Turtle Watching
Nature lovers who visit the island between May and October will find sea turtles coming up to nest on some of the island's visitors. Those beaches are within the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve for the most part, but turtles are sometimes found in more public locations. The best way to get to see the turtles is to volunteer. The reserve is usually looking for people who are willing to go out in the morning and record what the turtles are doing, which is a great way to get access to them.
Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve
261 7th St.
Apalachicola, FL 32320-1388
(850) 653-8068
Fishing
Trips to fish in inshore, bay and deep sea waters are all possible from St. George Island. The catch could include shark, flounder, mackerel, speckled trout, redfish, pompano or sheephead depending on the kind of waters fished and the time of year. Fish like snapper, grouper, sea bass, and the different types of reef shark can be caught year-round, although some fishing charter companies close in January and February.
Journeys of St. George Island
240 E. 3rd St.
St. George Island, FL 32328
(850) 927-3259
Boating and Kayaking
Many of the same companies that operate fishing charters will also rent sailboats and sea kayaks, and even organize group tours around those activities. Kayakers will find they can combine blue and green waters with black water trips up tidal creeks on the mainland, and there is the possibility of combining a sea kayak trip with a short hike on some of the area keys, or also having a dual kayak and snorkeling outing.
Diving and Snorkeling
The aforementioned sea turtles add a little something special to a visitor to St. George Island. After all, if the turtles are nesting on the local beaches, it increases the chances of encountering one at sea dramatically for divers and snorkelers. For divers, farther out to sea in the Gulf of Mexico are ship wrecks, pinnacles and sunken oil drilling platforms. The scuba shops are situated on the mainland in nearby Apalachicola.
N 2 Deep Divers
317 Water Street
Apalachicola, FL 32320
(850) 653-3337
