In 1987, Captain Gregory P. Samuel, co-owner of S.S. Marine Ventures, Inc. along with his wife Donna, became the first captain on the first water taxi in the history of Jacksonville, which was then operated by Jacksonville River Taxi. 

S.S. Marine Ventures, Inc., d.b.a. S.S. Marine Taxi, began operating in Jacksonville on the St. Johns River on May 5, 1993 with only one 15 passenger vessel.  In order to guarantee the availability of a vessel large enough to accommodate the historically large crowds during the Independence Day activities, Captain Samuel went to Bonita Beach to assist in the building of “Snipe N’ Jennie”, a 48 passenger vessel, so that it could be put into service prior to July 4, 1993. 

Today, the S.S. Marine Taxi fleet has grown to 6 vessels which can accommodate groups of 30 to 99 passengers at a time. Several of the vessels are named for loved ones, such as the newly remodeled “Snipe N’ Jennie”, named in honor of Captain Samuel’s parents, and the vessels “Sir Jame” & “Miss Colby” which are  named after his grandchildren. The business is a family affair; Capt. Samuel’s son, Scott, works as a captain, and daughter, Tracee, manages the office. Both grandchildren help out when they can, and they can’t wait until they are old enough to be deckhands.

The employees of S.S. Marine Taxi are experienced, dependable, trustworthy, and knowledgeable, many of whom have well over 10 years experience working with S.S. Marine Taxi. 

In addition to providing the St. Johns River Water Taxi Service for the City of Jacksonville, a variety of services have been provided by S.S. Marine Taxi over the years, including being the sole provider of water transportation during Super Bowl XXXIX, conducting day & sunset cruises, eco-heritage trips, video production assistance, celebration cruises, weddings, parties, and more.