Glass Bottom Boat – Pennekamp Park

Really awesome… had a fantasic time. Anyone visiting the Keys has to do this. Park is beautiful.

How fun! I’ve never been on a glass bottom boat before — I may never again, due to being SOOOOO motion sick, but I’m glad I went. The visibility is amazing once you get out to the reef — just make sure you have your «party bag» available if you have the slightest tendency to motion sickness. We saw turtles, rays, a nurse shark, and innumerable fish. Totally worth the price and the time. Narrators were wonderful!

Very cool. The narrators were knowledgeable and helpful. The boat was clean and comfortable. Saw lots of stuff on the reef and in the way. The Ocean was magnificent. We bought two other boat rides while vacation in Florida. This one was the best.

Air conditioned boat. 2.5 hour trip. Friendly, easy to understand guides. They have snacks, drinks, Dramamine, puke bags and bathrooms on the boat. They have two sets of clear areas to look through – nicely numbered. If the guide isn’t on your side you may not see what they do and feel left out. It would be nice if they had a screen to show what fish they are talking about or colored guide/​sheets.

Wow, my wife and I have definitely seen better than this Glass Bottom Boat tour. We went on a hot Saturday afternoon. That was our first mistake. There was at least 100 people on board and it was so crowded. It is a long boat ride out to the reef. While you can see some fish, most of the fish are small and not very many of them. We didn’t see any schools of fish. I have scuba dived and snorkeled for years and this reef almost looked dead to me. What my wife and I saw was lots of broken and dead coral on the sea floor. My wife has snorkel with me in the past and I have to hold her hand because of her fear of water. So this day, they said they had 2 – 3 foot waves with white caps. So we elected to go on the Glass Bottom Boat for her safety rather than the snorkel boat. On the Glass Bottom Boat she took lots of pictures but 95% of the pictures were pretty much worthless. While what you see might look like a good picture to take, often it turns out you can’t distinguish what the image is when you look at the picture later in the day. The other problem on the boat were some of the younger crowd who sat down below. It was announced to keep all hands, legs and feet behind the white rope. Well these certain individuals didn’t think the rules really applied to them. Even when they were asked a 2^nd and 3^rd time they continuously and deliberately put their hands, feet and legs out to block other people views. Finally we moved to another spot.
The positives were we got to be on a boat on a hot day. The guide was informative. It was relatively a comfortable ride out to the feef and back.
My suggestion if you want to go on this boating experience then: 1) Go on the first boat in the morning, 2) Don’t go on a weekend day, 3) Ask how many people are on the boat for your particular cruise (50 or less is a nice number), if they tell you their in the high 70’s or higher look at another boat trip. If their approaching 100 people definitely pick another day. I really hope this helps others.

Normally I would prefer to go on a snorkel boat ride but since my wife and daughter are scared of fish that was not an option. Luckily thanks to Unilocal!we found this great activity at Pennekamp and didn’t even need to get in the water. We opted for the 9:15 tour and am definitely glad we did as the day got hotter and hotter.
It’s $ 24 for adults and $ 17 for kids over 4. Under 4 is free! You can also find an online coupon for $ 5 off the 9:15 tour which I only found after unfortunately.
The ride to Molasses reef is kind of long at 45 minutes and the kids were definitely restless by the time we arrived. The ride is nice though and I suggest you sit outside to enjoy the view. When the boat slows down I would then rush to get a prime spot inside. Our tour was not very crowded so pretty much everyone was able to see but I can see this being a problem on a more packed tour.
We saw a stingray, sea turtle, the tail of a very large Grouper (800 pounds!), and multitudes of fish and coral. The captain did a great job navigating over sights once called out by the crew member on the mic. It’s easy to get nauseous staring out the windows on the bottom so if you do just go outside for a bit.
On the way back they had engine problems so the ride back took about 15 minutes longer. Since we didn’t have as much speed it seemed much hotter on the way back. I felt bad for the next 2 tours of the day.
Overall I would say this is a great activity if you have never done it before. I don’t know if I’d do it again but it was great fun with the family.

What an awesome afternoon. We boarded at 3:05 and enjoyed nearly 3 hours of boating, viewing reefs, and sun
This was a great way to view the top of the Keys, John Pennekamp also great for camping, make reservations 11 months in advance!

My boyfriend and I were in the Keys for the weekend. We decided between all the friend’s gatherings that we were going to break away for something touristy. I am really happy that we decided that because the glass bottom boat tour was so much fun.
We got on the boat, and the young girl guided us through the tour. The ride there was a little stop and go because of all the other boat traffic. Once we got to the reef, it was great. We sat down over the glass area, and watched the sea life do it’s thing.
We had great seats because a nurse shark, a sting ray, turtles, and so much more was right there. The girl who was the curator was absolutely amazing and entertaining. She turned Meghan Trainor’s song, «All About That Bass» into a fun and educational shark song. Even if I tried to describe it, I would not do it any justice.
The ride back was even better though. We ended up taking the 3:15 p.m. tour, which meant the ride back was around 5 p.m. ish. We caught the sunset on the way back. It was really romantic and beautiful.
I had a great time. The staff was so entertaining and educational. I would definitely come back and do it again sometime.

