Fish-Tale Marina

What Fish-Tale Marina does

Fish-Tale Marina (also doing business as Loggerhead Fish-Tale Marina) is a privately-held, full-service marina and recreational water-activity operator located at 7225 Estero Blvd. on Fort Myers Beach, Florida, owned by Al and Kathy Durrett. The company serves tourists, recreational anglers, boat owners, and community organizations in the Southwest Florida market with a diversified portfolio that includes power boat rentals (a fleet of 16- to 26-foot vessels across Mako, Grady White, Key West, Carolina Skiff, Chaparral, and Pontoon models), narrated dolphin and sunset cruises aboard the 40-foot Estero Bay Express II (USCG-certified, 32-guest capacity), guided back-bay and nearshore fishing charters ($135 per person), and private charter bookings for up to 30 guests. Supporting offerings include boat storage (wet slips for boats up to 65 feet, 250+ high-and-dry storage spaces, jet ski storage), a ship's store selling fuel, bait, tackle, apparel, and provisions, burial-at-sea services, sailing excursions via Great Escape sailing, and the Mound Key historical-ecological tour. Adjacent real estate includes Fish-Tale Waterfront Dining, an on-site restaurant, and Santini Marina Plaza hosting a recurring farmers market and community events.

The business model is fundamentally transactional and multi-stream, with per-person and per-rental pricing across cruises, charters, and tours, complemented by recurring storage contracts, retail hardware sales, restaurant managed services, and event-driven private charter bookings. Distribution is omnichannel: direct on-site sales, online reservations through the embedded FareHarbor booking platform, and a strategic on-water partnership with Walker's Marine Group that brings seven boat brands (Pursuit, Scout, Jupiter, Hewes, Pathfinder, Cobia, Chris Craft) and factory-authorized service for Yamaha, Mercury, MerCruiser, and Volvo Penta engines onto the marina campus. Go-to-market is community-driven, anchored by hosted fishing tournaments (Grouper Grapple, Fallen Eagle Redfish Classic, Mako Family Fishing Funament, Kingfish Mayhem, Feathers and Fish-Tales), the Winter Concert Series, the Fort Myers Beach Film Festival, charity fundraisers, and the Fish-Tale Radio podcast. The marina holds the State of Florida Clean and Resilient Marina designation and Ocean Friendly Restaurant certification, and it participates in the Thousand Reef Challenge with Ocean Habitats, Mote Marine Labs, and FGCU. The company has 11-50 employees and no disclosed funding, parent company, or public-market presence.

Name

Fish-Tale Marina

Legal name

Fish-Tale Marina

Website

https://thefishtalemarina.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fish-Tale Marina is a privately-held, full-service marina on Fort Myers Beach, Florida offering boat rentals, dolphin and sunset cruises, fishing charters, boat storage, a ship's store, and waterfront dining to tourists, recreational anglers, and boat owners in Southwest Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marina and Recreational Boating Services

NAICS

Marinas (71393), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114), Boat Dealers (441222)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Recreation Rentals & Tours Retail Counter (On-site Sales) (CRAMAIAM), Private Charters & Yacht Experiences (Crewed, Bareboat, Day Charters) (THAJAJAB), Marine Wildlife & Birding Cruises (dolphins, seals, seabirds) (THAAAIAD)

Keywords

• Boat rentals
• Fishing charters
• Marina storage
• Dolphin cruises
• Recreational boating

