Ecological Field Trips
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Learning Comes to Life on the Water
SMILE, the Sarasota Maritime Initiative for Learning & Education, is Siesta Key Watersports’ educational program for homeschool families, Step Up for Students participants, co-ops, scouts, camps, and other groups. Through hands-on experiences aboard our vessels, students explore Sarasota’s waterways, encounter local wildlife, practice basic maritime skills, and discover the history and coastal environment of the community we call home.
Each experience combines adventure, discovery, and meaningful learning to inspire curiosity, build confidence, and encourage a lifelong appreciation for Sarasota’s waterways. All programs are created and operated by Siesta Key Watersports and led by the same experienced captains and crew who have welcomed families aboard for more than 20 years.
Our Why
We believe Sarasota’s waterways should be experienced by the families who live, work, and raise their children here, not only by those visiting on vacation.
There is so much for children to discover. They can search for hermit crabs and other marine life at the sandbar, observe birds gathering at the rookery, watch the sky change at sunset, and, when nature allows, encounter dolphins, manatees, rays, sea turtles, and other native wildlife. We want more children to grow up exploring, understanding, and appreciating the waterways in their own community.
Approved Direct Provider for Step Up for Students
We are incredibly proud to be an approved Direct Provider for all Step Up for Students scholarship programs, including Unique Abilities. More than anything, we are excited to help more children get out on the water, experience Sarasota’s wildlife, and understand why this place is so worth protecting.
Our custom 49-passenger catamaran makes spending meaningful hours on the water affordable for families and groups.
Why This Matters to Our Family
Siesta Key Watersports is locally owned and operated by longtime business partners Ben Marchand and Shawn Fontana. Ben and his wife, Heather, are raising and homeschooling their four children right here in Sarasota. Their firsthand experience with homeschooling helped shape SMILE and their belief in hands-on, real-world learning that is both meaningful and accessible.
Becoming an approved Direct Provider required time, persistence, and close collaboration with the Florida Step Up team, but making these experiences easier for local families to access was worth every step. Eligible students can enroll directly in approved Siesta Key Watersports experiences, removing the financial burden of paying upfront and waiting for reimbursement.
Eligible Step Up for Students scholarship recipients can use their funds toward four approved Siesta Key Watersports experiences. You can find Siesta Key Watersports listed under Physical Education in the Step Up Marketplace.
Students join our standard public tours alongside regular guests, much like using scholarship funds to enroll in a public art, music, or fitness class. Each experience offers real-world learning on Sarasota’s waterways. Depending on the trip, students may observe dolphins, manatees, coastal birds, seagrass habitats, and marine life at the sandbar while learning about responsible wildlife viewing and protecting Florida’s natural environment.
Our experienced captains and crew share local knowledge throughout the trip, helping students connect what they see on the water with marine science, conservation, boating safety, and responsible recreation. It is a hands-on way to take learning beyond the classroom while experiencing Sarasota from an entirely new perspective.
How to Book Your Trip:
- Find & Process in the Marketplace: Log into your EMA account, locate Siesta Key Watersports under Physical Education in the Step Up Marketplace, select your experience, and process the request to reserve your student’s funds.
- Book General Tickets Online: Parents, guardians, and any additional family members or group guests should reserve their own tickets online through our standard booking calendar.
- Contact Us for Your Student: Once your main reservation is complete, give us a call with your confirmation details.
- We Add Your Student: Our team will manually add your Step Up for Students scholarship recipient to your existing reservation directly through our system.
- Help Us Make Booking Easy: To keep the process simple for everyone, please complete your Marketplace request and book all non-scholarship guests before contacting us. Then, give us a call with your confirmation number and student’s name, and we’ll be happy to add your scholarship student to the reservation. You can also find answers to common questions in the FAQs below.
Available Tours:
Dolphin & Wildlife Discovery Cruise
10:00 a.m. Morning Tour
Explore Sarasota’s waterways while observing local wildlife and learning about marine habitats, navigation, boating safety, and life on the water.
There is no stop at the sandbar during this tour.
Dolphin, Wildlife & Sandbar Experience
1:00 p.m. Afternoon Tour
Combine wildlife discovery with time at a local sandbar, where students can explore shallow coastal habitats and experience Sarasota Bay up close.
Approximately 45 minutes is spent at the sandbar.
Sunset Dolphin & Wildlife Cruise
Evening Tour, with departure times varying seasonally
Discover Sarasota’s wildlife and waterways during a cruise shaped by the sunset, weather, tides, and whatever nature brings that day.Parasailing & Wildlife Discover
Parasailing trips are available throughout the day.
Enjoy a scenic wildlife cruise with the opportunity to parasail and experience Siesta Key, its barrier islands, and the coastline from an entirely new perspective.
What Might you See & Learn?
No two experiences on Sarasota’s waterways are exactly the same. Depending on the season, weather, and wildlife activity, students may encounter:
- Bottlenose dolphins
- Manatees
- Stingrays and local fish
- Ospreys, egrets, herons, roseate spoonbills, and other coastal birds
- Seagrass beds and shallow marine habitats
- Barrier islands, sandbars, and Sarasota Bay
- Boats, channel markers, bridges, and working waterfronts
***Because wildlife is wild, specific sightings cannot be guaranteed. That unpredictability is part of the experience and often where the best questions begin.
