Port Brownsville Half-Day Boat Tour

Overview

The Port of Brownsville Tour is a 4-hour narrated cruise from South Padre Island across the Laguna Madre Bay and traveling down the Brownsville Ship Channel. Along the way you will see our native Atlantic bottle-nose dolphins and migratory birds. You will learn about South Texas shrimping industry and their fleets, as you enjoy a taste of our local shrimp. You will hear a little history of the area, see decommissioned vessels being dismantled from the top down, oil rigs being built and repaired, and the Port where shipping vessels from around the world load and unload commodities. Upon your return you will see SpaceX launching site off in the distance. Our Captain and Crew make this an enjoyable and educational tour worth your time. Welcome aboard!

City: South Padre Island

Wed 02 Jul

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $43.30

Make a reservation

Wed 02 Jul

Starting at $43.30

Make a reservation

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What's Included

You may bring your own cooler with any drinks or snacks you may like

Coffee, donuts & small shrimp cocktail during the tour

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Upon arrival please request wheelchair assistance. Crew will be glad to assist in boarding the boat.
You are welcome to bring a cooler with your own food and drinks. Please no glass containers.

What To Expect

South Padre Island

LAGUNA MADRE BAY is located between the South Texas coast and Padre Island from Corpus Christi south to South Padre Island, TX. One of the Earth’s 6 hypersaline lagoons, where the salinity is above sea water. It has one of the most unspoiled and protected Eco systems in Texas and the U.S.

Brownsville

BROWNSVILLE/PORT ISABEL SHRIMP BASIN is one of the largest fleets of Shrimp Boats in Texas. This location was established in 1953. KEPPEL AMFELS was established in 1990. They are in the business of construction, refurbishment, conversion and life extension and repair of a complete range of mobile drilling rigs and platforms. PORT OF BROWNSVILLE is the only deep-water port located on the U.S.-Mexico Border, with approximately 40,000 acres of land, 17 miles of waterfront, access and direct route to international bridge crossings and rail connections.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (185)

joesU1415FC

Dec 2023

Captain Murphy's Brownsville Port Tour met and exceeded all our hopes and expectations. So many amazing and interesting sites all along the way with Captain Murphy providing information, many times hillarious stories, history and current goings-on about the area (including the huge nearby SpaceX) the entire trip while also leaving time for us to enjoy all the scenery. We saw ships and boats of many kinds and sizes, some just arriving and others in demolition phases, dolphins racing & playing next to the boat, many construction projects including the first U.S. made offshore wind turbine vessel (Charybdis) and much more. Throughout the trip, deck hands Angie and Essan provided special, professional, thoughtful and kind care to help us understand even more about the area. This was an incredible, 'do again' experience! Plus, the coffee, donuts and shrimp cocktails were special touches. Thank you, Captain Murphy, Angie & Essan! Happy, Healthy & Successful New Year!

Response from Host

Jan 2024

AWESOME!!!!! Thank you for such great feedback our crew always enjoys hearing great compliments from the customers.

Z4853GBnicks

Dec 2023

Pros: Fantastic route including sites in South Padre, Port Isabel, and the entire Brownsville Channel. Staff was helpful and duration of trip was perfect, especially with a shrimp cocktail snack. Lastly, captain (who was on the PA) was very knowledgeable about the area with generations of his family growing up on/near South Padre. Cons: Truthfulness of the commentary was questionable at best, with a high degree of political and anti-environmental bias. While his belief in conspiracy theories was comical (within 5 minutes of tour explained that the Titanic didn't sink but instead a sister ship), the persistence false and bold statements about various industries including oil/gas and wind energy, and the belittling of Mexico made guests question truths vs myths. Overall, would highly recommend a Port of Brownsville tour as it's a vital segment of the regional economy, yet look for other companies or be prepared for political ideologies with Captain Murphy.

Response from Host

Jun 2024

Thank you for your informative review. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your tour over all.

496ba

Dec 2023

Season, Angie, Patrick made this trip fricking amazing! Saw dolphins, full Port explanations, shrimp snack, shrimp boat canal and went through swing bridge! So enjoyed our time and beautiful day. Captain and staff so enjoy what they do!

Response from Host

Jan 2024

We appreciate you taking your time to leave us great a review. Hope to see you back soon.