Hi Anne,
I wanted to let you know how much Mike and I enjoyed our adventure and thank you for the tour and marine ecology information you shared with us. We are thinking about a return trip in September. We would like to try snorkeling with Captain Brian and if possible also do a return trip to the rookery and mud flats. I also wanted to send you a few photos; you are welcome to use them on your web site. Paula Maslar 6/10/2009
We had the best time. We saw so many fish and the coral was amazing. We'd come back to the Key just to do this again. We had Captain Kelly. She was GREAT. We booked this charter based on the comments on the internet. We were delighted with our choice. The O'Brien Family, Ontario Canada, 3/12/2008
The naturalist, Anne, was a joy to have fun with. Her passion for this work and love of the environment was beyond measure. Besides our wonderful captain, the fishing and the snorkeling was terrific. Tarah was the master fisherperson catching a bonnethead shark, a puffer, and every other kind of fish in the sea. We loved the dolphins, the manatee, and the sting ray. The birds were awesome, too. Mary Greenfield of Lincoln, Nebraska, 11/05
We had a great time, I loved the color of the water. We felt pampered. Thank you so much.
Craig and Juaneta Cannon 1/12/01
A wonderful time out fishing, scooting around, and visiting Indian Key. First fish caught by Melissa (3 and a half years old) and a terrific birthday for Brandon. Nice nature insights, too! Thanks.
Linda, Steve, Melissa, and Brandon Lane 1/14/01
Had a great time fishing and touring Indian Key. Dave caught a ‘huge’ grouper and Andrew caught many snapper. Can’t wait til we get our pictures developed. Thanks for the easy adventure! See you next year.
Dave, Sharon and Andrew Kirkland 1/18/01
What a great way to spend our 43rd wedding anniversary. Great Trip.
Carl & Bobbie Scheidel, Dave & Linda 01/18/01
What a wonderful trip. The manatee was beautiful. You gave us great information.
Bruce and Marilyn Dilling 02/27/01
Today we saw a dolphin, a couple of rays, manatees, fish, sea cucumbers, crabs, hermit crabs, a seastar, a conch shell, lizards, and a scorpion fish. IT WAS VERY FUN!! Thanks Captain Anne!! Snorkeling was "a dream" at the light house and the children all caught so-o-o-o-o many fish they didn’t want to stop! 63 fish - all told! Jared counted all the fish and Chris almost caught the monster in the bay! It was a wonderful day! Thanks, Anne.
Cannon & Kindy Charter 04/10/01
"Play it by Ear" trip. It was FUN… Anne’s a great guide diver! Starting out we saw several manatee right in front of the marina. We explored Indian Key and learned about the wreckers and the Indian raid. Next we snorkeled at the Light house and later at a large reef with 7’ tall coral mountains. The grand finale coming in were the 3 dolphins who kept jumping the boat’s wake.
Lynne, Angela, Brenda & Eileen 09/08/01
Had a wonderful time. Saw lots of beautiful fish & birds. This was an experience to long remember. Our guide and captain was very knowledgeable and kind. Thank you!
Neal & Cheryl Young 09/01
Snorkeling was better than Honoma Bay in Hawaii. Awesome! Thanks.
Chris Buell 01/11/01
We had another great time with you, Anne. You have such a great way and are fun to be with. Cheeca Rocks – we need to go back! Thanks.
Wendy Jacobs & Neal Jacobs 01/12/01
We had a wonderful time sunning, fishing, and learning about marine ecology and habitat. The spiny starfish, Portuguese man o’ war and magnificent frigate birds in full display were our special treasures.
John Urow 01/19/02
It was great. The reefs were awesome, definitely the place to go snorkeling. Way better than Pennekamp. Thanks for such a great time.
Michelle Gilmer, Michigan 04/01/02
Anne, Thanks for the awesome time. You’re the best! We were at Hawaii in Oahu and this was far better. Anne is a super entertainer. Scott & Karen Devries 04/01/02
More fish at Cheeca Rocks than we saw in Cancun. And prettier coral! Loved the trunk fish we caught, the kids like the puffer fish. Great day! Great time.
