FMBGN-BIZ-Finnseeker - Dolphins, Sunsets, And A Fresh Start

Dolphins surface, the sky turns copper, and a high-deck cruiser glides from the back bay toward the Gulf—this is where a community’s comeback takes shape. We sit down with Scott and Rob of FinnSeeker Coastal Cruises, two longtime friends who turned a storm-shelved dolphin boat into a polished, family-first experience for Fort Myers Beach. They walk us through the real work behind the romance: buying and restoring the vessel, navigating marina changes from Fish Tales to Joe’s Dockside behind Pinchers, and building a guest journey that blends safety, storytelling, and easy online booking.

Across our time together, we explore how a simple two-hour cruise can power local recovery. Morning and afternoon wildlife tours focus on dolphins, birds, and manatees in calm back bays, while the sunset run edges into the Gulf to chase color when the horizon cooperates. Guests can bring their own coolers, kids under three ride free, and a mic’d first mate shares local history and marine facts that make the scenery come alive. The pair have also added a fresh twist for families: the home of Mini Finny, an interactive augmented reality moment that turns snapshots into smiles without distracting from the water’s magic.

What stands out is intent. Scott’s years managing boats on the island and Rob’s creative background feed a clear promise: safer high-deck views, clean navigation for wildlife spotting, and a steady crew that treats every cruise like a neighborly handshake. Private charters for condo groups, wedding parties, and celebrations widen the impact, sending guests back to local restaurants and hotels with salt in their hair and stories to tell. If you’re curious about the best time to see dolphins, where the Gulf meets the sky at its calmest, or how small businesses are rebuilding the island experience, this conversation is made for you.

Ready to ride along? Book at finnseeker.com, support local operators, and share this episode with a friend who needs a sunset. Subscribe for more neighbor-made stories, and leave a review to help more people find Fort Myers Beach at its best.

FinnSeeker Coastal Cruises
Robb First & Scott Stearns
18400 San Carlos Blvd, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931
239-990-7544
info@finnseeker.com
finnseeker.com

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Transcript

Welcome And Local Shoutouts

Intro/Close 0:00

Welcome to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor Podcast. No shade, just sunshine, drama-free, positive vibes upleep. Each episode we bring you closer to the neighbors, both legends and businesses, that support the local community and make Fort Myers Beach this place of paradise we all love. We want to send out some island love to native shirts USA, Sug Harbor, Nervous Ellies, and the Alex King group. They're the good neighbors and businesses that allow us to share the soul of our community with every listener. Go to the beach chair, grab a drink, and let's keep the people who make this island feel at home. Here's your host, Cabo Jim Shower.

Meet Funseeker Coastal Cruises

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Welcome, good neighbors, to another episode of the Fort Mario's Beach Good Neighbor podcast. Today we have the owners of Funseekers Coastal Cruises. We've got Cabo Wobble Rob and Scott. How are we doing? Pretty good, Jim. Pretty good. How are you? I am doing great. The sun's out, the water's warming up, and uh, I'm ready to hit the beach. How about you?

SPEAKER_03 0:54

Awesome.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:57

Bring it on.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

There you go. So you guys are new new to the area as far as setting up a business here, a cruise business, I guess, right? So why don't you share a little bit what you guys are uh your endeavor here?

From Freedom Boat Club To Ownership

Hurricane Aftermath And New Home Marina

SPEAKER_02 1:10

All right, that sounds good, Rob. I'll kind of I'll spearhead it to the beginning and then you can take over. Um, but basically, I've been down here about six years from Ohio. Um, and I was working as a manager at Freedom Boat Club for the last six years at Fishtail Marina down on the island, uh, Fort Myers Beach. And um, I got an opportunity back in August to purchase their dolphin touring boat that was an existing business before Hurricane Ian, and it was knocked out during Ian. So I purchased the boat in August and uh renamed it. Used to be called the Astero Bay Express. And uh Rob and I renamed it FinSeeker, um, call the business FinSeeker Coastal Cruises. And uh, we've rehabbed it since August and just now getting it up and running. And um, the only unfortunate thing that's happened so far is uh once we got a rehab, they wouldn't let us run it out of fishtail quit at the time at the moment. Um, so we had to move our location over to Joe's dockside marina over on um San Carlos behind uh Pinterest. So we're about four docks behind the uh the Pinchers building there on San Carlos. So we're planning to be in there for about six months, and then we're hoping to go back to the boat's original home, which is Fishtail Marina down in the south end of the island behind uh Centini Plaza.

unknown 2:25

Right.