There’s very little to do with kids in Key Largo, it’s really all about scuba, fishing and drinking. But if you are there with kids, you should pay a visit to Pennekamp state park and especially the glass bottom boat trip on the «Spirit of Pennekamp». Boat’s in great shape and the crew is top notch. Head upstairs to the top deck for the ride out to the reef. There’s great bird watching along the way and plenty of opportunities for photography. Once you get to the reef, head downstairs to view the coral and fish through the windows. The wildlife experts on board are very knowledgeable and you will leave with a better understanding of how this amazing part of nature works. And if you’re lucky, you’ll see some dolphins on the way back! Hands down, this was the best part of our trip to the Keys.

My boyfriend and I went out on a date/​mini vacation here. It was okay. It became rainy at times, and the tides were not friendly to us. By the time we got out to the reef we had been so seasick that we could not stomach looking down at what was there. I was able to get a few pictures but I don’t think we’ll do it again.

Fun way to see the reef for people who don’t want to get wet! We saw plenty of fish, rays, and even a nurse shark. Boat crew is knowledgeable and very professional. They have a snack bar and two restrooms on board. Plenty of places to sit inside and outside of the ship.

Had a great time on this glass-​bottomed catamaran. Staff was knowledgable and the ride was super pleasant. I could tell that the driver was tuned in to what was going on down below because he would try to maneuver the boat so we could see more. The sealife was beautiful and interesting, keeping even my 2 year old engrossed for the whole time. Definitely worth the money and time.

I thought the Glassbottom boat was a great alternative since I came with my family and not everyone was interested in snorkeling. They have a $ 5 off deal if you decide to go at 9:15am (per person) which is really nice if you have a large group of friends. It did get hot as we were returning from the reef. I can’t imagine how hot it would be had we gone in the afternoon! The bottom deck is AC’d so you can always hide out there.
The staff here is really friendly and willing to answer all your questions. They told us to arrive early because sometimes there’s traffic from the gate of the park to the Concessions Building. (No traffic since we went in the morning but a ton when we were leaving) The crew is prompt, and we departed on time. It takes about 30 minutes before you’re out on the reef. Sit on the top deck and enjoy the view and sea breeze. When you’re there and viewing from the glass bottom, it can get a little bumpy. So if you’re sensitive and was sea-​sick before, be careful! Take some anti-​emetic medicine! I don’t get sea sick easily, but I felt a little dizzy too. The tour guide is really good at narrating and jumping between the different windows to show and tell.
I think this is a good experience for people who want to see the coral reefs but don’t necessarily want to get in the water. Your view is slightly limited because you can only see what the boat is directly over. The captain does move the boat around so you can see different areas of the reef. For those who want more, probably try snorkeling/​diving.

Here’s the thing: At the desk where you pick up your ticket, they display a chalkboard with today’s water conditions. It’s important for you to pay attention to how high the seas are. Remember, this isn’t Silver Springs, where it’s always peaceful river water. They travel several miles out into the open ocean to get to the reef. Now, you may be a seasoned sailor; that’s fine. But If the seas are three feet or more over that reef (yep, three feet), bunches of people around you are going to get sick. (Or they’re going to go topside to keep from getting sick, thereby missing the underwater scenery.) You have to decide in advance whether that is a problem for you.
The crew is outstanding. They know their underwater sights and do a good job of pointing them out. And they have a seemingly limitless supply of paper towels, and bless their hearts, they will clean up vomit for you. I can’t tell you how much I respect them for that.

We had a fantastic day at Pennekamp Park and rode the Glass-​Bottom Boat tours on the «Spirit of Pennekamp» boat.
I can’t think of a better way to spend 2.5 hours without the mess, freezing cold and fuss of actually snorkeling the reef. We spent some time in the Mangrove «bowling alley» that leads out to the Atlantic. Upon entering the Atlantic proper, we hauled a$$ up to 14 knots to get out to Molasses Reef.
We found out that the Florida Keys is the third largest coral reef in the world under Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Reef of Belize.
We saw three sea turtles, barracuda, stingrays and so many beautiful fish and coral varieties.
The tour does a great deal to explain conservation as well and helps us to be mindful of what damage we can do by being careless tourists.
It was a wonderful time!

With 10 minutes to spare, we arrived at Pennekamp Park and were able to purchase tickets to the soon-​departing Glass Bottom Boat.
I’ve only ever been on one other Glass Bottom Boat experience, but the one here at Pennekamp trumps the first one by far. It may have been because the boat wasn’t overcrowded. Or maybe because the design on this boat was much better and allowed for greater visibility of the reefs below. Perhaps even because the tour guides were knowledgeable but didn’t possess those obnoxious tour guide, I’m-fake-excited voices. Plus, the weather was perfect– not too hot, clouds covering the sun, wind in my hair.
This is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon. It’s 24 per person, for a 2 and ½ hour trip that takes you out to Molasses Reef. I’ve seen a couple of reefs in the Keys and this one was brimming with life! We got to see the regular stuff– y’know, sergeant majors, damselfish, snapper, etc. But the most amazing sight during our trip was spotting the GARGANTUAN Goliath Groupers. They can weigh up to 800 lbs! Talk about an intimidating fish!
I highly recommend this trip… We are incredibly lucky to have all this to see right here in our backyard.