Theresa & John Kenny 04/14/02
The most fish I have ever caught in my life!!!!
Jake Kenny (age 9) 04/14/02
I had fun. I caught 3 fish. We saw nurse sharks.
Jessica Kenny (age 7) 04/14/02
I saw a barracuda. It is the biggest one I ever saw. I think the trip was really good.
Christian (age 8) 04/17/02
Anne, this was a great snorkeling trip and very memorable experience for our kids! I saw more fish (barracuda and sea turtles) than we saw in St. Martin or Oahu, Hawaii. Anne is full of fun facts & great recommendations too! Great trip!
Colleen & Jaw Wolter, Hanover, NH
Anne, Thanks for the great trip. Of all the light houses in the Keys, this was the most enjoyable. Beautiful.
Steve Fields, St. Pete, FL
Anne, this was a very fun trip I had a lot of fun. It was the best. Thank you!!!!
Stephanie Fields (age 11), St. Pete, FL
Captain Anne’s boat tour was a last minute decision for our family. What a decision we made. My daughter and I snorkeled together and experienced together sometime wonderful. Anne is incredible. Soft but very encouraging guide. We found two manatees and she said "who is going swimming with the manatees?" So I did. There is nothing more memorable for me than swimming with them, touching them and looking at their faces with a snorkel mask that Anne threw to me. Than you so much, Anne.
Jennifer and Ronald Bronston, Ryan & Kelly 04/08/03
What a perfect day! So relaxed and informative. It was like spending the day with an ever patient grandma who knew the answer to everything and never tired of "Anne, Anne, what is this??? The snorkeling was awesome. So much more beautiful than the "big" trip we took out from Pennekamp Park! And fishing was fun, too! My kids really warmed up to Anne and loved learning how to race hermit crabs! Thanks for a very fun last day in the Keys!
The Swangers, St. Louis, MO 04/03
This was the highlight of our vacation. Captain Anne is great with the kids and was very patient with everyone. We look forward to doing it again.
John, Christy, Matthew & James Lofye
We joined Captain Anne today to enjoy morning fishing in the bay. The weather conditions were not favorable to fishing due to wind and rough waters. Despite the conditions, we caught may fish including yellow snapper, sand perch, and others. And then…a 5-6 foot nurse shark weighing about 100 pounds was brought in by Dad to end our trip with great excitement by all.
The Russells 04/25/03
Three great wildlife experiences in one two hour charter! Are you kidding? You want to see? This lady can show you.
E. McCabe, Miami Beach, FL 04/17/02
Great trip. Kids and adults alike had a very good time. Captain Anne loves to teach and went out of her way to accommodate our 9 year olds "requests" (lots of them). Thank you.
Banje Family, Miami, FL 06/20/03
Anne, thank you so much for an experience of memories that will stay in our memories forever. Your incredible personality also made our trip as pleasant as the snorkeling. Looking forward to bringing our children to enjoy the easy adventure next year. Have a blessed life.
Doyle & Lisa Reid, Austin TX 07/31/03
AWESOME !! I HAV NEVER CAUGHT A COWFISH WITH MY BARE HANDS BEFORE… Critter Getter tour was educational and exciting; personal guided tour was outstanding. Highly recommend for all ages and family fun. Ending with the sunset was perfect! Well worth the price.
Pitts Family, Cincinatti, OH 02/09/04
Great to be on the water! Anne, you are a wealth of knowledge! Nice, easy going and comfortable.
Julie Lindsey, Rochester, NY 02/27/04
What a day for wildlife! We saw 2 nurse sharks, one was 6 foot, 3 iguanas and a manatee. The manatee came right up to the boat and we could see his whiskers. People at the boat nearby put a hose in the water and the manatee tolled onto her back and drank the water falling from the hose Next we went fishing at Capt. Anne’s grouper hole and caught lots of fish, even a red grouper. Lots of activity and fun in our 3 hour charter.