SPEAKER_02 2:27

That's a little bit of our background.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

There you go. So you're on the you're on the water, you're on the beach. It's it's a good thing, right?

SPEAKER_02 2:33

Exactly. It's shifting from renting boats or putting members out on boats to actually taking people out on boats. So exciting, exciting venture for sure.

Why Fort Myers Beach

SPEAKER_01 2:42

So so why Fort Myers? We've been through a lot of challenges over the last couple of years, but uh why Fort Myers Beach?

SPEAKER_02 2:49

Um, I relocated here from Ohio because my mom's had a place here for 25 years on the island, and uh she's getting up there in age, and so I knew I would um probably needed to take care of her when she's down here six months a year. So I relocated here, um, like I said, six years ago. And um why Fort Myers Beach is because I had that opportunity working at Fishtail Marina at uh Freedom Boat Club. Um, this boat sat there for three years unused, um, just sitting there collecting cobwebs. And so the opportunity kind of presented itself, and I grabbed grabbed the bull by the horns, so to speak.

Taking The Leap Into Business

SPEAKER_01 3:25

So so let's talk about that opportunity for a minute here, you know, uh running a business by the beach in the water, a dream job for most people, right? But we all deal with storms, we dealt with a lot of storms and challenges. Obviously, starting a new business here right now has challenges in its own right. But is there something that you know you've kind of persevered and pushed through to get to where you are today?

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Um, not per se, not really per se. I did own my own business, and Rob did too up in Ohio. Um, I had my own business up there for 31 years and uh sold that. It was a promotional item, promotional products business. Sold that to my brother and moved down here and uh was just looking for something to do and ended up with Freedom Boat Club, which was a great thing for six years. And um, but really, no, it was just the opportunity that was sitting in front of my face. I'm like, I can't um turn this opportunity down because I saw how successful they were at Fishtail, you know, for all those years that I before the Ian. And um they they decided not to get back into that to the racket, and so I uh I just kind of took a leap of faith and and made an offer on the boat and ended up purchasing it. So there you go.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

You left you left your brother up north, that's a good thing, right? You're down here enjoying the warm weather, life is good.

Ohio Roots And Friendly Banter

SPEAKER_02 4:38

Yeah, he's coming down, he's coming down this weekend, he's all excited. He's coming down. Be careful.

SPEAKER_03 4:43

Yeah, that's that's not quite that's not quite true or fair because I'm still in Cleveland. So as Scott sits there and I'm part of this, I'm sitting in Cleveland, so I'm still in Ohio, so let's not let's not offend the uh OH.

SPEAKER_01 4:56

Yeah, well, well, who's whose fault is that, right, Scott? We're down here, right? Exactly, exactly. I keep telling them the door's wide open, come on down.

SPEAKER_02 5:04

I keep telling them that. I you know, I thought I was gonna be the trailblazer and I moved down here six years ago, and I thought you know, people would follow me. And so far, nobody's followed me.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

It it takes a while, but they do eventually. I I have two brothers and they all moved a couple of years afterwards. Yep. So uh the way is down here, so uh yeah, build it, build it, and they will come. So uh that's what we're hoping.

SPEAKER_02 5:27

That's what we're hoping, buddy. For sure.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

Cabo Wobble Rob, you know, you you got my name, but you well, uh I had to I had to ask permission, Scott.

Community Support And Rebuild Spirit

SPEAKER_03 5:38

So don't don't take you know, take it for like I'm trying to offend our friend. But you know, there was there was a moment where we met at uh at the whale, and uh you you stood out as the biggest cabo I'd seen in the last hour since flying in. And I said, There's gotta be a story, and then you and I have connected and uh shared some smiles, and uh in fact, our new marina is in part due to you. So when I called you and and shared, you know, here's our situation and we're looking. So uh I you know we both compliment you on that. But yeah, you stood out with bright colors and the cabo. And just to make it clear, I did the logo for Cabo Wabbo for Sammy Hagar and the bottle. And uh, I have to have some you know ownership to Cabo.

