space coast bOAT TOURS
MEET CAPTAIN CJ
Native Floridian. Lifelong boater. Wildlife enthusiast. Space Coast storyteller.
Banana River Boat Tours is owned and operated by Captain “CJ” Enneking. Captain CJ is a true native Floridian. Growing up motor boating, sailing, and water skiing outside of Gainesville on Lake Santa Fe, he always dreamed of working on the water.
“I live in paradise. I don’t have to go anywhere.” – Captain CJ
As you can imagine, Captain CJ enjoys spending any spare moment on the water. On his days off, he sticks close to home, and you will likely find him camping, fishing, kayaking, canal cruising, or island hopping with friends. When asked where he goes on vacation, he responded, “I live in paradise; I do not have to go anywhere.” It would be his privilege to share his love of the water and his little piece of paradise with you.
All tours leave from Kelly Park East located at 2550 N Banana River Dr. Merritt Island, FL 32952. This Brevard County, FL Park offers free parking and public restrooms.
Our boats have a cooler, ice and complimentary water bottles for you to enjoy. You are more than welcome to bring any food or drinks along for the ride. Please no glass containers on board.
Join us for a two-hour tour of the beautiful Banana River. See dolphins and manatees in their natural habitat on an EcoTour. Come explore the Banana River and learn what makes the area so unique.
Our Mission
At Banana River Boat Tours, we provide exceptional experiences exploring the natural beauty of the Banana River and surrounding areas. With over 20 years of experience, we offer a range of tours led by expert captains and guides, committed to providing excellent customer service, safety, and environmental stewardship.
As a family-owned and operated business, we take pride in sharing our love and knowledge of the local ecosystem with visitors from around the world. Our commitment to protecting and preserving the environment guides everything we do, and we follow strict guidelines and best practices to minimize our impact and leave a positive legacy for future generations.
Our mission is to inspire and create lasting memories for our guests, fostering a deeper appreciation for the wonders of the natural world. We believe that the natural world is a source of inspiration, adventure, and joy, and we are dedicated to sharing this passion with our guests. Join us for a unique and unforgettable experience on the Banana River!
Our Team
Our team members at Banana River Boat Tours are dedicated to preserving the delicate ecosystem of the Banana River while providing exceptional experiences, instilling confidence in our clients through their expertise and passion for the natural world.
Captain CJ
Head Captain
Native Floridian. Lifelong boater. Wildlife enthusiast. Space Coast storyteller.
"Discover the Magic of the Banana River: Book Your Adventure with Banana River Boat Tours Today!"
At Banana River Boat Tours, our experienced and passionate team members with diverse backgrounds in medicine, space, education, and business are dedicated to providing memorable experiences and educating our guests through their expertise, enthusiasm, and commitment to preserving the delicate ecosystem of the Banana River and surrounding areas.
“Welcome aboard!!!” – Capt CJ
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s essential to come prepared whether embarking on a sunset cruise, ecotour, fishing charter, cocktail cruise, or rocket launch viewing. Weather-appropriate clothing is suggested as well as sunscreen, a camera for those picture perfect moments, snacks, food, and drinks. Banana River Boat Tours provides the cooler and ice! Binoculars are also encouraged for sightseeing enthusiasts, however we also have an extra pair onboard.
Yes. For adults 21 and older, you may bring adult beverages onboard. Glass containers are prohibited.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, six people is the maximum amount permitted.
Yes, any person regardless of age counts toward the maximum capacity of six. Anyone under the age of six MUST wear a life jacket at ALL times.
No, we provide them. However, anyone under the age of 6 MUST wear a life jacket at ALL times.
Wildlife is unpredictable and untrained, so there are no guarantees when it comes to tours. However, our experienced captains do their best and use their knowledge and background of Central Florida Boat Tours to ensure our guests have an unforgettable experience they will remember forever.
Please call us at 321-759-TOUR with your credit card information ready to reserve your seat. Nothing is charged until you’re on the boat. If you choose to pay with a card, a 5% cc fee is added to your total.
