Explore
Log in

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
Sun 29 Dec
i
You can choose the date already on the booking website
Starting at $80.00
Sun 29 Dec
Starting at $80.00
Make a reservation
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.
  • Face masks required for guides in public areas
  • Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
  • Social distancing enforced throughout experience
  • Gear/equipment sanitised between use
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Traveler Photos
Reviews (260)
glennbD9956EI
Apr 2019
10 out of 10 for this trip!! Our guide was Jeff...excellent guide, very knowledgeable, we all felt very comfortable. We saw so many manatees!! There was a mother feeding her 2 calves, then a pod of 4 and then a single young manatee that we named “Ralph” who stayed right with us for an hour or more. It was crazy cool! We also saw eagles, alligators, turtles and many different birds. It is a fantastic experience and we can’t say thank you enough to Jeff for making it such a great experience.
992asimq
Mar 2019
Nice weather and beautiful scenery. Our tour guide Bill was really nice and tried hard to catch a glimpse of manatees. We didn’t see a single one. Really disappointed after spending almost 400 for basically just a kayak tour. I was so excited to witness Manatee in the wild. Would not recommend.
Response from Host
Mar 2019
Greetings, We totally understand being disappointed to not see any manatees. We try to be very clear on our website as to which dates to attend to ensure seeing manatees in large numbers, and when the chances are slim to none. We also announce on our social media pages when there are large numbers and when the warm weather has made them move on. For folks that call before booking, we visit the "save the manatee" site and "Blue Springs State Park" site each and every day to see what the exact daily counts are so we can honestly report on numbers. This tour is booked all summer when we advertise "no manatee at all" by paddlers who want to observe all the wildlife, scenery, solitude, and snorkel the spring. Upon talking to your guide about the tour he stated that you and your group left the tour early and completely missed the manatee returning to the spring for the evening.
mbruesewitz
Mar 2019
Thursday we drove up to Orange City for a few hours of kayaking. The place was easy to find. The weather was perfect and everything was prepped and ready for our adventure. Bill our guide was polite and professional. He had water, sunscreen and advice to offer. The refugee to see the manatees is right around the bend and they are magnificent creatures. We strolled around the river to see not only manatees, but some alligators, turtles, other native birds. It was a very enjoyable time. Thank you Bill!

Related events

Events in the same area

We think your language is English
In which language would you like to view this page?
English
English
We think your city is New York City
In which city would you are looking for explore?
New York City
New York City