The Dillings 02/27/04
The highlight of our wildlife experiences. Getting a close up view of an osprey with his catch was great. But the rookery with the frigates and pelicans was amazing.
Joanne, Steve and Rachel Katz 03/15/04
Thank you, Capt. Anne. You were a great guide and we enjoyed every minute!!
Phil McEntire 01/13/04
We have had a great trip despite a windy day. Annie (10 years old) caught a 15" mangrove snapper! We saw a variety of fish and jellyfish while snorkeling, an iguana and great frigate and other birds! Thanks for a good time and outdoor lessons, too.
The Glasenapps, Mahtomedi, MN 03/24/04
What a day! We started off the morning with a manatee spotting right at the marina. A momma manatee and her newborn baby were just lounging around. Fishing was great. Anne sure knows the good spots! I caught a "huge" grouper within ten minutes! We had a blast snorkeling too. Thanks for such a great time, Anne!
Amy Giese & Eric Foor, Fairfax, Virginia 05/11/05
We had a great day snorkeling. My family had never been on a real snorkeling excursion. Captain Anne was great. She works well with children and lets you choose what you want your day to consist of. This was our second year visiting here and both times. Have used Captain Anne as our guide. This year while fishing my son caught a 37" barracuda with a girth of 14". He is 13 years old. Last year both our children caught 4’ nurse sharks. We caught plenty of fish.
Tom, Cindy, Brittany and Tommy Thornton 06/06/05
This was the best fishing trip ever!
Bayard Diggs (8 years old) 06/13/05
A beautiful and perfect day! Snorkeling and fishing. We saw rays, dolphins, puffer fish, eagle rays and much more! Our family had so much fun!
Jerry, Wendy, Rachel, Sam and Sarah Scheiderich 04/15/04
My wife Ann and I recently spent almost two months in Islamorada. We also spent a good deal of time out on the water with Anne Baxter . We hired Anne on four occasions. Three times she took us out into the "Backcountry," and once she took us out to snorkel at Alligator Light. During that trip we experienced the best snorkeling we have ever seen. The sun sparkled, the seas were flat, and the fish were all in abundance. During our back country journeys Anne showed us all the sights, mangroves, fish, and birds. We have recommended Anne to several of our friends….She is a terrific person who truly cares about her clients. World Wide Sportsman is fortunate to have an "eco" boat available for folks like us who only know about eating fish…not catching them.
Hollis Petersen, Bronxville, NY 03/07/00
We just wanted to say thank you for all our wonderful boat trips with you! The kids really enjoyed (and so did the grownups) it and are still talking about it! You certainly made us feel very comfortable & welcome on your boat. The fishing & snorkeling were great. Thanks again for the great memories!
Nancy & Bob Riggs, Pete, Lindsay & Thomas 07/24/01
What a wonderful time I had with my precious daughter, Anne. We went on an exploring trip into the mangrove alleys. Just the two of us. What beautiful sights we saw! On the edge of the mangrove creek, I spotted a starfish. Anne retrieved it and we examined it. It had suction cup "feet" and I was aware of that as we laid him on the oar. He stuck to it. After scrutinizing him completely, we placed him back where we found him. He landed upside down in the water and we watched him "right’ himself. He took one tentacle and turned it over to grab hold of a solid place. Then each tentacle in turn reached out and grabbed hold until the starfish had "righted" himself completely. What a privilege I have to be able to go visit a daughter who is such an extremely interesting person!
Captain Anne’s Mom
Capt. Anne: "Gee, if I had only known what a beautiful day it was, I’d have gotten up early."
Captain Anne Baxter every day
Best trip of the whole vacation! All three kids ages 11, 8, and five had a blast! Snorkeling was fantastic. Fishing was awesome. And we learned a lot about the Keys and all the "critters" that live here. Thank you, Captain Anne for your patience and a lot of fun! The Hiers Family, Athens, Georgia, 6/22/07
This trip was the best vacation of the week. My name is Haley, age 8. Thanks!