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
364 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
FIRST Manatee Encounter EVER Thanks to This Company
christinebD7188ZP,,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour guide Tia was SUPER friendly and knowledgeable! It felt like we were kayaking with one of our friends from back home in Maryland! She knew a lot about the local bird, plant and other wildlife and was even able to share a lot of her own personal experiences with us! Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who wants to get out on the water and see the wildlife (especially the manatees)!!! The complimentary bottle of water and sticker is very thoughtful! DEFINITELY need to have t-shirts for purchase - would have bought one!
Unforgettable experience!
ingridmC9787MV,,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I had a wonderful time on my kayaking with manatees adventure. Ryan was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable about the wildlife and so kind to everyone. He answered lots of questions, and made the trip fun for everyone - brand new kayakers and those who were more experienced on the water. We saw tons of manatees, several beautiful birds, and baby alligators. The communication was good from booking until the time of our trip. Due to weather my trip was shifted but there was no issue with rebooking, and I'm grateful I was able to go. I was a little nervous about getting Lyft from Orlando (I didn't rent a car) but I had no problem getting a ride to and from my adventure. This was the best part of my vacation, highly recommend!
Orlando Manatee
elhousseinin,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great experience, Dave is an excellent guide. It was a wonderful journey, we saw manatees, alligators and turtles.
Excellent manatee along with other wildlife experience!
BLike2Travel,,Jan 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an excellent manatee and other wildlife experience! Our guide Tia was very nice as well as knowledgeable. We saw lots of manatees in the springs and along the river. As we did some additional kayaking along the river and a tributary, we saw a lot of other wildlife such as alligators (moms and babies), ibis, little blue heron, great blue heron, little green heron, wood stork, limpkin and even an endangered snail kite! While kayaking, we had manatees surprise us by popping up right next to us and swimming under us. We just had a crazy good time!
Great Manatee interactions.
Lisa K,,Jan 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour was with Tia. She was so knowledgeable about the Manatees, gators, birds and all things St John’s river. She was easygoing and a great guide.
A perfect kayaking trip to meet a lot of manatees
Go387110,,Dec 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The trip was terrific. We have seen a lot of birds and manatees. Our guide Ryan is very knowledgeable of the plants and birds around this area. He is so good at spotting the manatees. The manatees are around us and some of them made bubbles close to our boats. The kayaking trip is perfect and we enjoy it a lot.
Once in a lifetime experience, even if you've never been kayaking
laurendU1797VC,,Dec 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The guide Ryan was friendly and very patient with my large family. He could not have been more awesome. He even gave us bonus padding time after my family had a slower time getting the hang of paddling. The experience just got better and better, as we went upstream. The manatees came right up to our kayaks! Even my older teenagers said it was a once in a lifetime experience. Do not skip this!
The guide Ryan was...
Lauren D,,Dec 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The guide Ryan was friendly and very patient with my large family. He could not have been more awesome. He even gave us bonus paddling time after my family had a slower time getting the hang of paddling. The experience just got better and better, as we went upstream. The manatees came right up to our kayaks! Even my older teenagers said it was a once in a lifetime experience. Do not skip this!
Fab
kbyrne94,,Nov 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a brilliant time with David. It was so tranquil out on the river, a lovely change from the slightly manic parks. David was really friendly and knowledgeable while being very chill. We saw two manatees munching away and lots of birds, fish, and a few turtles :) 100% would recommend
Kayaking with manatees
392robbiew,,Nov 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Experience was very fun kayaking around the springs and seeing all the wildlife! David was a great guide and was able to knew a lot about the area and where to spot the animals. We saw several manatees and turtles up close.
From US$80.00
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Operated by Adventures in Florida