The Captain

Captain Joe

Captain Joe is a seasoned maritime professional and proud New York native, born in Brooklyn and raised in the Hudson Valley region. In 2015, he pursued his passion for the sea by enrolling in the United States Coast Guard’s Captain School in Cape Coral, Florida. After earning his captain’s license, he founded Salt and Mist Sea Tours, offering private boat charters along the scenic coasts of Maine in the summer and the warm waters of Florida in the winter.

With over 1,000 five-star reviews across major platforms, Salt and Mist Sea Tours has established a reputation for delivering safe, memorable and exceptional service while earning the trust and praise of guests from around the world. The company earned TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award every year from 2019 to 2024, placing it among the top 10% of attractions worldwide. In 2024, Salt and Mist was honored as “Best Boat Charter” at the Best of the Bay Awards and recognized as one of Florida’s leading charter companies in the Best of Florida – “Best Boat Charter” awards. The company has also been featured in numerous media publications and television segments throughout Florida, further cementing its status as a premier private boat charter experience.

In addition to his passion for boating, Captain Joe is an avid scuba diver and world traveler. He is the owner of St. Pete Scuba Recovery and has extensive experience boating and diving in locations across the globe. Captain Joe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from American International College. He is certified in First Aid and CPR, is a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver with Nitrox certification, and holds a U.S. Coast Guard Captain’s License.

KELLY “The Dolphin Spotter”

Joining Salt and Mist Sea Tours in 2017, Kelly “the Dolphin Spotter” has been a fixture on most of our Dolphin, Island and Sunset Cruises! While onboard, she’s always on the lookout for dolphins, manatees, tropical birds and other wild life, loves interacting with our passengers while helping them create lasting memories. In her spare time Kelly is an avid rock climber and loves to travel the world.

The Boat

Regarded as the Cadillac of the Sea

Regarded as the “Mercedes of the Sea’, we use our 2022 26′ Sea Ray 230 SLX with a 200hp Mercury outboard engine for all of our tours. With spacious and comfortable seating throughout the boat and a large bimini top for abundant shade, our vessel is perfect for experiencing the Gulf and Bay waters. Our boat has built in coolers, bluetooth surround sound and is equipped with SIMRAD & Navionics GPS. We have all the required US Coast Guard safety equipment such as a VHF radio, whistles, horns, flares, fire extinquisher, (3) Danforth Anchors and Type 1 children and adult life jackets.