To be fair we thought Florida was warm all year but the weather was freezing cold in Dec which is completely out of BK's control, and was half the reason our experience was just ok. However, we were given driving directions which (while accurate) were pretty sketchy having us drive in the dark down unmarked dirt roads to meet our guides. When we arrived there was a BK van parked there but no people... for over a half hour after the meeting time.
When we got started the kayaks were super shallow "Sit On Top Kayaks" and there were holes to let the water in/out, which in the summer would be totally fine, but I didn't expect these kinds of open kayaks when the water and air were cold enough to see your breath. My husband was in the back of our kayak and his jeans were instantly soaked before we even got started so he was super uncomfortable and freezing for the 1.5 hours on the water. Some advanced notice on what to wear or having wetsuits available, or touring kayaks that don't let water into them would have been much more enjoyable. Everyone at the end literally ran to their cars once we were done as all the people in the back were all soaked and freezing. The site said "What You Should Bring: Sunblock, insect repellent, towel and water bottle" which was pretty inaccurate for us, should have said bring your winter gear (gloves, hats, scarves) and a full change of warm clothes and/or wetsuit/waterproof gear.
The jellies themselves were pretty cool. I thought that bioluminescence meant Dinoflagellate plankton which I now know are only in the summer, but its just the jellies which are very small separated sparkles. Still very cool, just not what I had imagined and definitely not what you see in the photos.
Overall, I probably wouldn't have done this if I had known what the experience was really like in the winter, but would absolutely do it in the summer.
Одговор домаћина
Jan 2018
Hi msakakibara. I empathize with you on the weather conditions. I personally know how uncomfortable it can become once you get wet on a really cold night. On a typical night, you can dress fairly light even in the middle of the winter and still be comfortable. We have had a couple of cold fronts in the last month or so and we have had to dress accordingly in order to stay warm. All guest receive an email describing what they should bring with them to their tour. Two of the items on the list are a change of clothes and a towel. We expect our guest to check the weather forecast before heading out on their adventure. In Florida, the weather can change very fast and it's always best to at least be prepared to be able to stay dry. Which is paramount to staying warm. I'm glad that you guys were able to see some of the comb jellies, they really are a sight to see. They can become fairly large as well. I have seem them as big as the palm of my hand. You will tend to find the much larger ones when there isn't a cold front coming through. Hopefully we will see you in the summer when the weather is nicer and you can enjoy the Dinoflagellates! Take care and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.