Step Up Pricing Transparency:
Our Step Up rates are averaged from our existing public prices because the provider dashboard does not allow separate student pricing by age, even though our regular ticket prices change at age 11. Every scholarship student receives a VIP ticket with a drink and snack, plus educational keepsakes when available. Public website prices are base rates, with sales tax, booking fees, and credit card fees added at checkout. As a result, we may receive a dollar or two more on some tickets and less on others, but Step Up families are not charged a premium.
Meet Captain Chad!
Captain Chad Lille has been part of Siesta Key Watersports for more than a decade, helping guests experience Sarasota’s waterways since 2014. Today, he leads our Island Time tours, where his favorite moments are often the simplest: watching kids light up when they spot a dolphin, manatee, or something unexpected at the sandbar.
With years of experience on Sarasota’s waters, Chad loves sharing what makes this ecosystem special and teaching the next generation how to enjoy it responsibly. From dolphins and seabirds to tides, seagrass, shells, and marine life, his goal is to help kids understand the waterways they’re exploring and why protecting them matters.
Educational Experiences for Groups
Learning on the water is for everyone. Families, homeschool co-ops, microschools, learning pods, scout troops, camps, youth organizations, and community groups are welcome aboard for private educational experiences created around their interests.
Island Time, our U.S. Coast Guard-inspected catamaran, can accommodate up to 48 passengers. Choose from wildlife cruises, sandbar excursions, sightseeing, sunset cruises, and more. We can also personalize your time on the water with birthday celebrations, custom banana boat rides, catering, and other thoughtful additions coordinated with small local businesses.
Private group availability may be limited during peak season and major holidays, including spring break, Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, and Christmas week. Contact us at skwatersports@gmail.com, and we will be happy to help you plan an experience that feels just right for your group.
Common Questions About Educational Experiences
Our regularly scheduled wildlife cruises are approximately two hours. The sandbar experience is approximately 2.5 hours. Private group charters can be customized based on your group’s plans.
Our regularly scheduled wildlife cruises are approximately two hours. The sandbar experience is approximately 2.5 hours. Private group charters can be customized based on your group’s plans.
Experiences include a U.S. Coast Guard Master Captain, an experienced crew, and opportunities to learn about Sarasota’s wildlife, waterways, coastal environment, and maritime life. Complimentary water is included, and Island Time features comfortable seating and an onboard restroom.
Yes. Children are welcome to bring a lunch box, and groups may bring snacks and a cooler aboard. We can also provide a cooler for your group if needed.
VIP tickets include a soda or Capri Sun and a bag of chips. For private group experiences, we can work with your group leader to arrange catering, Publix subs, or other food options.
Our experiences can be enjoyed by students of many ages. Private group trips can be adjusted around the ages, interests, and needs of your group. Let us know the ages of your students when planning your experience so we can help you select the best option.
Yes. Reaching the sandbar includes entering the water and swimming or wading a short distance. The water is typically around adult waist depth, but depth and conditions can vary with the tide.
Life jackets are available, and our crew will provide instructions before anyone enters the water. Children should remain under the direct supervision of their parent, guardian, or group chaperone.
A sandbar stop is completely optional. Private groups that prefer to remain aboard can plan an educational experience without swimming or visiting the sandbar.
For experiences that include a sandbar stop, students should arrive with a swimsuit already worn under comfortable clothing and bring a towel. There is no private changing area aboard, so arriving ready to swim makes the experience easier for everyone.
We also recommend sunscreen, sunglasses, a secure hat, and shoes that are easy to remove or can get wet. Towels and swimwear are not needed for tours that remain aboard the vessel.
Our Step Up rates are based on our existing public tour prices. Because the Step Up system requires one student price regardless of age, we averaged our regular child and adult rates following guidance from the Step Up team.
Every Step Up student receives our VIP experience, including a soda or Capri Sun and a bag of chips.
Dolphins and other wildlife are wild, so sightings cannot be guaranteed. Every trip is shaped by the conditions and wildlife activity that day.
No. Step Up provides eligible Florida families with one way to access our approved experiences. Homeschool co-ops, microschools, scouts, camps, youth organizations, and other groups may also book directly with Siesta Key Watersports.
What is SMILE?
SMILE, the Sarasota Maritime Initiative for Learning & Education, is a passion project created by Siesta Key Watersports to help more children experience and understand the Sarasota waterways we know and love. Through wildlife encounters, local history, maritime skills, and time with experienced captains and crew, students gain a meaningful connection to our coastal community.
We hope these experiences inspire curiosity, confidence, responsible stewardship, and an interest in maritime careers. Our commitment continues as young adults gain sea time, attend Sea School, and work toward becoming the next generation of Master Captains.
SMILE is our way of sharing what we have learned over more than 20 years on the water and helping Sarasota’s maritime traditions continue for generations to come.
To learn more, or to book your group trip, please contact us at skwatersports@gmail.com