Florida Manatee Tours
Florida's Premiere Kayak Tours
We had a blast doing this! Our family has done it previously with another company, but this one was so much better! 10/10 would recommend.
We did the full river 4 hour kayak tour and got the full experience! This was a perfect experience. The spring water was cool and the wildlife was incredible! Our tour guide Justin was fantastic and helped us to see absolutely everything! The one thing I wish we hadn’t seen was the motorboats coming down the river as they were both loud and disruptive to us and the river.
Justin was an awesome tour guide. Was a very pretty and peaceful experience. There needs to be less motorboats on the water.
Do not book via Groupon. I was never emailed the instructions or waiver that we were supposed to be provided the night before. We arrived five minutes late to the experience because they provided the wrong address. They had already left when we arrived. They supposedly offer a 15 minute grace period. That clearly didn’t happen. We called and texted with no response. $160 down the drain.
Editing because I received a response. You are no longer on Groupon but you were previously. I see the Groupon has been taken down. Sara also somehow received my phone number. She is mentioned multiple times in your reviews so I know this is the correct company.
Editing again because they felt the need to bring this back up a year later. It’s a shame you feel the need to continuing lying when I have proof. You got my $160, what else do you want? It looks like you fixed your customer service based on recent reviews so leave it be!
Editing because I received a response. You are no longer on Groupon but you were previously. I see the Groupon has been taken down. Sara also somehow received my phone number. She is mentioned multiple times in your reviews so I know this is the correct company.
Editing again because they felt the need to bring this back up a year later. It’s a shame you feel the need to continuing lying when I have proof. You got my $160, what else do you want? It looks like you fixed your customer service based on recent reviews so leave it be!
Response from the owner:Britney you have reviewed the wrong company. We do not do Groupon nor do we have control over Groupon. We also do not give a 15 min grace. Our tours leave on time. It’s a shame that you have discredited us with a bad review. Check your information and give your review to the correct company, not us please.
This is through Viator. Not us.
Thank you.
We rented a tandem kayak which was fun! We were able to get on the river quickly and the shuttle came in a timely manner. Joe was there to get us in the water and picked us up! We had some complications with our reservation, but Greg communicated well and made things right!
Response from the owner:Jennifer I can’t find your booking. Can you text me the booking at the number you called or the business number please. This is not right. Evidently there was a misunderstanding here, and I will correct it. We don’t charge people kayaks they did not book, we do however charge for no shows, if you had someone going with you and backed out at the last minute.
I would like to get it straight. Thank you!
Greg
Very informative and helpful. Will use again!
We did our tour with Justin and he was awesome. Knew a lot about the springs and all around a kind dude. We got to see a manatee and he was very respectful with her. He took pictures for us too and sent them over after, would definitely love to do it again with him! They keep good care of the Springs!
This was a great experience! Beautiful scenery and Joe was great! He explained every thing in detail from start to finish and was very friendly
Justin was an awesome guide! We had a great time kayaking. Saw so much wildlife- manatees, turtles, otters. Would definitely recommend.
One of my best experiences! Wonderful service, super personable, helpful, and knowledgeable. Will come again!
Great kayaking journey! First time kayaking, and this experience was amazing! Lots of wildlife and photo opportunities. Beautiful place to visit.
Justin took us out we were a launch off with no guided tour, funnily enough we ran into him on the springs when he had a different guided tour and he made sure to take us where the manatees were. Very good people.
Online was very simple to reserve and pay. Joe was very specific in the instructions and there was no problem finding the guys in the red shirt. Very friendly and helpful service. A safety brief was conducted covering everything from launching the kayak to getting picked up at Rays Boat launch. I did the 4 hour kayak trip, and such amazing variety of wildlife to see. Very peaceful kayak ride as the river guides you along.
Once I reached the end, Joe was there within 5 minutes to pick me up. The vehicle was new and air conditioned for the nice ride back to the parking lot. No problems at all with equipment.
HIGHLY recommended!!
Thanks Joe.
Mark
Kissimmee Fl.
Once I reached the end, Joe was there within 5 minutes to pick me up. The vehicle was new and air conditioned for the nice ride back to the parking lot. No problems at all with equipment.
HIGHLY recommended!!
Thanks Joe.
Mark
Kissimmee Fl.
We loved our 4 hour rental.
