Marin Ribičić

From fishing nets to passenger boats

I came to the sea by trade, not by family. Nobody in my family was a sailor — I started as a commercial fisherman out of Stobreč in my early twenties and spent the next 15 years catching what came up: gilt-head bream, sea bass, octopus, depending on the season and the weather. Fifteen years of fishing teaches you the channels, the wind patterns, the rocks just under the waterline, and which coves stay sheltered when the jugo picks up — things you can't learn from a chart.

Five years ago I switched the boat over to passenger tours. The Krknjaši Blue Lagoon was a place I'd been anchoring for lunch breaks for years. What I tell guests on the tour is what I'd tell a friend coming to visit — when the wind will turn, why the Lagoon is calm even on rough days, where the snorkeling is actually good, which stop is better at which time of day.

What I know — and what I don't

What I know well: the geography of central Dalmatia (the islands, the channels, the wind patterns), the fish and seabird species you'll actually see, the safe routes in different weather, and where to eat in Stobreč after the tour. Twenty years on these waters means I've seen every kind of summer day and most of the bad-weather ones too.

What I don't know well: the cultural side of inland Croatia, anything north of Zadar, and the wine scene outside of Šolta's Dobričić. If you ask me about Plitvice, I'll point you to someone who actually knows.

Safety & how I make weather calls

The boat is registered for commercial passenger transport in coastal waters with the Croatian Maritime Affairs Ministry and inspected annually. Life jackets sized from infant to adult are on board, a marine first-aid kit lives in the galley, and we carry liability insurance for all guests.

In practical terms: fifteen years of fishing taught me to be cautious about weather, and I bring the same judgment to passenger trips. If the forecast looks marginal we reroute or postpone — guests get a full refund or a free reschedule. The Lagoon will still be there next week.

About the guides on this site

The Blue Lagoon is well-photographed online but rarely explained properly. The articles on this site are written based on what I see and answer every season — the practical questions guests bring up on the boat, the weather patterns I've watched for two decades, the small details that don't make it into a generic tour listing. If something reads like marketing fluff, it missed the mark; let us know via the contact form and we'll rewrite it.