Manatees/Sunset/Bioluminescence Tour

Overview

Experience everything the wildlife refuge has to offer with three distinct experiences packed into one three-hour tour! Launch your kayak in the daylight and surround yourself with Florida’s most-loved endangered species, West Indian Manatees! Sit back while the gentle giants roll, sniff, and nuzzle all around you. Dolphins are also active this time of day as they wrangle their dinner in the adjacent cove.

Next, head out to Bird Island, a federally protected rookery, to watch hundreds of birds soar in overhead. Ibis, herons, egrets, pelicans, cormorants, and roseate spoonbills and more all glide in their flocks to nest for the night. Be lulled into serenity by the gently rocking kayak as the sun descends for the night in the pinks, oranges, and reds of sunset.

Finally, the tour culminates in the season’s bioluminescent experience, whether it be summer bioluminescence, winter comb jelly bioluminescence, or a star-studded moonlit sky.

City: Cocoa Beach

Thu 16 Jan

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $95.00

Make a reservation

Thu 16 Jan

Starting at $95.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Kayak

Professional guide

PFD

Paddle

2 hour kayak tour

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
What to bring:
Clothes you don’t mind getting a little wet. Towel (left in car)
Water Shoes – sandals or Crocs that can be worn in the water
Bring an extra change of clothes just in case
Camera & Dry bag (optional) These are fairly useless to capture bioluminescence, but great for capturing people.
Bottled water, Snacks
Any special personal paddling gear if you like
You may bring a flashlight, though we will provide a safety light.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (109)

jmarchuk8675

Oct 2019

A Day Away absolutely MADE our trip to Tampa after accommodating our group who had to drive 3 hours to Titusville by switching us to a different day due to tornado warnings, high winds, and heavy rains courtesy of Tropical Storm Nestor, so THANK YOU!!! None of us had ever seen any variety of bio-luminescence and were so happy to get to see both! I will absolutely be back to see both the dinoflagellates and the comb jellies in peak season. As for the nature stuff, we got to see it all. During our info/safety talk we were completely surrounded by dragonflies. I have NEVER seen that many in one place. It was really cool! Dolphins were swimming right where we put the kayaks in. Birds galore were flying above. We saw manatees and a gator in the mangroves and then later another gator - a big one! He didn't bother a soul - don't be scared! Some lucky folks got to see fish light up the dinoflagellates whilst swimming around, but I was too busy staring up at the sky once it got dark enough after a spectacular sunset. There is absolutely nothing like being on the open water under a clear sky. So many stars! Do yourself a favor and book a few kayak tours. I'd do the mondo again. I'd also like to do the midnight tour because the darker it gets, the brighter the bioluminescence and the brighter the stars. Big thanks to Brian and his crew for keeping us all together and for being so fun!

Melissa_W_TN

Oct 2019

Amazing from start to finish. Brian and crew were excellent at keeping everyone together and helping along the way. Very informative and so much to see! We saw dolphins, manatees, a few alligators, and the bioluminescent comb jellyfish. The dinoflagellate were still around which made for an indescribable experience. Brian would shine his light to make the fish jump. It was a clear night full of stars with a clear view of the Milky Way. Several shooting stars completed our trip.

NeilAbbott

Oct 2019

We went on this in September and it was the most amazing experience of the two week holiday. Bob met us at the launch site (be aware the site would be almost impossible to find without GPS) and explained everything that would happen, gave us some basic instructions on rowing a 2 person kayak, safety hints and life vests. Unfortunately my wife was unable to follow these instructions and every time her oar hit the water we would vere off in a random direction. In the end I just told her to stow her oar and I did all the work. It was safer for everyone. There was only us there, because sensible people check for things like full moons when they want to see bioluminesce and obviously we're not that smart. Just before we set off we had 3 manatees come almost up to the launch beach and we thought that was amazing to see them in the wild, but that was only a taster. Bob led us up the river to a place that the manatees like to frequent and there were loads there. After a short while they were coming around the kayaks to get some attention. We were stroking them and one even turned over for a belly rub. It was unforgettable. We then went out to one the islands in the bay that is a bird sanctuary and we saw so many different birds coming home to roost at dusk. Fortunately there was a decent amount of cloud cover and we managed to see some bioluminesce on the return leg. Bob also gave Stella a litttle net to run through the water to disturb the water more and get a better look (it's not like she didn't have the free hands to do it) and she managed to catch a couple of comb jellyfish in the net. These aren't real jellyfish though so not going to hurt you. She tipped them out into her hand and they were invisible, until she shook her hand, then they glowed blue. Again this is something that we will never forget. Bob was full of information, really friendly and a great guide. If I could give this experience more than 5* I would. All in all we were on the water for around 3 hours and covered about 4.5 miles