Visit the Fernandina Beach Shrimping Museum and Marine Welcome Center located in the downtown historic district near the marina to discover the local shrimping history and learn about net making, ship building, the families that brought modern shrimping to Florida, and their descendants who keep alive the traditions.
 

Amelia River Cruises offers a seasonal Shrimping Eco Tour! An interactive exploration of Tiger Basin, guests will be coached on the operation of an Otter Trawl shrimp net. Historically developed in Fernandina, this net is similar to the nets used by the commercial shrimp industry today. Deploying and retrieving the net is part of the hands-on experience. The catch will then be displayed in an on-board aquarium and each of the creatures will be identified and released back into the wild. We continue to explore the backwaters and tidal creeks that make up this estuary before returning to historic Fernandina Beach.

“Get Out” to discover Amelia Island's rich shrimping history on the water with a guided kayak tour or private boat nature tour with Amelia Adventures. Captain Thomas Oliver’s grandfather owned a shrimp boat that operated out of the Fernandina docks in the late 1950’s. Today Thomas takes guests on boat tours exploring the shrimping history of Fernandina, out past Fort Clinch and over to see the wild horses of Cumberland Island. Catherine Oliver leads guided kayak tours throughout the waterways of Amelia Island where you can paddle by to see the local shrimping fleet at work. Check out AmeliaAdventures.com for more info, pictures and videos. Book online or call at 904-500-TOUR.

The salt marsh is where shrimp begin their lives and grow until they are big enough to head to the ocean. Join an ecotour in Talbot Island State Park to learn about the life cycle of the local shrimp. There are actually several species of shrimp that live in the salt marsh in addition to the ones that shrimp boats catch offshore. (Tours are 3 hours long, no experience necessary. $65 adult/$55 children under 12 yr.) Make reservations at bookeo.com/kayakamelia (any Marsh, Ft George Island or BarHopping kayak tour) or call 904-251-0016.

From shrimp-themed jewelry or t-shirts to kitchen accessories and cookware, you’ll find shrimp-related memorabilia at shops and boutiques throughout the island. Shop for the perfect shrimp souvenir to take home to remember your shrimp-tastic getaway to Amelia Island!