oyster farm tours cape cod

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2024 farm tours | book now.

Come experience all things oyster farming at Island Creek; from the hatchery where we grow our baby oysters, to a boat ride ’round Duxbury Bay where you can shuck until your heart’s content. After all of that, you end up back at our Raw Bar on the water for more oysters, caviar dogs, tins, and drinks with a view. It’s worth the trip! Some people come for the tour and then never leave. You might be next…

Tours will run every Wednesday-Sunday, Starting Friday, May 17th – September 29th with four tours a day: 11am-1pm, 1pm-3pm, 3pm-5pm, 5pm-7pm.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Your tour starts where the oysters do: in our hatchery! See how we recreate the ideal conditions for oysters to reproduce, and learn the stages of growing algae (oyster food). Next, you’ll head outside to the nursery (our land-based upweller system) where our team monitors tiny oysters through a period of exponential growth before they are big enough to be planted out in the Bay...your next stop! Our Captain will guide you out on the water aboard the Nathaniel Winsor, our 27-foot Carolina Skiff, for an up-close look at the heart of what we do. We’ll share oyster tales over drinks, toss back some oysters, and soak up the sun. If you’re up for it, we will even teach you to shuck your own. PRO TIP: add caviar! Following the tour, you’ve got a table reserved for your party back on dry land. Eat more oysters and stay for the view. One thing is consistent at Island Creek: nothing stays the same. So, whether you’ve taken a tour before or not, come see firsthand what we’re up to!

Our farm tours are geared towards adults, however kids are certainly welcome!

We are approved by the US Coast Guard to host up to 12 passengers. Since children count as a passenger a ticket will need to be purchased. Please note this also applies to infants. Unfortunately USCG rules are any human counts towards the 12. 

Please provide your own a life jacket for any child under the age of 12.

Wednesday - Sunday 

May 17th- Sept 29th

11a,1p, 3p, 5p

We have added some additional holiday tours Including 5/29, 7/3, & 9/4.

A 2-hour tour, beginning in our hatchery, property and via our farm tour boat tour duxbury bay. You will receive a lesson in shucking and a bunch of oysters! After the tour you can join us back on land for some more drinks and fresh oysters. 

• Boat is BYOB

Both Private and individual tickets are available. Upon booking your ticket you can select “Farm Tours” which will bring you to individual tickets for tours. “Private farm tour” - you guessed it, will bring you to private tour availability. Private tours are welcome to bring up to 12 guests. Private tours will not be available once a ticket is purchased for that time slot as we only run one Farm Tour Boat.

Price per ticket ranges from $110- $160 depending on which day of the week the tour is. 

Private tours range from $1,320- $1,920 depending on which day of the week.This price is for up to 12 guests. Special pricing on holiday weekends. Please check our booking calendar for holiday pricing.

We suggest arriving 30 minutes before your tour time, this allows you to find parking and make your way to the check in, as well as allows time to check in with your fBoth Private and individual tickets are available. Upon booking your ticket you can select “Farm Tours” which will bring you to individual tickets for tours. “Private farm tour” - you guessed it, will bring you to private tour availability. Private tours are welcome to bring up to 12 guests. Private tours will not be available once a ticket is purchased for that time slot as we only run one Farm Tour Boat. arm tour guides and meet other tour guests. The tour will start promptly at the top of the hour. Please factor in Cape summer traffic into your travels! 

If you are on a private tour we can certainly wait until you arrive, however your tour will still end at the scheduled time. 

If you are running late please email Megan- [email protected] or call the number that you receive the day before your tour. 

PLEASE NOTE:  Our tours run around the tide. That might mean that we start on the boat to assure we can get out on the water. If you are late, the boat will only wait 5 minutes past your scheduled tour time

403 Washington Street, Duxbury, MA 02332​ – Turn into the driveway across from the church, and follow signs on the property for FARM TOURS and PARKING.

Tours are sold exclusively through our booking partner, Fare Harbor and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click the “book now,” button above to get started. Tours are available for purchase the first week in April. Email Karla@islandcreekoysters to be added to our email list to be the first to know when they are available!

Yes! You will even have the opportunity to learn how to shuck from the best!