The staff was very timely in arrival and the shuttle pick up. Very much enjoyed getting to take our family on an adventure while they’re here vacationing.
Booked with Joe and he was great.
The staff was very timely in arrival and the shuttle pick up. Very much enjoyed getting to take our family on an adventure while they’re here vacationing.
Booked with Joe and he was great.
Justin was our guide and he was wonderful. He took us on a two hour tour filled with knowledge and wildlife! There was so much to learn and see and we had an amazing time! We want to come back and do this again soon!
Had a great time out on the river with our guide Justin!
Justin was a great! 10/10 please book with him as your instructor!
Very knowledgeable tour guide and overall great time!! Tour guide proactively took photos and videos. Highly recommend
Response from the owner:Thank you so much Danielle for the great review!
We had a great experience with the Kayaking Florida team! They were super professional and efficient and we had a wonderful time on the river. The same cannot be said for the staff members of Silver Springs, however, who were super hostile to the other kayaking companies and quite passive aggressive to us (I guess for not renting from them?) while we were trying to pay park and launch fees.
Response from the owner:Thank you Coralie for this review, and speaking the truth about the concession at the park. It’s been that way for two years now. Not a very welcome atmosphere. We are sorry that they hassled you. It happens to everyone, even their own customers.
I have been doing tours here for over 20 years and it breaks my heart to see this. I don’t understand why the management of the park does not do something to get rid of the concession or at least its management.
Beautiful clear water with tons of fish, gators and birds to see. Even seen 2 monkeys!! Ashley our tour guide and did a great job sharing the history of the springs and answering any questions we had. Highly recommend for anyone with teens!!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much Krystal for the wonderful review! So glad you enjoyed it!!
This tour is so fantastic! Justin is such an amazing tour guide and was clearly so passionate about giving these tours. I learned so much about Silver Springs and had such a fun time. I will definitely return to Silver Springs when it’s manatee season!
My friends & I had an amazing time. Joe was amazing & gave clear instructions on where to go & when to call him so he can pick us up & take us to the parking lot. Vehicle was also very clean. Thank you so much! We will never forget this experience.
Response from the owner:Thank you John for the 5 star
We had such a great experience with Florida Kayaking! We only booked a couple of days in advance but got the really clear confirmation and instructions on where to go. Our tour guide, Steve, was absolutely brilliant. Really friendly, helpful and knowledgable. The place and the experience were beautiful and so worth doing. Unfortunately we didn’t see any manatees although we knew it wasn’t guaranteed. Still saw some beautiful birds, fish, turtles, and even a few Alligators!
We had a fantastic time with Justin as our tour guide! We will definitely be back!
Justin did a fantastic job,really enjoyed it
Response from the owner:Thanks so much Allen for the great review!
So much fun! We saw everything! Monkeys, manatees, alligators!
Response from the owner:Thank you Veronica for the wonderful review!
Justin Severance did a fabulous job as a guide. He was knowledgeable & took extra time to point out certain things. He was very pleasant & funny! Best guide ever!!
Response from the owner:Thank you Ava for the wonderful review!
We are so glad you had had a great time. Justin is the best!
I went with Steve in silver springs and he was great! Knew a lot about the animals we saw and was very nice. Took pictures of everyone and sent them to us for memories.
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the great review!
We had an amazing morning at Silver Lake with Kayaking Florida. To start the day, we received a very detailed text of how to get here, where to go when we arrive, and how to take care of the park fees beforehand. It was so helpful! Justin was a fabulous guide, the wildlife abundant, and the scenery was gorgeous! We’d love to come back!
Response from the owner:Thank you Kathy for the wonderful review!
Fantastic tour in a clear kayak. Justin our tour guide was excellent, he very knowledgeable and great fun. Highly recommended. Thank you
Response from the owner:Thanks so much Gary for the great review!
We had a great time with this company!
Joe texted us before we arrived to tell us how to find them in the park and helped us into our kayak which all went smoothly.
We had a clear kayak and although we didn’t see manatees 😢 we did see monkeys and otters and tons of birds fish, turtles and of course alligators 🐊
I’d 💯 recommend this company
Joe texted us before we arrived to tell us how to find them in the park and helped us into our kayak which all went smoothly.
We had a clear kayak and although we didn’t see manatees 😢 we did see monkeys and otters and tons of birds fish, turtles and of course alligators 🐊
I’d 💯 recommend this company
Response from the owner:Thank you Kim for the wonderful review, and thanks so much for coming!