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Myers Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Boat Rentals: Self-service and guided power boat rentals. The marina maintains a fleet of rental boats ranging from 16 ft Mako Skiffs to 26 ft Pontoon Boats, including Grady White, Key West Center Console, Carolina Skiff, and Chaparral models. Customers book online via FareHarbor or in person.
2. Dolphin & Sunset Cruises: Scheduled 1.5-hour narrated Estero Bay cruises on the 40 ft Estero Bay Express / Estero Bay Express II (32-40 guest capacity, USCG certified, handicap accessible). Tickets sold per person; adult $27, children 4-12 $17, children 3 and under free.
3. Fishing Charters: Back Bay and Nearshore Fishing Charters at $135 per person (4-hour trips including bait, tackle, license, and ice). Also Pro Staff Fishing Trips on a 30 custom fishing boat licensed for up to 6 passengers.
4. Boat Storage: Wet slips (long-term and transient with electricity, water, wifi), over 250 high-and-dry storage spaces, and jet ski dry storage. Flexible terms for year-round, seasonal, short-term, and transient dockage. Accommodates boats up to 65 feet.
5. Ship's Store Retail: On-site retail store selling fuel, beverages, snacks, ice, sun protection, gifts, souvenirs, apparel, maps/charts, live and frozen bait and tackle.
6. Fish-Tale Waterfront Dining: Adjacent waterfront restaurant operating on the marina campus, offering special event menus, happy hours, and private dining. Opening announced for January 2017.
7. Private Charter: Private 40 Sunseeker Tour Boat for custom celebrations, work parties, reunions, and birthdays accommodating up to 30 guests. USCG certified with restroom and handicap accessible.
8. Burial at Sea: Maritime memorial services providing vessel and crew for families to scatter ashes at sea, accommodating up to 25 guests. Includes memorial certificate with GPS coordinates.
9. Mound Key Tour: Estero Bay Express historical/ecological tour to Mound House and Mound Key (Calusa capital), including hiking and wildlife viewing (dolphins, manatees, birds). $55 per person; Mound House Members $50.
10. Sailing Trips: Sailing excursions aboard Great Escape sailboat operated by Captain Jay Holloway. Includes romantic sunset cruises and restaurant transfers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fish-Tale Marina operates a full-service marina on Fort Myers Beach, Florida offering power boat rentals (16-26 ft fleet), narrated dolphin and sunset cruises aboard the 40 ft Estero Bay Express, guided fishing charters, wet slip and dry storage for boats up to 65 ft, an on-site Ship's Store retail outlet, a waterfront restaurant, private charter boat hire, and memorial burial-at-sea services. The marina also hosts community tournaments, concerts, and fundraisers and partners with Walker's Marine Group for on-site boat sales and authorized engine service.

Product overview

Fish-Tale Marina is a full-service marina offering a diversified portfolio of recreational water activities and services centered around the Gulf of Mexico and Estero Bay. The core offering combines boat rentals (10+ vessel types ranging from 16ft skiffs to 26ft pontoon boats), guided tours (Dolphin & Sunset Cruises aboard the 40' Estero Bay Express II, Mound Key historical tours, sailing via Great Escape Sailing), and fishing charters (Pro Staff Fishing Trips on a 30' custom boat). Supporting services include boat storage (wet slips, dry storage for 250+ vessels, jet ski storage), a Ship's Store (fuel, bait, tackle, apparel, provisions), private charter vessel for events (up to 30 guests), and burial-at-sea ceremonies. The marina campus also includes Fish-Tale Waterfront Dining restaurant and manages Santini Marina Plaza (farmers market, events). A partnership with Walker's Marine provides on-site boat sales and authorized service for multiple brands. Fish-Tale Radio is the marina's podcast media brand covering local events and fishing news.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Estero Bay Express: Dolphin and sunset cruise tour boat operating from Fish-Tale Marina
• Estero Bay Express II

