'Shell Key Shuttle' has new owner, same good intentions

ST. PETERSBURG

The newspaper article last summer was about a 49-passenger shuttle boat business for sale, but Nancy Davidek was intrigued by the subtext.

It was a lifestyle opportunity. She read the article before daybreak on the 24th anniversary of her husband's job as a graphic designer. For 20 years, Kiven Davidek worked a solitary 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift under fluorescent lights. He was ready for a change.

That morning, Nancy got on the phone with Alva Sholty, the longtime captain of the Shell Key Shuttle. It took a couple of months, but Kiven signed on as the new captain, a job that is as much about being a steward of a pristine, 2.5-mile island as it is about running a popular business.

Kiven Davidek, 45, grew up in St. Petersburg before Tierra Verde was developed with mansions and before crowds made their way to Shell Key, a haven for rare seabirds and one of the richest seashell grounds in Tampa Bay.

He loved his graphic design job, but it took a toll on his marriage. Nancy, 53, works 9 to 5 as a paralegal.

"We were basically like ships passing Monday through Friday," Nancy Davidek said.

On weekends, they'd go fishing or offshore scuba diving. Kiven grew up on the water, fishing with his father, a retired police officer. Over the years, the couple, both licensed captains, have taught scuba diving at local dive shops.

They long admired Alva Sholty, who ran the shuttle business for 20 years and became a quiet advocate for protecting the island. Along with his partner, Barbara Ranck, Sholty was instrumental in getting the island under county management in 2002. In 2007, it was protected by regulations banning dogs, alcohol and intrusion on nesting areas.

There were other candidates, but the Davideks stood out, Sholty said.

"Because of their ties to the area, they are environmentally correct, and that was important," he said. "We wanted to make sure the new operators loved Shell Key as much as we did."

The Davideks agreed to continue shuttling Audubon Society volunteers to the island at no charge to help them monitor seabirds. The new owners say they also will continue Sholty's habits of educating visitors about area history and encouraging them to bring back trash.

Neither the Davideks nor Sholty disclosed the sale price. A newspaper ad had listed it at $149,000.

The Davideks are adding their own touch to the shuttle experience with a "Howl at the Moon" sunset dog cruise (the dogs stay on board). They are raising the shuttle price a notch, to $25 for adults.

For now, Nancy continues to work at the law firm, but she's on the boat on Saturdays. She hopes to one day join her husband full time.

Sholty, 65, has not sailed into the sunset yet; he is staying around as Sunday captain and as a consultant.

As for Capt. Davidek, he's pumped. "I'm going to run this for 20 more years. That's my plan. I can handle being out here every day."

Luis Perez can be reached at lperez@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2271.