Cancellation policy :

Tours are non-refundable. If there is an issue caused by weather, and we are unable to take you out on your selected date, we will discuss alternative options on a case by case basis.

Transfer policy:

Tours are transferable if you sell them or give them to another party, so long as you contact us to confirm who will be taking your spot and provide their contact information.

Reschedule policy:

You may reschedule your tour with at least 2 weeks’ notice.

Weather cancellations:

We are prepared to offer your tour on land if there is light weather. If there is an issue caused by severe weather, and we are unable to take you out on your selected date, we will discuss alternative options on a case by case basis.

If you have to cancel your tour please reach out to [email protected] to discuss rescheduling.

Tours are BYOB during the boat portion of the tour only — no exceptions . Feel free to bring your favorite beverage pairing for the ride. PLEASE NOTE: Due to legal constraints, The Raw Bar at the farm is not BYOB, so we ask that if you want to have a drink before or after your boat ride, you purchase one at the bar.

Please be prepared to dress for the weather. When in doubt, bring an extra layer! Wear comfortable shoes that can be worn outdoors, particularly on docks and boats. You will not be getting out of the boat and onto the mudflats, so street shoes are fine. We send an email the day before every tour to check in about weather conditions here in Duxbury expected for your tour day.

Yes, if you have trouble with mobility, we have handicap ramps and parking available. To make things easiest, we suggest you consider booking a tour at high tide because the ramp to the dock gets steeper as the tide gets lower.

ISLAND CREEK OYSTER FARM

403 Washington St,

Duxbury MA 02332

Now Accepting Tours

We are now accepting tours for private groups from 5-12 people, May-June and Sept-Oct. Inquire for available dates and time slots. Cost is $125/ person plus 15% gratuity. Please contact [email protected] with inquiries.

Oyster Farm Tours

Join us on a scenic and interactive oyster farm tour. The farm tour is guided by Stephen Wright who is chock full of oyster knowledge. The tour begins at our shore-side facility on scenic and historic Oyster River. Here you will see how our operation comes full circle with freshly harvested oysters leaving our wholesale facility for local delivery and also see the seed oysters starting their journey in our floating upweller. From there we embark on a scenic voyage via oyster barge up river to the Oyster Pond where our nursery and final grow-out lease are located. Here you will learn the various steps and processes of cultivating 1.2 mm oysters to 3 inch product, finally landing on our processing barge we discuss the ecological benefits of the farm, partake in some oyster trivia and harvest your own oysters which we then serve up back at our private raw bar on the River.

The tour lasts an hour or more. We also offer the tours for corporate events and private gatherings, perfect for team building, bachelor and bachelorette parties, birthdays etc.

Refunds are only issued should we cancel a trip due to poor weather conditions or there are insufficient ticket sales for a particular date.

The Shanty is located at: 393 Barn Hill Road Chatham, MA   02633 508-241-7503 or [email protected]

Intertidal Oyster Stout

An Oyster in Winter

CS Aerial View

Favorite Links

Enjoy fabulous salt water views of our oyster farm on Oyster Pond in Chatham!

Aquaculture

Cape cod aquaculture: cape cod shellfish farms.

Cape Cod shellfish farms ranging in size from large operations to one-person sites. These aquaculture operations primarily produce oysters, though some also grow sugar kelps, bay scallops, and more. Oysters are usually named for the waters they are grown in, and just like wine, many folks have developed a preference for oysters from one estuary or another. The best way to figure out your favorite Cape & Islands’ oyster is to try them all!

Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

Buzzards bay oysters farm.

City/Town: Buzzards Bay

Buzzards Bay Oysters are grown on a small farm located just off the coast of beautiful South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. A scenic boat ride through the harbor of charming Padanaram Village opens right up into Buzzards Bay, where our farm is situated near the old steamship pier at Nonquitt Beach.

Our oysters spend most of their lives in floating cages. They are fed by the ebb and flow of The Bay’s tides, which gently lap the shores of the 60+ acre Nonquitt salt marsh to the east. The farm was carefully placed in a spot where oysters could flourish– in a sheltered site, secluded from excess interference, with a good tidal exchange… oh, and the view is a nice bonus.

Falmouth, Massachusetts

Ward aquafarms.

