Fort Lauderdale, FL (March 14, 2017) — This spring, the Fort Lauderdale Water Shuttle will be offering a new kind of tour with an environmental twist. The Blue Discovery Tour kicks off on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at 11 a.m. and will then be held every fourth Saturday of the month.

 

Passengers will be able to enjoy a two-hour narrated boat ride led by marine biologist and photographer Paola Espitia, Co-founder of Ola’pi Creative. Espitia will offer a local perspective of the importance of the coastal ecosystem on the history, culture and everyday lives of south Floridians. Guests may also be able to spot and photograph marine life such as stingrays, ospreys, manatees and the occasional pod of dolphins.

 

“The health and long-term safety of our planet is vital to our livelihood,” said James Campbell, Owner of the Water Shuttle. “With more than 10 years of experience studying and photographing coral reefs, Paola is the perfect environmental guide. This tour will provide guests with an inside look at life on and under the water from past to present.”

 

The tour will launch from the Riverwalk at Riverfront Plaza (300 SW 1st Avenue, Fort Lauderdale FL 33301), in front of Briny’s Irish Pub, at 11 a.m., then head south and continue down the Intracoastal Waterway. The boat will travel under the 17th Street Causeway before passing the ocean access of Port Everglades. It will then cruise by the Nova Southeastern University Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, the Port Everglades seaport and mangrove forests that make up the edges of Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in Dania Beach. The boat will then head back to Briny’s Irish Pub.

 

“My fins are full of stories I can tell from long days underwater,” Espitia said. “Leading the Blue Discovery Tour is my way of sharing what I’ve learned about our local ecosystem and inspiring people to live a more sustainable, ‘blue-minded’ lifestyle. This tour is a great excuse to sit back, relax and have fun while minimizing your carbon footprint.”

 

The Blue Discovery Tour starts at 11 a.m. on the fourth Saturday of every month beginning Saturday, March 25, 2017. Alcoholic beverages are allowed on the shuttle, but glass is not permitted; only reusable containers. Tickets cost $35 per person and can be purchased online by visiting bit.ly/BlueDiscoveryTour or at the Water Shuttle and Riverfront Cruise kiosk located on the Riverwalk in Riverfront Plaza (300 SW 1st Ave., Fort Lauderdale).