SPEAKER_01 6:22

So I love it, I love it, you know, and that's that's near and dear to my heart. So I appreciate your your work for contributing to that and supporting it, and you know, we'll have to have some tequila later to celebrate that.

SPEAKER_03 6:34

Yeah, we'll have to hold one up high. But uh, you know, again, yeah, we we really want to thank you though, again, because uh, you know, what we're trying to do as you're trying to do, and what I've seen you do, and and uh you know uh support the area knowing what we've been through to rebuild and and knowing what it means to you know entertain and see smiles and and know what we already know. I do get my fair share down there in the in the in the golf. So um just you know uh running day-to-day operations, Scott gets to to handle that. Uh God bless him for that. But uh no, we do have the same, you know, desire and you know, when things were happening and looking at where we're getting news or where we're getting information or what we're doing to work together as a community. So we really want to say thank you for your support, and then obviously getting the word out, and uh, you know, hopefully this will be a good venture for everyone.

Cruise Offerings And Daily Schedule

SPEAKER_01 7:25

Yeah, and it's it's what it's all about, it's about bringing people together in a great area and doing the things we need to be doing, being outside, enjoying the nature, enjoying the beauty of this area. And you know, I applaud you guys for for jumping in because there's a lot of people that right now would say, Well, I don't know if I'd start a business down by Fort Myers, it's not rebuilt yet. Good news is that it every day it gets better and it's gonna continue to get better, and you guys are positioning yourself at the right time in the right place. So I applaud you guys for that.

SPEAKER_02 7:53

That's exactly what we're counting on. Yeah, and we're also hoping and praying for no more uh hurricanes for a few years.

SPEAKER_01 7:59

Yeah, that would be nice, right? We've got uh we got a little streak here going on, so hopefully, we knock on wood, we can keep that going. So um, so let's talk about what you guys do. What types of cruises are you going to be doing? What can people expect?

Group Tours And Private Charters

SPEAKER_02 8:15

Yeah, so we're offering uh three cruises a day, seven days a week. Uh, we're doing a 10 o'clock dolphin tour, um, dolphins and go out and see birds and dolphins and manatees, that kind of thing. Um, and mostly cruising in the back bay. And then uh same thing at one o'clock, although that's another dolphinslash um bird tour. And then at uh five o'clock, we're actually doing a sunset cruise where we take you out from five to seven. Um, all our cruises are two hours long, and we take you out for the sunset cruise and kind of go in the back bay looking for dolphins again. Um, but then we kind of make our way as the sun is setting, we make our way out to the Gulf and just kind of stick our nose out there and watch a beautiful sunset, hopefully. Obviously, you can't guarantee that every time, but um, we we're hoping for a good sunset out there, and then uh we we venture back in. So we allow people to bring their own food, um, their own drinks. If they want to bring a cool a cooler, uh they're able to do that. We are uh kids under three are free. Um then we also on the website have um uh discounts for senior citizens and military uh folks, and um our website's uh super super nice, super polished. And um we have a great uh uh what do you call it? Um shopping cart. Uh it's very, very organized, very well done. And uh I think people will have a good experience on our website, which is finseeker.com.

SPEAKER_01 9:40

So so as an individual, can I come in and join a group or do I do we need to get the whole boat? How does that work?

SPEAKER_02 9:47

That's a really good question. Very good question. So, yeah, um, all our tours, um, all those three that I mentioned, um, the set cruises, those are all um, you can do as few as one person and go up to 35 people. So we've the boat holds 35 people. Um, and those are those are all group situations where you'll be with people that you know, whoever you bring will be with other individuals. Um, but there's also opportunity that you can rent a boat by the hour. Um, if you want to, you know, if you have a um bachelor party, bachelor app party, a family event, or you know, whatever you're trying to do, could be a a condo group or whatever. Um really you could have you know as few as six people probably, you know, you could have a few as one, but six people to 30 people, 35 people would be ideal. And uh you can rent the whole boat by yourself, you know, with the captain and the mate, um, by the hour. So that could be two hours, it could be three hours, four hours, whatever, you know, whatever works out for you.

Onboard Experience And Education

SPEAKER_01 10:42

Very nice, very nice. So, so what other things can our listeners expect when they come out and get on a cruise? You know, we're gonna we're gonna see some dolphins, we're gonna see the sun, we're gonna see the water, right?

