Inside the dispute ending Weedon Island’s kayak tours

Kayakers visiting Weedon Island Preserve can paddle through winding mangrove tunnels, pass shallow seagrass beds and search the waters of Tampa Bay for dolphins, manatees and other wildlife.

The roughly 3,000-acre preserve along Tampa Bay’s western shoreline has long attracted visitors interested in exploring Pinellas County’s natural surroundings. For years, ECOmersion has helped them do that, offering guided tours and equipment rentals through one of the region’s largest protected coastal habitats.

ECOmersion plans to end operations Nov. 15, after months of uncertainty over county funding disrupted plans to transfer the business to its operations director. Financial setbacks and a strained relationship with county parks officials also contributed to the decision.

Founder Noah Shaffer said Wednesday that he had already been preparing to step away from the business when the county’s handling of a proposed new kayak concession complicated plans for its future.

Shaffer said county officials informed him earlier this year that his existing agreement would not be renewed. He began making plans to sell the operation, with his operations director hoping to continue the business under a new concession agreement.

Pinellas County issued a request for proposals in May seeking an operator for kayak rentals, guided tours and other services at Weedon Island. Three companies responded, and ECOmersion was the highest-ranked applicant, according to county spokesperson Sara Nealeigh.

But no operator had been formally selected when the county suspended the process.

“The RFP was paused during the County’s budget proposal process because funding for Weedon Island was not initially proposed,” Nealeigh said in an email.

As the Catalyst reported in August, Pinellas officials were considering eliminating county funding for Weedon Island and Shell Key to help close a $42 million budget shortfall. Both preserves are state-owned properties managed by the county.

The proposal drew opposition from residents, environmental advocates and elected officials concerned about the loss of county oversight.

Commissioners reversed course in September, restoring $555,000 for the two preserves in the fiscal 2027 budget. The decision secured another year of operations while officials pursue a longer-term funding arrangement with the state.

For ECOmersion, however, the reprieve did not resolve the uncertainty surrounding its concession.

Although ECOmersion’s existing contract ran through January 2027, Shaffer said the county had previously informed him it would not be renewed. After the county paused its search for a new operator, ECOmersion notified officials Sept. 18 that it planned to close in November.

The county offered to extend the existing agreement three days later, according to county spokesperson Sara Nealeigh. Shaffer declined to continue under the same financial terms.

He said ECOmersion currently pays Pinellas County 27% of its revenue. In an Oct. 2 email, he proposed reducing that share to 10% to account for the financial risks of operating at the preserve.

Those risks had become particularly apparent following hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.

Shaffer said a fallen tree blocked ECOmersion’s main launch, forcing the business to operate at reduced capacity for roughly five months. He said county officials would not allow him to arrange for its removal.

A Jan. 31, 2025, county inspection report confirms the tree was still blocking access to the concession building months after the storms. The inspector noted that the county was responsible for removing it and that ECOmersion was operating from a public launch near the fishing pier.

The company continued paying its full-time employees despite the disruption, Shaffer said. He acknowledged that Pinellas faced widespread hurricane damage but questioned why restoring access took so long, particularly as the business approached its busy spring season.

By the time the county offered to extend the concession agreement, Shaffer said he was unwilling to take on another period of financial uncertainty without more favorable terms.

The disagreement became a point of discussion at Tuesday’s Pinellas County Commission meeting.

Commissioners expressed surprise over ECOmersion’s announcement, which suggested county budget decisions had prompted the closure. They understood that kayak operations would continue after funding was restored.

Before adjournment, a county official told commissioners that parks staff had identified ECOmersion as the party that initiated the cancellation.

Shaffer does not dispute that account. He acknowledged that the decision to leave was ultimately his, but said the county’s handling of the concession had contributed to that outcome.

He said he understood the financial pressures facing county government but maintained that the parks department’s handling of the concession had made continuing the relationship difficult.

The departure has already affected ECOmersion’s employees. Shaffer said the company previously employed eight people, including five full-time workers and three part-time or seasonal employees. Its workforce has since fallen to three, as workers sought other jobs.

He had hoped the business could continue without him, particularly because his staff had already been handling much of its day-to-day operations.

The future of kayak rentals and guided tours at Weedon Island remains unclear. Shaffer believes another operator will eventually take over the concession, noting that the preserve’s calm, sheltered waters and mangrove tunnels make it appealing to beginning kayakers.

“It’s a great location,” Shaffer said. “It has a lot of fundamentals that make it a great kayaking location.”

Nealeigh said the county is continuing to evaluate park operations and services. No replacement concessionaire has been announced, and officials have not indicated when another bidding process might begin.

Visitors can still launch their own kayaks and paddleboards from the public launch near the fishing pier at the end of Weedon Drive NE. ECOmersion plans to continue offering tours and rentals through Nov. 15.

“While this is certainly not the outcome we had hoped for, we are proud of everything we’ve accomplished and the impact we’ve made on our community,” ECOmersion wrote in its Instagram announcement.