Orlando Manatee Encounters

Overview

Journey to Blue Spring State Park, winter home to one of Florida’s largest populations of Manatee. Witness hundreds of these "sea cows" relaxing in the spring alone. Observe these creatures from a safe distance in your kayak as your Florida Master Naturalist introduces you to the flora and fauna that make up this wild area. This is a great trip for the entire family!

City: Daytona Beach

Fri 15 Aug

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $80.00

Make a reservation

Fri 15 Aug

Starting at $80.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Local guide

Bottled water

Professional guide

Landing and facility fees

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
There is no minimum age however all participants must know how to swim
It is recommended that you bring a swimsuit, towel, waterproof camera and wear clothes that can get wet and possibly dirty
To ensure a proper size kayak is available, please provide your individual heights and weights at the time of booking
There is no restroom at the meeting location. There is a public restroom at Valentine Park (1511 W French Ave, Orange City, FL 32763) about a mile before you arrive the meeting location that we recommend you use before your tour.

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (329)

AndreaH706

Jan 2021

We had a wonderful experience. Our group was small with only one other family of three. We did the 9am tour so the river was calm and wildlife abundant. Our tour guide, Astrid, was amazing and very knowledgeable about the wildlife around us. We saw a variety of birds, turtles, a young alligator, and many manatees. The manatees were very curious and gentle creatures, often swimming under or up to our kayaks to investigate and say hello. We did not have to worry about taking a bunch of photos as Astrid took many for us. I would recommend this tour to all.

300jend

Jan 2021

Astrid was our guide for a private kayak tour for our group of 7. Her knowledge of the various wildlife we encountered was impressive. We learned about the various birds in the area, turtles, alligators, and of course the manatees. We were able to kayak up to the roped off area where the manatees congregate and spend a good amount of time waiting for them to venture out to our boats. They tend to be curious gentle creatures who enjoyed exploring and nosing our kayaks! Astrid was very patient with the teens in our group and their slower pace. She also asked our opinions on where we wanted to kayak and how much time we wanted to spend at the manatee area. One word of advice - there is no restroom besides the good old woods, so plan appropriately! This tour is good for those that enjoy wildlife and the outdoors - it is also a great socially distanced activity during these covid times. I would recommend this tour and Astrid (:

daveofl

Jan 2021

We really enjoyed this amazing trip to view the manatees at Blue Spring, as well as alligators, birds and other wildlife. Astrid is a patient and informative guide. She took us right to the manatees two times during our excursion. Both times we saw lots of them at very close range. I would definitely recommend taking this trip, if you haven't already.