Manatee and Dolphin Kayak Tour: Wildlife Encounter

Embark on a magical kayaking adventure on Merritt Island, encountering endangered manatees and playful dolphins. Observe Florida’s native wildlife in their natural habitat.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Haulover Canal Launch Site - It’s a unique experience as you drift serenely in the morning through the preferred hangout areas of the endangered manatee within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. These gentle giants of Florida are known for their affectionate behavior, often approaching to bump, hold, and snuggle against your kayak,…
What's Included
  • 2 hour kayak tour with professional guide
  • Kayak, paddle, and personal flotation device (PFD) included
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Experience a morning like no other, as you drift peacefully through the beloved haunts of endangered manatees within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. These affable vegetarian citizens of Florida will enchant you as they approach, touch and even hug your kayak, offering you an enchanting start to your day.
Your sea adventure extends beyond…

Location
Haulover Canal Launch Site
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(216 Ratings)
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Asusto
Apr 4, 2025
A Great Morning on the Water - It was a great day on the water. We kayaked among about 20 manatees at the boat launch lagoon and then went out to the bird island sanctuary where we saw a flock of flamingos and spoonbill and egret rookeries in the trees. Our 9 year old granddaughter was happy we did not run into any alligators as we had seen a bunch of them the day before at Midway Airboat and that was close enough. We didn't see dolphins but did see some at the tidal pool at Sebastian Inlet State Park the next day The length of the tour and level of exertion were just right. Double kayak for 9 year old was a good call. Our guide Matthew was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful-- the trifecta.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Melcherfamily2021
Mar 29, 2025
Amazing tour with an amazing guide! - We had an amazing time on our tour. Caleb was friendly, informative and really chill. He was very in tune with the group and knew when people were getting tired and what the group was capable of. We seen plenty of awesome wild life such as manatees, dolphins, flamingos and pelicans. Overall I highly suggest going on any of their tours you will have a blast!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shirley_d
Mar 22, 2025
Fun outdoor activity - Excellent tour and not to strenuous. Drew was awesome guide. Great knowledge and enthusiasm! Don’t let him tell cow jokes😁. We have done a lot of outdoor activities and this is definitely a top adventure
Review provided by Viator
Seaside52167012224
Mar 17, 2025
A Day Away Kyaking - I had such a great time on the kayaking trip viewing manatees, River, dolphins, and lots of beautiful birds. The guides at A Day Away are really informed and make the experience so much fun. I highly recommend this kayak tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Madeleined648
Mar 2, 2025
A wonderful kayak tour on Merritt Island! - We had an excellent kayak trip with Zoe! She was so friendly and pleasant to paddle with as well as being professional and informative. There was only 1 other couple on our tour and since we both wanted to see the flamingos out by Bird Island, the dolphins and manatees took a back seat. I was so appreciative that Zoe was flexible and geared the tour to what we all really wanted to see. She was very safety conscious and respectful of the birds, making sure we kept a safe distance. I would definitely book with A Day Away Kayak Tours again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roberthk6690ds
Feb 20, 2025
Up Close Adventure With Florida Wildlife! - Went with a group of friends visiting from Colombia. Matthew our host waited patiently for us as we arrived later than the expected time. He was very gracious and patient. He coached us up on safety and took us on a tour where we encountered dolphins, manatees and a very large alligator along the shoreline. Matthew was very knowledgable and spoke clearly and slowly for our friends who aren't native English speakers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F6220ohdenisep
Feb 16, 2025
Meeting the Manatees! - The encounters with the manatees is amazing! Such a beautiful and special place.Well worth the $. Our guides, Mathew and Caleb were exceptional, making the whole experience even more memorable
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julie_j
Feb 3, 2025
Fun on the Water - This was a very fun experience! Our guide was fantastic and incredibly knowledgeable! Beautiful area!
Review provided by Viator
Shirley
Jan 12, 2025
Great experience - Knowledgeable and friendly guide who tried his best to find us a manatee but it was too cold for them to be out. We did see a huge crocodile, fish, jellyfish and lots of birds. Enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours in a beautiful and peaceful setting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Garrett_b
Jan 5, 2025
Great experience to see wildlife - Our guide, Drew, was very fun and was able to share some of his knowledge on the area and wildlife. My wife and I were celebrating our honeymoon and Drew made sure to cater to what we wanted to get out of the experience. A cold front came in the night prior to our trip so the weather ended up being very unfavorable with the cold wind. Drew kept us out of the stronger currents as best he could and protected from the wind. We did the excursion in hopes of spotting a wild manatee which is a dream of my wife’s. Drew may have spotted a manatee nose but we weren’t able to see it resurface. We did see bio-luminescent jelly fish, many species of birds, and our favorite was the dolphins. One down side was the amount of boat traffic and fisherman in the area on the bank and in water. I would recommend planning your trip around less active times of the week. Ours was Saturday at noon and the weather was unfavorable so I can only imagine how busy it gets on a better weather day.
Review provided by Viator
From $75
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).