Mangroves and Manatees - Guided Kayak Eco Tour

Overview

Our tours are geared towards first time and new paddlers. We go at your speed so you don't have to worry about going out and getting exhausted. Grab a friend and come along for a unique adventure on the #1-rated Eco-Tour through the mangrove ecosystem. Choose your kayak - single or double - and glide in our shallow clear water over sponges, grass beds, and sandy patches. Looking down, you might see a small nurse shark, turtle, or stingray, or can observe dolphins and manatees. Above water, herons, pelicans, and ospreys settle on the mangroves and hunt for fish. While there are no guaranteed wildlife sightings, we always see something cool in this one-of-a-kind estuary ecosystem that starts right outside the back door of our shop.

City: Key Largo

Tue 24 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $65.00

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Dec

Starting at $65.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Local guide

land based instruction

safety gear

Kayak - Single or double your choice

on water coaching

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Masks are available for sale. Locally sourced, fair trade - take the Keys home with you!

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (400)

259allenf

Feb 2018

Went on an excellent ecotour of the mangrove swamps with one of their guides, Susanne, four months after Hurricane Irma. I was on a paddleboard and my friend was in a kayak. Susanne had studied marine biology, and her knowledge was encyclopedaic. I have an undergrad in biology, so could keep up with her explanations which were detailed and fascinating – so we geeked out. Saw the first sponge she’d seen since the hurricane – apparently sponges were hit hard by all the silting from the hurricane. Saw lots of tunicates, a link between the inverts like insects and mollusks, and the vertebrates like reptiles, birds and mammals including us humans. Susan also shared interesting stories about local life and her own lifestyle as a committed environmentalist – running the dairy and poultry operation of an organic farm in Maine for part of the year. Informative, friendly. Also ended up buying a kayak deck which was on sale at the shop. Want to go back for the nighttime tour with flashlights. We saw a Manatee in Tavernier creek, and we heard a really big fish jump in the Mangrove pond. Paddleboard instruction was also great, and she answered all my questions about paddle techniques. After the tour, felt much more connected to the mangrove swamps, and went back on my own in a kayak several times during my stay. So the tour gave me a sense of independence and appreciation. For the quality of the guidance and the equipment, I thought the rates were great. I wanted my friend to come, and Susanne encouraged me to reach out to him and didn’t mind waiting while he came down to the shop from where we were staying a mile away. She loves sharing her knowledge and wants as many people as possible to have a good experience of nature and the water in the Keys. Polarized sunglasses allow you to see in the water better. Water bottle and suntan lotion. Croakies, or something like that, to keep you from losing your glasses/sunglasses. Definitely take a tour or do yoga or something on the water with Paddle! Florida Keys.

Response from Host

Feb 2018

Thanks so much for your extensive and glowing review. This really helps others get a sense of what we are about here at Paddle. See you again soon I'm sure.

clairejlrhodes

Jan 2018

This trip was awesome! My mom and I went on the tour with Susanne and she was great! She knew so much about the area. We got to go to an island and get off of our kayaks and take some amazing pictures! Would recommend this to anyone visiting the Keys.

Response from Host

Jan 2018

susanne really is a great guide. glad you had a fun tour and hope to see y'all sometime in the future. don't forget to tell your friends :-)

PSoTD

Jan 2018

We had saved a visit to the Keys for the last day of our Miami Christmas week vacation and it was well worth it. The weather was beautiful and Suzanne was entertaining and informative on our 2 hour kayak trip. The kids loved going into the mangroves to see the crabs and fishes. The mile paddle to the island was a little workout - it wasn't ALL a kayak stroll - but just made it more fun. Loved it. Plenty of birdlife, a nurse shark, some unidentified splashing in the mangroves. Highly recommended.

Response from Host

Jan 2018

Thanks for visiting us on your vacation. We really love sharing our local flora and fauna. See you again someday.