We have a 24-hour cancellation policy. Should you need to cancel your reservation or change the number of people in your party, please allow us at least 24 hours’ notice. We will take your credit card number to hold your seats and confirm your reservation if you book by phone. If you cancel or change your group size within 24 hours of your scheduled tour time or do not show up for your tour, you will be charged the total price for the tour. If we need to cancel your tour due to weather, you will not be charged.
If we leave the dock, it’s considered a boat tour, so you’re charged. If it scrubs before we leave, you have the first right of refusal for the next time it’s scheduled.
We are very pet friendly however you must book as a private tour because not everyone loves your Fido the way you do!
We are wheelchair accessible. We purposely built the double gate on The Opa to accommodate wheelchairs, both power, and manual. The Lola is wheelchair accessible too. Don’t hesitate to call if you have any additional accessibility concerns.
Yes. Both boats have double Biminis.
There is not a bathroom on the boat. However, we leave from a county park with restrooms and plenty of free parking.
Anytime the weather is a concern, we contact you to ensure that if we need to cancel or reschedule, you aren’t left waiting at the dock in bad weather.
No, we have one that covers all customers onboard!
We provide everything you need to fish within our area, including the bait that works best.
We mostly do catch and release. However, if you catch a keeper and you’re staying somewhere with kitchen facilities, you can enjoy your catch for dinner.
The earlier you book, the better selection you’ll have of time and date for your tour.
We do provide private cruises. Call 321-759-TOUR for details.
Banana River Boat Tours is only a 5-10 min drive from the port. If you book far enough in advance, we can accommodate your time depending on our schedule.
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Captain CJ was very informative, nice and funny. Saw many dolphins, learned about space station and sunset was gorgeous! 
Cathy M
February 26, 2024Would highly recommend! - We had a nice morning for a boat ride. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot. especially about NASA. Favorite part was watching the Dolphins. I captured... Read More 
rookie420
February 12, 2024Great Customer Service - We were scheduled to take the 2 hour sunset tour and encountered a booking problem. The captain/ owner of the tour company went above and beyond to get us... Read More 
Ann Marie D
February 1, 2024Fun trip - The crew was very knowledgeable. Great views and great photo ops. Recommend highly. Comfortable boat 
Trail06416208411
October 20, 2023 - Awesome! - It was just our family of five (kids ages 9, 6, 3) and we had a great time! The two men running the large pontoon did a great job pointing... Read More
Kelsey S
October 13, 2023Shortly after booking, our guide CJ called me to follow up. He also texted the location to meet. We arrived at the meeting point early and CJ was waiting for... Read More 
Hugh R
September 25, 2023Bioluminesence in a proper boat - a top attraction in Florida! - We are a family with teenage daughters who took an evening boat tour with Captain Don to experience the Bioluminescence in the Banana River area. It was amazing! ... Read More 
virginiar12345
August 25, 2023Wonderful.. bioluminescence was amazing - We just returned from a lovely bioluminescent tour with Captain Don and Jack. The trip was amazing and so beautiful. Our guides were so knowledgeable and we enjoyed... Read More 
Judymixon54
July 15, 2023 - Great boat tour of the Indian River Lagoon - We took a 2 hour sunset boat tour of the Indian River Lagoon last night and although there were some challenges due to weather, our tour guides Jen and Jack,... Read More
CompassRose2016
July 8, 2023Fun for All - Great experience! We saw dolphin and manatees, and enjoyed the Captain’s stories! We learned a lot about the animals that are indigenous to that area. We also learned about... Read More 
Jan G
June 22, 2023Great excursion - My friend and I could not have chosen a better excursion. Captain CJ & Jayne were very personable and knowledgeable of the area and space coast was outstanding. We saw... Read More 
T657UCpaulam
June 10, 2023
PHONE
+1 321-759-TOUR
+1 321-759-8687
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