Small Group Manatee Discovery Kayak Tour near Orlando
Description
Explore Blue Spring State Park, one of Florida's premier destinations for observing wild manatees, on a small-group wildlife tour led by expert naturalist guides. Our small-group tours create a more personal and immersive experience, allowing guests to observe wildlife while learning about the ecology, wildlife behavior, and unique freshwater habitats of Blue Spring State Park through expert naturalist interpretation. While manatees are the highlight, every tour offers the opportunity to experience the remarkable diversity of native wildlife that makes Blue Spring State Park one of Florida's most unique freshwater ecosystems. Designed for all skill levels, this beginner-friendly experience combines expert interpretation with an authentic connection to Florida's wild places. Every tour follows ethical wildlife viewing practices that prioritize the well-being of the animals while creating authentic, meaningful encounters in nature.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Upon arrival you'll check in with your guide and they will get everyone fitted with comfortable, high-quality life jackets. We'll then proceed with a quick introduction to the day's adventure, safety tips, and paddling basics for those who need a refresher.
Your guide is an experienced nature enthusiast who knows these waters inside and out. As you paddle through the peaceful waterways of Blue Spring State Park, they’ll share fascinating insights about the manatees, alligators, and diverse bird species you encounter. Expect a relaxed, immersive experience, whether you're a beginner or seasoned paddler. Besides manatees, you may spot alligators, bald eagles, herons, otters, and more.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled tour time.
- Wear quick-dry clothing and water shoes or sandals.
- Bring sun protection, including sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat.
- Bring a towel and a change of clothes for after your tour.
- There are no restroom facilities at the meeting location. The nearest public restrooms are located at Valentine Park (1511 W French Ave, Orange City, FL 32763), approximately one mile before the meeting location.
Reviews(304)
Sam was an awesome tour guide! Being summer, we weren’t sure we would see a Manatee but we found several. We even had one come up to our kayak.
Amazing experience that saw couple of Manatees and alligators. Jimi explained a lot and very detailed.
Jimi was great! Very knowledgeable & entertaining. You can definitely tell he loves his job. The views were amazing! Recommend it 100%
Very pretty and learned a lot. Jimi was a great guide, I would recommend him to anyone wanting to do this.
Tj was a wonderful guide!! Great spotter! We managed to see a couple gators and manatees!! Even on a hot day we had a great time!!
Thank you, Karen — we’re so glad you had a great time with TJ and enjoyed spotting manatees and alligators, even on a warm Florida day!
Absolutely amazing trip! Had the best time, and have equally beautiful pictures. Wish we had more time there!
Thank you, Jennifer — we're thrilled you had such an amazing time, and “Better than Disney” might just be one of our favorite compliments ever! 😄
TJ was an awesome guide! Very knowledgeable and we saw many manatees! We loved our experience which was very family friendly for a 13 and 11 year old.
Thank you, Benjamin — we’re so glad your family had an awesome time with TJ, enjoyed seeing so many manatees, and found the experience fun for both your 13- and 11-year-olds!
TJ was a great guide. He spent almost two and a half hours with us looking for manatees while giving us a lot of information about other fauna and curiosities about the area. We couldn't see any during the tour but gave us recommendations about where to go in the park and finally saw three of them while going for a swim. Very well recommended.
Thank you — we’re so glad you had a great time with TJ and appreciated his dedication to making the experience enjoyable and informative, and we’re happy you still got to see manatees in the end!
We had a great time kayaking with Sue! She was really friendly, informative, and made the whole experience enjoyable. We got to see several alligators and even some manatees, which was amazing. Sue shared lots of interesting information throughout the tour and made sure we were comfortable. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and we would definitely recommend this tour!
Thank you — we’re so glad you had a fantastic time with Sue and enjoyed the wildlife and her friendly, informative guiding, and we truly appreciate the recommendation!
TJ is the awesome guide!!! We had a great time with TJ and the wild animals!! We see a lot of fishes too! Fun time
Thank you, YuJou — we’re so glad you had a fun time with TJ and enjoyed seeing all the wildlife, and we truly appreciate the recommendation!
