Orlando Manatee Encounters
Overview
Available languages
2 hours
Mobile ticket
Journey to Blue Spring State Park, winter home to one of Florida’s largest populations of Manatee. Witness hundreds of these "sea cows" relaxing in the spring alone. Observe these creatures from a safe distance in your kayak as your Florida Master Naturalist introduces you to the flora and fauna that make up this wild area. This is a great trip for the entire family!
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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.
Must be comfortable sitting in a kayak for multiple hours
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
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
Bottled water
Professional guide
Landing and facility fees
Gratuities
Options
private manatee tour (1-5pax)
Duration: 3 hours
Manatee Encounter
Reviews
383 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fun in the sun
Crystal K,May 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Terra was an awesome tour guide! Knowledgeable, energetic, and overall made the experience memorable. Thank you!! Very much recommend 😊
Amazing experience !
Alyson Y,May 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Exceptional guide, Tia. We went in the off season for manatees but still saw some and other wildlife Beautiful tour. My kids enjoyed the adventure too. Age 14 and 11 kiddos. Our guide was in constant communication with us before the trip as well and got some great photos for us too.
Great quick trip, would love to spend more time and see more of the area.
Navigator07132477986,May 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Reserving the trip was a breeze and the company accommodated a change in the reservation without hassle. Getting to the location was easy. The guide (Matthew) was on-time, friendly, and professional. He had a deep knowledge about the local wildlife. Setting up and getting going was stress free. Paddling was easy with no significant currents and only mild breeze. Wildlife was abundant above the water (herons, egrets, cranes, black vultures, sand pipers, anhinga, and even a bald eagle), below the water (cat fish, gar, and grass carp were some of the visible specie around the clear waters of the spring), and on the shores (many wildflowers, wetland species of plants, butterflies, dragonflies, a brown water snake, and several alligators). We even saw a manatee, although it was late in the year (May) and later in the day (12 noon trip). The only drawbacks were other people, with a couple of larger tour boats and a few private power boats that happened to be playing loud music. Also, the lack of any bathroom at the W French Ave launch is a problem and not healthy for the waterway or visitors.
Amazing day and wildlife
heatherfI8840UJ,May 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My daughter, cousin and I had an amazing 2 hours with Tia. She was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and made the trip both fun, and informative. We had hoped to see a manatee, and maybe a gator, we were able to see both!! We also saw bald eagles, osprey, many other birds, and learned about the native foliage, invasive species, and even the fish we were padling over. Being avid nature Enthusiasts, this made our day. I would recommend to everyone for a beautiful day in nature.
The best experience of nature!
JadeyQ1,Apr 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An amazing experience with Terra today. We saw so much wildlife! Manatees, alligators, turtles and so many fish and birds 🤩 Would absolutely recommend to any nature lovers!
Kayaking
W1959GHdanielf,Apr 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great day out kayaking with instructor Terra. She was so knowledgeable and made the experience very memorable. We saw loads of wildlife and had an amazing time.
Birthday kayaking
W6664LVjoes,Apr 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Terra wad a great guide! Even though we went outside of the season we still managed to spot multiple manatees and plenty of other wildlife!
We saw everything!!!
552mitchellj,Apr 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Saw so much wildlife and many Manatees. Terra was a great guide and was happy and able to answer the many, many questions we had. would happily do it again.
Great Florida wildlife
669carao,Apr 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An excellent experience from start to finish. Tia was very knowledgeable about all of the flora and fauna in the region. We were lucky to see a few manatees as well as many alligators and amazing birds. I would recommend this trip wholeheartedly.
Once in a lifetime experience!!
natsukob2026,Mar 31, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was the highlight of our trip down to Orlando. While an amazing experience all on it's own seeing the manatees, our tour guide Terra and her clear passion for nature and adventurous personality truly made it an amazing experience. My wife and I had a blast and are already discussing taking the Alligator Experience tour!
From US$80.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
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Operated by Adventures in Florida