SPEAKER_02 10:53

Yep, absolutely. And and then the other thing we try to do is give them some, you know, it's a um uh we've got a mic'd up um first mate. So the first mate's got a little spiel that we give, uh, just talking about some of the um some of the area history, um, just some um stats about dolphins and manatees and that kind of thing. Um, so we kind of make it um little question and answer, see if anybody's got any questions for us. And uh yeah, we just try to make it a fun event. Get, you know, when we're not talking, we have music playing and um just casual, it's supposed to be just a casual, fun day. And uh the other thing we're we're gonna do is we're gonna give out uh little dolphins to the kids. So we've got these little self-damnable dolphins for the kids when they leave. So that's kind of a cool little feature that we do that I don't think others that others out there are doing.

Tech Twist: Mini Finney AR

SPEAKER_01 11:40

No, not at all. And everybody, you know, I deal with a lot of the tourists down here, and you know, they all ask, you know, they want to they want to see a dolphin, they want to see a manatee, they want to see the alligators, and they're like uh sometimes they want to swim with all those. And I'm like, you probably don't want to be swimming with the alligators, but you can probably see one from a distance, right? But there is a lot of wildlife to see when you get on a boat, you know, it's much different than being on the island and driving around or walking through a uh you know a state park or anything like that. You're on the water, you see things from a different perspective, and you know, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 12:12

We try to point, you know, try to point stuff out as we're going past them, you know, past those different things. And we're always obviously looking for dolphins to pop their heads up out of the water, and um those those uh birds that pop that go down and swim for for fish and come coming back up, those are cool. Um, the coreans. Um, so yeah, yeah, we we we look for all kinds of different uh wildlife out there, you know, and not to mention just the sheer beauty of being on the water.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

Absolutely. And you're your experience, so you know you know what to see, where to see, where to expect certain things. So you can make it a great experience for the the people that come on board. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 12:50

One thing that uh Scott kind of alluded to was the idea of what we're doing just to kind of promote, um, and then maybe be unique and stand out, adding to uh the stuffed animal, because those are limited, um, you know, and we're trying to uh work this out so that we're building a family-friendly environment. But we we created something that we're still in the midst of launching and introducing called the home of Minnie Finney. And it's an interactive, uh, augmented reality experience. So when they take a picture and they're on our boat, that uh the kids can interact with this particular picture. And uh I won't give anything away, but uh that is something we're we're adding as a feature set to to the to the uh um experience with us, but it's called the home of mini finney. So kind of maybe ask about that too, because that's gonna be fun.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Yeah, that's and like you said, completely different than what anybody else uh down here is doing. So you you do we'll definitely stand up by that. So yeah, technology is a good thing, right?

SPEAKER_03 13:51

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Very good.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Our boat's fairly high off the water. Um, so I think you feel a little safer on our boat than you do some of some of the guys out there or some of the um the boats out there. Um it's nice and high off the water, and you like I said, you feel very safe when you're on our boat.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

So and and that's the important part, you know. People people trust the captain when they go out, so they're gonna trust that they come back dry and not unless it rains, you know. It is Florida in the summer, we do get rain, so you can't stop that. You can't stop Mother Nature, but um even then, you know, even then it's a great time of this. Anytime's a good time when you're on the water. Absolutely. Yep. So I know you guys, you know, you're very busy getting this business up and going. Your time has been limited, but um, what do you guys enjoy other than tequila and being on the water doing outside of work?

Life Beyond Work: Water And Golf

SPEAKER_03 14:50

Uh go ahead, Ravel. I'll let you go first. Yeah, don't give me the entertainment. Great. Um so uh yeah, anything water. I mean, you know, that's one reason why we've navigated the business, and uh it's one thing that Scott and I have shared. So um, you know, so that could be boating or you know, water sports, and uh we're both avid golfers. So any anywhere I could hit a golf ball and uh not hit it in the in the water, that's always a good thing. So you know, I have to tie that in there. But um, you know, I'm pretty active, so I'm a musician and and then uh do a lot of business development and uh helping people launch companies. So on my on my free time when I'm not doing that, I'm just enjoying a nice uh sunset and uh hoping to be near water.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

Well, yeah, yeah, and I would check with that all about sunshine, um uh hanging out on the beach, boating, love golf. Um, those are kind of our things that um both of us like to do.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

Yeah, anything we can do outside, that's why we live down here, right? You know, I know I know I grew up, I grew up in the Midwest, so uh I do realize owning a boat up there is a little bit different than owning a boat down here because up there you got it for three months and then you store it for the other nine months practically. Down here you can use it year round.

