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Orlando Manatee Encounters: Blue Spring State Park Tour
4.9
346 Ratings
Orange City
Embark on a thrilling adventure at Blue Spring State Park in Orlando, where you can witness the majestic Manatees in their natural habitat. Join our guided kayak tour and learn about the diverse flora and fauna of this wild area. Perfect for a family outing!
Embark on a thrilling adventure at Blue Spring State Park in Orlando, where you can witness the majestic Manatees in their natural habitat. Join our guided kayak tour and learn about the diverse flora and fauna of this wild area. Perfect for a family outing!
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Blue Spring State Park: French Landing Boat Ramp - We will paddle into the park and up to the manatee refuge. The manatee leave the refuge in search of food and swim all around us and under us. We also take time to paddle to snake creek to watch manatee graze, birds fishing, and search out wildlife.
- Blue Spring State Park: French Landing Boat Ramp - We will paddle into the park and up to the manatee refuge. The manatee leave the refuge in search of food and swim all around us and under us. We also take time to paddle to snake creek to watch manatee graze, birds fishing, and search out wildlife.
What's Included
- Local guide
- Bottled water
- Professional guide
- Landing and/or facility fees
- Local guide
- Bottled water
- Professional guide
- Landing and/or facility fees
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Embark on a voyage to Blue Spring State Park, the wintry abode for one of the biggest herds of Manatee in Florida. Marvel at the sight of hundreds of these ‘marine giants’ leisurely enjoying the spring. From the comfort of your kayak, examine these fascinating animals while your Florida Master Naturalist acquaints you with the diverse plant and animal…
Embark on a voyage to Blue Spring State Park, the wintry abode for one of the biggest herds of Manatee in Florida. Marvel at the sight of hundreds of these ‘marine giants’ leisurely enjoying the spring. From the comfort of your kayak, examine these fascinating animals while your Florida Master Naturalist acquaints you with the diverse plant and animal life that populate this wilderness. An excellent journey for all family members!
- 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.
Location
Blue Spring State Park Campground
West French Avenue
Go to the very end of French Ave, 1 mile past the State Park. DO NOT ENTER THE STATE PARK!
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(346 Ratings)
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Joachim_c
Aug 3, 2025
Jeff is the ideal guide!! - With the right guide and participants, a great experience! Calm and with enormous knowledge Jeff leads the group according to their abilities and desires. Everything was super prepared and worked out great. He got the best out of the leadership and opportunities. We saw many different species of fish and birds, alligators and manatees. What an experience when these gentle giants appear and breathe right next to the kayak!
ES was plenty of water during and after the tour. Equipment was in very good condition.
An all-round great experience. Thank you so much!
Review provided by Viator
Jakeff6190ef
Jul 15, 2025
Go and see the real Florida. - My friends and I had an great time kayaking at Blue Spring State Park. Geoff and Lauren were laid back guides who created a relaxed vibe while showing us wildlife like gators and manatees in their own habitat. They shared stories and and facts without making it feel too formal, and the whole experience felt like we were just exploring with friends. The scenery was beautiful, and the pace was perfect. Highly recommend this trip for a laid-back exploration away from the typical tourism of Florida.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sethbw2538nm
Jun 18, 2025
Amazing time, and great guides. - Had an amazing time. The guide was extremely knowledgeable, and even reached out the day before to introduce him self, and help with directions to the meeting point. Will definitely be doing some of their other tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tourist02684050236
Jun 13, 2025
Alligators, Turtles and Manatees, Oh My! - This was a great day with great weather. Jeff, our guide, was very knowledgeable about the location, as well as the wildlife and flora. I saw alligators, turtles, and an owl way up in the tree that Jeff had spotted earlier. When we entered the cove, we saw several manatees that came up to the surface close to our kayaks. I enjoyed all the other paddlers, who were all very friendly. What a great tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kelly_m
May 24, 2025
Manatee Trop - Had a great time and great guide we were fortunate to go see the natural spring which opened briefly the morning we went
Review provided by Viator
734florag
Apr 25, 2025
Awesome trip on the St. John River - We had a wonderful time on the water with our guide. Saw quite a few alligators and our guide took us to an area that had baby alligators. Birds were magnificent including a barn owl ,ospreys, bald eagles, and blue herons. Saw 2 manatees with tracking devices and 1 lifted it’s head just enough to get a glimpse.Felt totally safe on the water. A great time was had by all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michael_j
Apr 23, 2025
Great Tour for all ages! - Jeff was an amazing guide. He was very knowledgeable about all the wildlife-Alligators, manatee, birds, turtles etc! Highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for an up close and educational experience.
Review provided by Viator
Northstar824839
Mar 29, 2025
Well worth it. - Jeff was a knowledge, fun guide. Saw many manatees, alligators, birds and a turtle. Kayaks were stable and easy to manuever.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Theresambaron
Mar 23, 2025
Orlando Manatee Encounters - A MUST-DO Adventure! - The Orlando Manatee Encounter was FABULOUS! Our family of three had an amazing adventure with Jeff as our guide who exceeded expectations with his professionalism, organization, flexibility, communication, knowledge, and expertise. Jeff ensured our family had detailed directions to our tour departure site - as it's a bit off the park path - was able to flex with our family's schedule and provided a tour full of manatees, both tagged and untagged, birds galore, turtles, and of course, lots of gators. Jeff took us off the 'beaten path' as part of our tour, up a creek to share some views that were simply breathtaking. Our tour day delivered gorgeous weather and Jeff and the Orlando Manatee Encounter provided memories that will be fondly shared by our family, forever!
Thank you to our guide Jeff and consider this adventure - you will be happy you did!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Courtney_o
Mar 19, 2025
A must experience! - We saw turtles, alligators, manatees, along with an owl up close and personal. Jeff was a great guide and we highly recommend this adventure. Very beautiful and peaceful.
Review provided by Viator