Address: Megansett Harbor, North Falmouth, MA 02556 Geo Code: 41.653643, -70.630005 City/Town: Falmouth

Description: Ward Aquafarms produces oysters, sugar kelp, and bay scallops in North Falmouth, East Falmouth, and Orleans. In addition to the market sized shellfish, Ward Aquafarms also sells oyster and bay scallop seed. They also collaborate with scientific groups, and helps the towns of Bourne, Orleans, and Falmouth with their shellfish propagation programs.

Barnstable, Massachusetts

Barnstable Seafarms

Geo Code: 40.711493, -70.279078 City/Town: Barnstable Address: 98 Governors Way, Barnstable, MA 02630

Description: Growing oysters at two sites in Barnstable Harbor and in Osterville, Barnstable Seafarms supplies Sandy Neck and Garrison Point oysters to local restaurants and wholesalers. They have been operating since 1991 and offer raw bars for events as well as oyster tours through the Audubon Society.

Blish Point Oyster Farm

Address: Barnstable Harbor City/Town: Barnstable Geo Code: 41.721874, -70.342203

Description: According to shellfish distributor Pangea Shellfish Co, David Cranshaw of Blish Point Oyster Farm produces cocktail oysters with deep cups and clean shells in Barnstable Harbor. The oysters are naturally tumbled naturally by the ten-foot tides.

Scorton Creek Oysters

Address: 90 Alderbrook Ln, West Barnstable, MA 02668 City/Town: West Barnstable Geo Code: 41.721199, -70.343353

Description: Scorton Creek Oysters are grown in cages on the edge of the Great Marsh in Barnstable Harbor. The Mullin family has been running the business producing quality oysters since 1996.

Archatchery

Address: 91 Chapin Beach Road | Dennis, Ma City/Town: Dennis

Description: The company’s focuses on spawning, growing, and the nurturing of the best quality, highest grade of shellfish. The ARC Hatchery is an elaborate operation, likely the largest on the eastern seaboard that grows oysters, clams, and other aquaculture species from spawn to a fully grown and ready to eat by consumers. This company plays the pivotal role of producing most of the shellfish consumed by restaurant throughout New England. Their distribution channels include restaurants, growers, chefs, and reef-builders throughout the country.

East Dennis Oyster Farm

Address: 484 Center Street, Dennis, MA 02639 City/Town: Dennis        

Geo Code: 41.762355, -70.130076

Description: John and Stephanie Lowell have grown the highly sought-after East Dennis Oysters in the tidal flats off of Quivett Neck since 2003. They grow the oysters off bottom and generally have as many as 200,000 oysters in production during any given season. They sell the oysters directly to consumers, restaurants, and wholesale to fish markets across the country.

Davenport Oyster Company

Address: 202 Depot St. Dennis, MA 02639 City/Town: Dennis Geo Code: 41.761168, -70.129486 Website: www.davenportoysters.com

Description: Jamie Davenport grows plump oysters in the tidal waters on Mayflower Point in Dennis. The oysters are started in mesh bags and then grown out on Aqua trays. The oysters have a medium brine with a clean finish.

Orleans, Massachusetts

Barley neck sea farms.

Geo Code: 41.763001, -69.945069 Address: Orleans, MA 02653 City/Town: Orleans

Description: The oldest farm in Pleasant Bay, Peter Orcutt’s Barley Neck Sea Farm grows plump, deep cup oysters with a simple, clean brine. The oysters are grown in submerged cages.

Brewster, Massachusetts

Paines Creek Oyster Co.

Geo Code: 41.76555, -70.10748 Address: Brewster Flats, MA City/Town: Brewster

Description: Family owned and operated by the Werzanski family since 2007, Paines Creek Oyster Co. grows small-cup cocktail oysters just off Brewster where Paines Creek meets Cape Cod Bay. The oysters are sold in restaurants across New England and at the family’s restaurant, Joey’s Pizzeria in Dennisport.

