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10,000 Islands Kayak Tour: Manatees and Mangroves
5.0
790 Ratings
Naples
Embark on a unique kayak tour through the 10,000 Islands Wildlife Refuge, spotting bucket list wildlife and exploring stunning mangrove tunnels. Expert guides ensure an unforgettable experience!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- 25000 Tamiami Trail E - Our tours are small by design and our Manatees and Mangroves tour is the absolute best location in Collier County for spotting manatees from your kayak. Manatees are most abundant here during the colder winter months. Guests can expect to see manatees (best during colder periods), alligators, numerous bird species all while kayaking through some of the most extensive mangrove tunnels in the area. During the Winter months with colder water temperatures, the manatees congregate in large numbers in the deeper canal. The canal’s deeper water does not cool down as much as the surrounding Gulf of Mexico waters. Providing the manatees with water temps above 68 degrees. We will spend around 30 minutes in the canals looking for manatees and around 2-2.5 hours in the mangrove tunnels and salt marsh habitat. This is considered a “downwinder” type tour. Guests will hop in our passenger van (WE ARE OFFERING INDIVIDUAL SHUTTLES PER HOUSEHOLD, PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY FOR THIS SERVICE) Will shuttle you 1 mile down the road allowing us to kayak back to the marina around 4 miles.
What's Included
- TripAdvisor’s Cancellation Policy included
- Guided by ACA Certified Kayak Professionals
- Tandem Kayak provided (note: single kayaks unavailable for booking via TripAdvisor)
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- No Refund for going to the wrong location Meet us at 25000 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34114
- Our proprietary automated communication.
- NO REFUNDS WITHIN 24 HOURS OF TOUR
Additional Information
Undeniably, our kayak tour offers a unique course that affords the best chances of observing coveted wildlife in the Everglades locale. We commence our journey from an authorized-only inception point within the bounds of the 10,000 Islands Wildlife Refuge. Guide expertise and meticulous pre-tour planning are indispensable due to the changing tidal pattern, a commitment beyond the capability and willingness of other operators. The trip kickstarts with a jaunt through the salt marsh, a hot-spot for a diversity of wading birds and river otters. A quarter hour after commencement, guests will observe a shift in the ecosystem, transitioning into a mangrove habitat, suggestive of altered salinity and elevation levels. Following this, one of the finest Mangrove Tunnels within the county awaits exploration. Subsequent to several mangrove tunnels, streams and ponds and hopefully a plethora of wildlife, guests will finally debouch into a manatee sanctuary, Faka-union Canal. Certified kayak guides are part of the package all year round!
- We meet all guests inside the hotel lobby at 25000 Tamiami Trail East Naples, FL 34114
- Children 13 and under must ride in a two person kayak with an adult 18 or older.
- At certain tide levels this tour can become more difficult
Location
25000 Tamiami Trail E
Tamiami Trail East
We meet all guests at the Port of the Islands hotel at 25000 Tamiami Trail East Naples, FL 34114. Our office is located inside the hotel lobby.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(790 Ratings)
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Grandtour41455554787
Jun 6, 2024
Tunnels through the mangrove! - Ty was an excellent guide. We saw many birds, fish, plants -- that you're not likely to see from a boardwalk, trail or road.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H528urkarens
Jun 6, 2024
Manatees and Mangroves-2 big thumbs up! - We had such a wonderful time…Justin guided us through some lovely and picturesque areas! We saw lots of wild life…even baby sharks and our tour topped off with a manatee! Highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michellegk6905xs
May 28, 2024
Beautiful and fun adventure - Great adventure. Justin was a very informative and patient guide. The pictures he took were amazing. Definitely would recommend this for anyone looking to enjoy Florida’s natural beauty.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carlc485
May 27, 2024
Great tour through the mangroves - Superb tour. Great guide. Sharks, crabs, Manatee, gators and birds plus lots of kayaking and plenty of sunshine. The kayaking is not difficult but it is work and requires moderate effort but not much skill (we were first timers and in our mid 60s). We went in May and I would highly recommend taking bug spray in case you run into the mosquitos like we did. They were the only down side to a great experience. Justin in a fantastic guide with a good sense of humor. He takes pictures and uploads them so you really do not have to do anything but enjoy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_c
May 24, 2024
Interesting, informative and fun - Justin was a great guide. He knows the waterways, knows the ecosystem, is very at home in the water and obviously loves his job! The kayaking trip was very entertaining and informative. If you are a novice kayaker, like me, it was a physically moderate to challenging activity. Please remember to apply bug spray. The mosquitoes were hungry!
Review provided by Viator
Mike_seve
May 23, 2024
Would do again - We had a great time. Justin was an amazing guide. Saw a lot of wildlife including way too many mosquitoes. It would have been better in the wet season
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jay
May 22, 2024
A great kayaking tour - A great tour and a great route. Very interesting. Justin is a great guide. I highly recommend it. My only warning is if you do it in May bring bug spray.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Go316744
May 22, 2024
Absolutely Perfect Day! - Justin really knows his way around the water. He really want the extra mile for us, making sure we saw a manatee and loading us with information about the ecosystem!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gurtie1
May 21, 2024
Excellent paddling adventure - Very interesting and informative. Great guide very personable and knowledgeable about the mangroves and the history of the area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amy_a
May 21, 2024
Justin is the best! - Justin was excellent! He was very knowledgeable and managed a challenging member of our tour well. He was very friendly and provided an amazing tour. We saw manatees, a crocodile, bull sharks and a ton of birds! Well worth the trip!
Review provided by Viator
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