Justin was great saw gators, otter, turtles wild birds and fish. Learned about ship wrecks, movies and most importantly conservation efforts to save this treasure.
Response from the owner:Thank you Nancy for taking the time to write a review! We really appreciate it!
We went for the two hour tour with Steve and had a great time! We saw so many amazing birds, turtles, gators, fish, and a manatee. The water was gorgeous and we were grateful for such a knowledgeable tour guide!
Response from the owner:Tank you so much for the 5 star review!
My boyfriend and I had an EXCELLENT time for my birthday yesterday, thanks to Kayaking Florida!! Steve was an incredible guide for our 2-hour tour at Silver Springs. We rode in a clear tandem kayak which I highly recommend. The wildlife was remarkable to see and Steve was very knowledgeable of all of it! He was super chill and allowed us to take in every minute. Would 100% book with them again!!
Response from the owner:Thank you !
Justin was great! Thanks again
Response from the owner:Thank you Megan for the review!
We had a wonderful experience with Steve and Kayaking Florida!! We chose the clear kayak and so happy we did! Steve was such a wealth of knowledge both with navigating the river and all the wildlife we encountered. When it was time to turn around to head back to the launch he had a hunch and paddled a little ahead of us and found 3 manatees lounging below the surface. I could literally see them below my feet! Steve captured amazing video below the surface and shared it with us. He also shared many professional level photos he took of our adventure. I higly recommend this company!!
Response from the owner:Thank you for the review Therese for the review!
This kayaking trip was amazing. Water was so clear and blue. Chris was a great guide with a lot of information about the area.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the great review Shawna
Fantastic day out. Justin was very knowledgeable and approachable. We didn’t see manatees on our trip, but we saw many alligators, turtles, fish and a huge array of birds. The water is super clear and the kayaking goes at a pace that is manageable even for those who are not familiar with paddling.
Justin was so good at making sure we didn’t miss any of the wildlife that were camouflaged in the trees, water, on logs etc. He really went above and beyond to make sure we all saw and had time to take photos. He has 10/10 knowledge of all the movies filmed there, the boat wrecks, the history of glass kayaks, and the cypress trees laying under water for decades and not decaying!!
Dry bags were provided to keep belongings safe and dry on the boat, which was very helpful.
Overall a great day out and something I will remember for many years to come.
Justin was so good at making sure we didn’t miss any of the wildlife that were camouflaged in the trees, water, on logs etc. He really went above and beyond to make sure we all saw and had time to take photos. He has 10/10 knowledge of all the movies filmed there, the boat wrecks, the history of glass kayaks, and the cypress trees laying under water for decades and not decaying!!
Dry bags were provided to keep belongings safe and dry on the boat, which was very helpful.
Overall a great day out and something I will remember for many years to come.
Response from the owner:Thank you Emma for the great review!
Justin was an excellent tour guide! Very knowledgeable! What a great experience
Response from the owner:Thank you Amber for the great review! Justin loves what he does, and it shows.
It was a great experience for the family! It was too long and we saw lots of wildlife including manatees, alligators, a monkey, black bear, fish, turtles etc! Chris was an awesome and very friendly guide!
Response from the owner:Thank you Jamie for the great review.
Absolutely Brilliant. Steve and the guys are fantastic hosts, very helpful and engaging from the off. Steve was extremely knowledgeable of the local wildlife and interacted great with all members of the tour while takimg some fantastic pictures in the process. We was extremely fortunate to see 3 manatees in the off season and multiple alligators and turtles. This is a fantastic tour away from the madness of disney and well worth the effort, i would recommend this to anyone with kids looking to open their eyes at nature in its element. Again, well worth the visit, this has been our favourite day so far from our disney 2 week holiday. BRILLIANT!!!!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the great review!
This experience was outstanding from beginning to end. The instructions provided for the meeting location were clear and concise. The staff were friendly, helpful, and made the process effortless. The convenience of having the kayak launched and retrieved by the staff was appreciated. I am thrilled I selected “Kayaking Fllorida” and will most certainly return using their services again. The experience was perfect in every way. Thank you for a wonderful experience !
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the wonderful review Kim. We appreciate the kind words.