Chatham, Massachusetts

Chatham Shellfish Co

Geo Code: 41.68452, -69.97685 Address: 393 Barn Hill Rd, Chatham, MA City/Town: Chatham

Description: Growing oysters since 1976 on the ‘elbow’ of Cape Cod in Chatham, the Chatham Shellfish Company produces oysters year-round in Oyster Pond. Available in a variety of grades, Pangea Shellfish Co’s “Oysterology” notes that these beauties feature a strong mineral brine and lingering slate finish that pairs well with a double IPA.

Wellfleet, Massachusetts

Holbrook Oyster, Wellfleet

Geo Code: 41.928699, -70.033792 Address: 4380 State Highway, Eastham, MA 02642 City/Town: Eastham

Description: Holbrook Oyster is a two-acre family run farm in Wellfleet Harbor located near the mouth of the Herring River. The oysters get their firm texture, sweet flavor, and clean finish from the clean sandy bottom, cold water, big tides, and rich nutrients of Wellfleet Harbor.

Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts

Cottage City Oysters

Geo Code: 41.46074, -70.58678 Address: Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard Website: www.cottagecityoysters.com

Description: Brothers Dan and Greg Martino are on a mission to, “Grow the best damn oyster that we can in the most environmentally positive way possible.” Their open ocean farm offers tours, educational speaker events, collaborates on research with the University of Southern Connecticut and WHOI, and on-the-water raw bars. In addition to their oysters, they are now growing a winter kelp crop!

Signature Oyster Farm

Geo Code: 41.359085, -70.487535 Address: Forever Wild Way- Katama Bay, Edgartown, MA 02539 City/Town: Edgartown

Description: In the heart of Katama Bay on Martha’s Vineyard, Ryan Smith grows and sells top quality oysters directly to customers, local restaurants, and to wholesalers in Boston and beyond. Signature Oyster Farm also offers BYOB tours of the farm in which visitors learn about the aquaculture operation, sample oysters, and enjoy a spin around Edgartown Harbor.

Cuttyhunk Shellfish Farms

Geo Code: 41.414012, -70.946325 Address: Grow Oysters in West End Pond, City/Town: Cuttyhunk, MA

Description: Seth and Dorothy Garfield of Cuttyhunk Shellfish Farms have been growing and serving up oysters in Buzzards Bay since 1981. They raise Belon Oysters as well as the Cuttyhunk Oyster in Japanese lantern nets. Hail them on the VHF (Ch. 72) to place your order for the Harbor Raw Bar!

Great Harbor Oysters

Geo Code: 41.285035, -70.083432 Address: PO Box 3621, Nantucket, MA 02584 City/Town: Nantucket

Description: The Connors family believes “It takes a great harbor to grow a great oyster.” They produce decadent oysters grown in floating cages in Nantucket’s Great Harbor.

Pocomo Meadow Oysters, Nantucket

Geo Code: 41.307187, -70.025395 City/Town: Nantucket

Description: Located on the south side of Pocomo Point near the mouth of Polpis Harbor in Nantucket, Pocomo Meadow Oysters produces sweet briny oysters on the seafloor which can be found at their farm to table raw bar, Hang Ten Raw Bar.

Fifth Bend Oyster Farm

Address: Head of the Harbor City/Town: Nantucket Geo Code: 41.307154, -70.025284

Description: Learn more about oysters and their impact on the ecosystem at Simon Edward’s Fifth Bend Oyster Farm at the Head of the Harbor in Nantucket by joining one of the tours offered through a collaboration of Shearwater Excursions and the Nantucket Land Council.

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Waquoit Bay Falmouth

Waquoit Bay Falmouth, MA.

Nestled in loose, fine sand and bathed by the channel’s shallow, fertile waters, Washburn Island Oysters enjoy optimal salinity and temperatures for fast growth, elegant cupping and premium taste.

About Waquoit Bay

Located between the finger of Seapit Peninsula in East Falmouth, Cape Cod and the pine-shaded bluffs of Washburn Island, which is part of a state park in Waquoit Bay, our 22.8-acre oyster farm is ideally suited for aquaculture.

Fed by nutrient-laden, fresh water from the Moonakis and Little Rivers and the salt water tides from Vineyard Sound, Seapit River creates the perfect chemistry for growing succulent, hearty oysters.

Farm Location

Waquoit bay video.

Take a drone eye view of our farm in Falmouth Massachusetts.

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