Products and services

• Boat Rentals

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ocean HabitatsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2019Fish-Tale Marina and Ocean Habitats launched the Thousand Reef Challenge and the One Reef Project in June 2019. The partnership aims to install 1,000 Mini Reef filtration units in Florida's waters. Each unit supports hundreds of fish and crabs and filters approximately 30,000 gallons of water per day. Fish-Tale Marina, as a State of Florida Clean and Resilient Marina, participates to demonstrate its commitment to protecting local waters.
• Mote Marine LabsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Dr. Tracey Fanara from Mote Marine Labs (known as Inspector Planet on Instagram) attended the Thousand Reef Challenge launch via Facebook live to address the press about water filtration and marine ecology.
• Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Marine and ecological studies associate professor James Douglass from Florida Gulf Coast University attended the Thousand Reef Challenge launch to address the importance of filter feeders in the area's backwaters and offer academic support for the project.
• Walker's Marine Group of FloridacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2016Walker's Marine Yacht Sales operates an on-water boat dealership at Fish-Tale Marina, offering new vessel sales, sea trials, and deliveries. Brands include Pursuit, Scout, Jupiter, Hewes, Pathfinder, Cobia, and Chris Craft. The service department provides factory-authorized repair for Yamaha, Mercury, MerCruiser, and Volvo Penta engines. Fish-Tale Marina believes this partnership significantly enhances its capabilities and provides customers with a wider array of services with improved efficiency. Walker's Marine is a certified Yamaha 5 STAR GOLD Service and Mercury & MerCruiser and Volvo Service Center.
• Freedom AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Freedom Alliance is a veteran support organization partnering with the annual Grouper Grapple fishing tournament, founded by Brian Peachey in 2013. The partnership provides combat-wounded veterans with transportation, hotel accommodations, meals, fishing trips, commemorative plaques, and tournament entries. The Grouper Grapple has grown from 16 boats (2013) to 35 entries (2015), serving as therapy for returning veterans through fishing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Snook Bight Marina: Full-service marina in Fort Myers offering wet and dry boat storage, fuel, boat rentals, and on-site dining — closely mirroring Fish-Tale's combined marina/restaurant model in the same Southwest Florida market.
• Salty Sam's Marina: Full-service marina located within a mile of Fish-Tale on Fort Myers Beach, offering boat rentals, dolphin cruises, fishing charters, and wet/dry storage. Operates in the same Estero Bay corridor with an overlapping tourist customer base and substantially the same product set, making it the closest head-to-head competitor.
• Pure Florida: Naples and Fort Myers-based operator of dolphin eco-tours, sunset cruises, boat rentals, and fishing charters on the same Southwest Florida waterways. Directly comparable for Fish-Tale's cruise, rental, and charter revenue lines.
• Marina Jack: Iconic full-service Sarasota marina combining deep-water slips, on-site restaurants (Marina Jack and Marina Jack II), sunset cruises, and charter fishing — a strong comparable for Fish-Tale's integrated marina-plus-dining-plus-tour business model on the Florida Gulf Coast.
• Port Sanibel Marina: Sanibel Island full-service marina offering wet slips, dry storage, fuel, bait/tackle, and charter fishing in the same Southwest Florida boating market as Fish-Tale, with a comparable mix of recreational boating services.
• Bayfront Marina: Naples-based full-service marina offering slips, boat rentals, cruises, and on-site dining adjacent to a tourist shopping district — directly comparable to Fish-Tale's waterfront tourism-and-marina positioning.

Broad incumbents

• IGY Marinas: International superyacht and recreational marina operator with multiple Florida locations offering premium slips, concierge services, and on-site amenities. Comparable to Fish-Tale on the marina-operations core while operating at a meaningfully larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Suntex Marinas: Largest U.S. operator of inland and coastal recreational marinas, owning and managing dozens of properties across the country. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same marina-services category, with overlapping boat storage, rentals, and on-water experiences.

Regional players

• Sundance Marine: Multi-location Florida boat dealer and marina services operator offering new/used sales, service, storage, and rentals. Comparable to Fish-Tale through the Walker's Marine dealership partnership, operating a similar combined retail-marina-service footprint elsewhere in Florida.
• South Seas Island Resort: Captiva Island resort with an on-property marina offering boat rentals, dolphin cruises, and fishing charters targeted at resort guests. Comparable resort-integrated marina-and-tour model, though it serves an on-property captive market rather than walk-in tourism.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FishTaleMarina
• Facebookfacebook.com/FishTaleMarina
• Instagraminstagram.com/fishtalemarina

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fish-Tale Marina