from out of town and needed something to do so we chose this trip down the river. Our Captain was Ernie Brundage and he was great. He seemed to really enjoy his job and was very knowledgeable and informative. The only problem was the speaker system and the fact his microphone kept moving away from his mouth making it difficult to understand him at times. We missed probably half of what he was saying because we were seated at the back of the boat. He was really good about getting us into the areas where we could see wildlife. I would differently take this tour again but I would get there early and sit closer to the front.

This is the Florida we all remember from our childhood. A swampy black water river lined with cypress trees and gators sunning along the shore and birds of prey watching us from their perch high above the river. Then you think of the families taking a fake float ride on a Disney World attraction while they are missing this true spectacle of Mother Nature's Florida. The boat captain and owner truly enjoys taking his passengers on the St. John's River, through Blue Creek, and into Lake George, sharing his beautiful slice of Florida twice a day. He shares the history of the river which takes you back in time to the days of the steamboats and early pioneers and visitors to this native land. He knows his wildlife, pointing out every native species of Florida along the water. You end the boat ride feeling exhilarated at what you just experienced.

What a great boat tour. Captain Ernie did a great job telling us about the area and it's history. The wildlife was great. He can spot gators that are hard to see until he points them out and we saw some big ones. Enjoyed the afternoon and would recommend this trip to everyone.

The reviews don't do this tour justice. Captain Ernie did a fantastic job, you're letting the best of Florida pass you buy if you don't take advantage of this tour. It was such a nice break from Disneyworld. Both my wife and daughter agreed that we would put this ahead of the Disney experience, and it cost a LOT less !! Thanks Captain Ernie.

We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon and took some fantastic photos on Captain Ernie's two hour tour of the St Johns River and Lake George! It was a beautiful warm November day to be on the water. We saw several very large gators, lots of turtles and many different species of birds, including six eagle sightings. It was great to be able to get so close to all the wildlife and we came away with awesome photos! The captain was very entertaining, knowledgeable and enjoys his work. We are renting in The Villages, so It was a fun day trip for us. Highly recommend this boat trip!

Visiting from England with friends from the U.S.A. and New Zealand, we had a great afternoon with Captain Ernie. We saw alligators, buzzards, bald eagles, anhingas, herons and even a manatee. And all this with the river higher than it had ever been which should have made things really difficult! Captain Ernie was knowlegable and witty, unless maybe you come from Georgia, and his commentary enhanced our pleasure. I would recommend this trip to anyone.

Captain Ernie provided an enjoyable and educational tour of a beautiful section of the St. John's River and Lake George. Parts of the river and a tributary were remote with sights of unique flora and quiet Florida wildlife, especially statuesque birds. Probably the most peaceful and beautiful boat trip I have taken in Florida!

Thanks Captain Ernie. My mom, sister and I enjoyed spending a very enjoyable afternoon with you on the boat cruise learning about the local culture, history of the river and taking in the beautiful scenery! We had a great time.

We had a wonderful experience with Captain Ernie aboard his boat. He has a great knowledge of the nature, animals and plants.We definitely recommend this tour.

The afternoon threatened rain. When Capt. Ernie learned that our attempt to take his tour about a year ago had been rained out he determined to make the window of opportunity the was weather afforded and left early for the tour (ours had been the only reservation) so that we would not get disappointed again. So it turned out that our party of 4 had a private tour and the St. Johns River, Lake George, and Capt. Ernie definitely did not disappoint. It was a very laid back, relaxing, and informative tour. Loved the beauty of the waterways, the wildlife and vegetation, and the lazy, overcast, Florida afternoon.

Took some visiting family members on this trip recently. The trip leaves from the pier at the Blackwater Inn so you have restroom facilities available before & after the trip. The Captain was very good at explaining all about the flora & fauna along the St. Johns River as well as the bird life. He even stopped and pointed out an alligator nest and gave everyone the opportunity to see it up close & personal (but not TOO personal). The 2 hr. trip is entertaining & at a leisurely pace. You also go up into Lake George a little ways. Bottled water is provided free on the vessel and soda at a minimal cost. The Blackwater Inn at the end provides a good meal for those that wish to dine afterward. A nice way to spend half a day on the river.

Capt Ernie was amazing! Hi knowledge of every aspect of the river and wildlife was exceptional. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in a relaxing, informative river cruise.

Really enjoyed our river cruise with Captain Ernie. It was worth our drive from The Villages, FL to Astor, FL. Weather cooperated and Captain Ernie knows lots of interesting info about the area and the River.