Manatee & Dolphin Kayak Tour

This is the tour for people who want to see manatees and dolphins from the water. It is the same guided pedal kayak tour as our morning and sunset tours, so you pick the day you are here and the time that suits you. Both go looking for the same animals on Mosquito Lagoon.

Manatees, mid-February to mid-December

Manatees are in the lagoon from mid-February to mid-December, and the lagoon holds the most in late summer and early fall. They graze the seagrass and the mangrove edges, and you usually find one by a nose or a tail breaking the surface.

From mid-December to mid-February most of them move to warm springs and power-plant outfalls, and sightings are rare. If manatees are the reason for your trip, come between March and November.

Dolphins, every month of the year

The lagoon has its own dolphins. They were born here and they stay all year. In the morning they hunt the shallows and sometimes drive mullet right up onto the flats. In the evening they feed along the islands, and the low light makes them easier to photograph. Most morning tours meet them.

Morning or sunset?

Take the morning tour for an early day on the water but warmer conditions. It is the one we recommend for early birds and park enthusiasts. Take the sunset tour for the light, with dolphins and manatees feeding as the day cools. The animals are the same on both, so choose the time of day you like to be on the water.

How close we get

We watch, and the animals decide how close they come. Many of the waterways are about 50 yards wide and we navigate through on our own course. We give the animals space so we do not alter their behavior. Since we respect their space, the animals do not mind our presence and frequently swim within 10 feet of our kayaks.

Federal guidelines ask boats to stay at least 50 yards from dolphins, and feeding them is against the law. It is also illegal to feed, chase or harass a manatee, and Florida’s wildlife agency asks paddlers not to touch one. If an animal changes what it is doing because of us, we are too close and we back off.

A pedal kayak helps. It has no motor and no paddle splashing beside it, so we can drift and wait. Sometimes an animal comes over to us, and that is its choice to make.

Wild animals and honest odds

These are wild animals, and no honest guide can promise a sighting. What we can do is take you to the right water at the right time of year, and tell you plainly when the odds are best.