Backwater Cat Adventure — Local services in Fernandina Beach

Everything was smooth sailing from beginning to the end. This is THE best way to see the parts of Amelia Island from a different view. From the time my husband called to get a little bit of information, there was nothing short of patience answering all of the questions. Booking was super easy to maneuver through. One piece of advice, they fill up quickly. Don't wait till the last minute to book. They do have several times everyday that they go, which is very accommodating. Once booked, all you do is put on your sunscreen and show up 15 minutes before your reserved time. They also provided each boat with several cold waters in a cooler. We had Bobby as our guide. Super informative...and patient. He didn't need patience from us as we were experienced however for the ones that have never driven any type of watercraft before, he had them up to speed and doing great in no time. 😀 There is a small dry space behind the seats you can put your small personal belongings in. It will get bumpy....put what you don't need in this compartment. Once everyone was comfortable and we hit the open water, what an awesome way to enjoy the views on the water. We made several stops on the water along the trip so Bobby could explain what was around us and we could ask questions. He also took pictures of everyone which was really cool! We stopped at Cumberland Island to see wild horses, and even though they were at a distance it was cool to see. We stopped at some landmarks like the fort (picture moment) and he explained some of the history. Saw dolphins up close. Stopped at Tiger Island and got off the boat Overall, if I had to sum it up in one statement, I would say...Just Go! It's a really...

This is a really cool adventure! First, please arrive a little early!!! (We were the almost late group and, while the staff was totally cool, I felt bad that I hadn't properly heard the words "try to arrive 15 minutes early to sign paperwork." ) Plus, we are idiots that didn't apply sunscreen ahead of time, so we held up the group. DON'T BE US!! (Plus, we all ended up sunburnt as heck! Don't forget the water reflects UP from the water onto you, even under the shade!) The boats are SUPER easy to drive and a lot of fun. I never felt unsafe and I'm a worrier by nature. They provide a small cooler and some water bottles, but feel free to bring your own drinks! There's also a dry space for shoes, phones, hats, etc. One of only 2 suggestions would be to allow a visit ON to Cumberland Island rather than the beach visit by the sunken boat. I'm sure that requires some sort of day pass from the park services, but I would pay extra for time on Cumberland. The other suggestion is to give the tour guide more education and a way to be heard better. (I don't have an immediate suggestion for the audio, but I'm sure there's a way besides a bullhorn.) Our guide was super sweet but we had to practically DRAG the information out of him. :) Also, I love the photos but maybe he could try to take a few more when we knew he was there. I seem to resemble nothing if not a walrus in my pictures! LMAO! Overall, I would NOT skip this tour. The ruins are gorgeous and it's the best way to get a quick view of the island (and surrounding islands) to help acquaint yourself to the area. Do it at the start of your trip- you may learn about other places you want to visit...

We’re locals and can’t believe this was our first time trying Backwater Cat! This was so much fun! Ben was our guide, he was extremely knowledgeable and made us feel comfortable on all the ins and outs of the boat (dry storage, maneuvering, safety...) They supply a small cooler with water and you can bring your own snacks/drinks too. Leaving the marina we immediately saw a manatee. A storm cropped up about 20 min into our ride so we returned to the dock. We had checked the radar and nothing was expected but the wind changed direction and there it was. We were given the opportunity to wait it out or reschedule. It was barely a drizzle and moving east pretty quick so we and another couple decided to wait and we are SO GLAD we did. It moved offshore within minutes and we were back on the water, only delayed about 15 min overall and they made up for it at the end. We cruised over to Fort Clinch and Cumberland Island, up the little creeks where the water was like glass. The boats are so much fun, they glide across the water and can turn really well without any fear of tipping over. We saw tons of birds. We came back around to the channel and beached at Cumberland Island and could see the wild horses off in the distance. It was a hot day but the passing storm had cooled things down. Overall it was a GREAT TRIP! I noticed some reviews said they “didn’t see wild life” as if that would somehow be in their control 😂 If we hadn’t seen any wild life this still would have been an AMAZING time! Totally worth it for tourists and locals like us!! I want to come back with friends and...