The tour, sights, people and trip was great! So worth the 1 1/2 hour ride to get there. The state park is beautiful. I wish we had time to spend more time at the park, after or before the kayak trip. The group was small and made it easy to keep up with the group. We were able to see many alligators, birds, fish, turtles, and of course manatees! Justin our guide had a great sense of humor and was very personable. Great experience all around! I recommend getting polarized sunglasses to help see through the water and reduce glare.
Response from the owner:Thank you Amy for the great review!
Great kayaking tour! Steve is very knowledgeable and patient. Besides taking us to see manatees, alligator, and various wildlife within Silver Springs, he even showed us a spot where they filmed a portion of “Creature from the Black Lagoon”. 😊
Good Kayaking Florida crew at Silver Springs.
Good Kayaking Florida crew at Silver Springs.
Response from the owner:Thanks so much Tamera for the great review! Steve knows his stuff, and is a wonderful person.
Definitely recommend these guys! The guides were so nice and knowledgeable! We saw it all, manatees and monkeys. The clear kayaks were so cool. Steve even sent us GoPro footage of the manatees, which was so cool! Had a great time and would come back
Response from the owner:Thank you Hailey for the great review! Look forward to seeing you again!
Wow… Silver Springs has to be one of my top 5 most beautiful places!
We decided to take a tour on the water with Steve from Kayaking Florida and thank goodness we did… not only did he manage to find us some Manatees but he also was able to find us some weird and wonder fish, beautiful birds, more turtles than you can count, and lots of scary looking Alligators! Having Steve as our guide made it all the more special as he was full of useful information about the animals we were looking at and was able to bring context to the area with a great knowledge of the Park’s history. He also very clearly cares about the animals.
Thanks Steve, and thanks to your team as well!
We decided to take a tour on the water with Steve from Kayaking Florida and thank goodness we did… not only did he manage to find us some Manatees but he also was able to find us some weird and wonder fish, beautiful birds, more turtles than you can count, and lots of scary looking Alligators! Having Steve as our guide made it all the more special as he was full of useful information about the animals we were looking at and was able to bring context to the area with a great knowledge of the Park’s history. He also very clearly cares about the animals.
Thanks Steve, and thanks to your team as well!
Response from the owner:Thank you Edward. Steve is the best! It was a pleasure having you.
Super awesome experience! Justin was a great guide and really loves his job.
Response from the owner:Thank you so much Carson for the great review!
Orlando Kayak Tours, Clear Kayaking Manatee Tours
Kayaking Florida offers kayaking tours near Orlando in some of the most beautiful, crystal-clear springs in Florida. Take your shoes off and kick back as we paddle through some of Florida’s stunning waterways. With 23 years of experience, you can expect nothing less than the best!
Join us for our slow-paced and informative clear kayak tours in Silver Springs, home to abundant wildlife including wild monkeys, manatees, alligators, and beautiful water birds. Silver Springs is known for its resident manatees that live in the Silver River year-round, making it one of the top destinations for a unique manatee experience. During the manatee season, the manatees migrate in the spring to stay warm in its water of 72 degrees year-round.
We also offer Orlando manatee tours at Blue Springs State Park, the winter home for the Florida manatee. If you’re staying in Orlando, Blue Springs is about a 30-minute from downtown. The spring and the St. Johns River are home to abundant wildlife, including the famous manatees of Blue Springs.
Kayaking Florida is dedicated to offering our customers personal, impeccable service and top-quality, clean equipment, including crystal-clear kayaks, sit-on-top kayaks, and paddle boards. Our clear kayak tours are family-friendly and structured for easy paddling, with scenic landscapes, incredible manatee encounters, and Florida wildlife.
Embark on our Manatee Tours in Clear Kayaks
Our naturalist guides truly love and care about what they do, and it shows. Our CPR-certified guides also take pictures of your adventure, allowing you to cherish your manatee experience forever.
The Florida manatees, known as gentle giants, provide breathtaking wildlife encounters. Watching them from a kayak is a memorable experience. You can rest assured that your guide will provide a safe, informative, and fun manatee tour filled with unforgettable moments.
Kayaking Florida offers clear kayaks, sit-on-top kayaks, and paddle boards for all our tours. Our sit-on-top kayaks feature integrated seat backs for comfort and support during your Orlando manatee tour.
We take pride, and attention to detail in our service and equipment, ensuring that our kayaking tours are second to none. Join us and step into the beautiful wild with one of our amazing Florida kayaking tours to