SPEAKER_02 16:01

Yep, god forbid something happens to it during those three months because then you're hosting you can lose your whole year by having a boat right down up there.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

Yeah, I think you pay more to store it than you do actually using it, but they that's a different story, that's why we live down.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:16

Right.

SPEAKER_02 16:16

That's why they want to come down.

SPEAKER_03 16:19

Uh the best friend to have is a friend with a boat. That's it, right? That's why we're on here. So, hey, we've got the boat, right?

How To Book And Current Location

SPEAKER_01 16:27

And I've got friends, I'll bring the tequila. I think we're we can have a good time, right? I love it, I love it for sure. So, how would our listeners go about contacting you if they wanted to schedule a tour or learn a little bit more about what you guys are doing?

SPEAKER_02 16:41

Uh uh your best bet there is to visit us on our website, which is finseeker.com with two Ns. That's F-I-N-N-S-E-E-K-E-R.com. And uh everything you'll need is there. There's a QA there, there's a calendar for calendar for booking. Um, it'll show you the different uh costs and everything between the different uh uh cruises. And um, it's very well done. I think I think your your um members will enjoy uh the experience.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

Very nice, very nice. Any last words for our listeners today?

Support Local And Stay Updated

SPEAKER_03 17:16

I might just add, yeah, I mean I'd just add a couple things. I think uh, you know, through research of what we're trying to help in uh rebuilding Fort Myers and watching some of the environmental changes and and uh you know just uh be patient. Um, you know, really, really uh support local. Um, you know, we're looking at what we're doing and uh how people can find us, and obviously that involves signs, it involves a lot of uh electronic, you know, mediums and and channels, and uh this being one of them and supporting, you know, the the the uh uh entities like uh like Cabo Wabo here and uh Fort Myers Beach, good neighbor. It it's just it's important. I mean, we're gonna be doing some things in our own promotion again, our through social channels and through uh uh points of contact such as hotels and restaurants, and uh, you know, really trying to just find uh more ways for people to experience Fort Myers Beach during this time of rebuild. Um, and our website right now is our primary. Um, and then we're gonna be moving to that other uh well, we've moving moving between the two marinas, which was not our ideal plan, but uh we're fortunate enough to have our location where we have it for now. Um, we've advertised that on the website, advertised that on all of our printed materials. Um, and then at some point when we make a uh a shift and whatever that may be, we'll try to you know keep people posted. But yeah, just kind of continue to support local and uh we'll do our job to create that experience as well.

SPEAKER_01 18:48

Very good. I and I applaud you guys again, once again, for bringing your business to Fort Myers, having awarewithal to to push through the struggles, I want to say, to get a business up and running, man. A hundred percent, you know, support the local people, the people that live here and support here, and you know, are your neighbors? So uh again, thank you guys for being such good neighbors, and uh, we're gonna see you on a cruise real soon with uh a bottle of tequila and a sunset. How's that sound?

SPEAKER_03 19:15

Uh one added one added piece. I have to get up there, so don't don't don't go without me.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Uh well you better you better hurry, man. The weather's getting nice down here. I'm not gonna brag, you know. I think we just skipped, we went from winter right into summer, so you'll be good.

SPEAKER_03 19:31

All right, I'm in. I'm in. I'm sure we'll talk soon.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

You guys take care. Thank you again.

SPEAKER_02 19:36

Yeah, thank you very much, Jeff.

Intro/Close 19:44

If you loved what you heard, share it with a friend and keep the good vibes going. Until next time, remember to cabo until you wapbo and keeping the good neighbor. Also, to not make your favorite neighbors, local legends, heroes, or local businesses to be on the show. Go to fmbgoodneighbor.com. That's fmbgoodneighbor.com or call 239-427-4100. Want to send us an island loved State Insurance USA, Stuck Harbor, Irvingellies, and the Alex King Group. Here the good neighbors and businesses that allow us to trip the soul of our community and listener. Here's celebrating all that makes support Myers Beach, this life of paradise we all love.