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Manatees Sunset Tour: Bioluminescent Wildlife Refuge Experience
4.9
156 Ratings
Mims
Embark on a thrilling sunset tour in the wildlife refuge, where you'll encounter manatees, dolphins, and a variety of birds. Experience the mesmerizing bioluminescence of the season for an unforgettable adventure!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
What to Expect - A drive that is 20 minutes east of Titusville out on the Refuge
• No restroom facilities at the launch site (visitor center is the closest)
• Just under two hours on the water for a leisurely paddle
• Expect to get a little wet – depends on you (or possibly your friends)
• To see lots of wildlife and stretch those muscles a little
• To learn some basics about paddling and more about local wildlife
• To wear your life vest & whistle :)
• Great guides who enjoy their work and keep you safe
• Lots of outdoor fun and a desire to come back real soon
Points of Interest
- Haulover Canal Kayak Launch
What's Included
- Kayak
- Professional guide
- PFD (Personal Floatation Device)
- Paddle
- 2-hour kayak tour
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Immerse yourself in a triad of unique adventures during a three-hour tour at the wildlife sanctuary! Commence your journey by launching your kayak amidst the day and get engulfed by Florida’s favorite endangered species, the West Indian Manatees! Enjoy their gentle and playful behavior as they roll, sniff, and nuzzle around you. During this period, you may also spot Dolphins in the neighboring bay, busy catching their meal.
Move on to the Bird Island, a region under federal protection, to witness hundreds of birds in flight. Ibis, herons, egrets, pelicans, cormorants, and roseate spoonbills, amongst others, fly in groups to their nests as nightfall approaches. Allow the smooth motion of your kayak to soothe you as you witness the various hues of sunset painting the sky.
In conclusion, prepare to witness the spectacle of the season’s bioluminescent phenomenon, be it the summer bioluminescence, winter comb jelly bioluminescence, or the magnificent view of a starry, moonlit sky.
- What to bring:
- Clothes you don’t mind getting a little wet. Towel (left in car)
- Water Shoes – sandals or Crocs that can be worn in the water
- Bring an extra change of clothes just in case
- Camera & Dry bag (optional) These are fairly useless to capture bioluminescence, but great for capturing people.
- Bottled water, Snacks
- Any special personal paddling gear if you like
- You may bring a flashlight, though we will provide a safety light.
Location
Haulover Canal Kayak Launch
Haulover Road Southwest
Launching from Haulover Canal - Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
https://goo.gl/maps/726pkP1XvoQm2eXP8
Haulover Canal Launch Site is 20 minutes east of Titusville on the NW corner of Haulover Canal.
**If you have any difficulty finding us you may reach us at**
After 5pm 321-284-1555
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(156 Ratings)
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1 star
Sarah
Jun 11, 2024
Family adventure with teen and young adults. - We just finished our tour with Mathew, Butter, and Lauren (pretty lady).My teenagers loved it. We thought it might get canceled due to weather, but it cleared up just in time. The extra waves made it a fun experience for the kids. We saw dolphins, gators, and awesome bioluminescent. It was well worth the price and experience. The teens said it looked like avatar. The sunset over the water was breathtaking. Bring bug spray, your camera, and strong arms!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
773sherim
May 31, 2024
Great kayak tour - We had a wonderful time on the tour. We saw manatees, a beautiful sunset and bioluminescence. Drew , our guide, was very personable and knowledgeable. You could tell he wanted everyone to feel comfortable and have a good experience. We bought long sleeve shirts, bug spray and water bottles with us. I had read lots of comments about bugs. Bugs didn’t really bother us- just a little after dark but reapplied bug spray and good to go. We had a total of 6 people and two guides on our tour. We appreciated the smaller group because we didn’t miss anything Drew was saying. Again, great tour and we learned a lot. I definitely recommend the manatee, sunset and bioluminescence kayak with this crew.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
William
May 30, 2024
Great way to spend an evening - Highly recommend booking this tour. We saw manatees, dolphins, and even a couple gators along the way. The sunset was pretty. The highlight of the tour was definitely the bio luminescence on the trip back. It felt like we were kayaking on an alien planet for the last hour as the water lit up with white and blue colors with every paddle. Lauren and Eylan (spelling) were so nice and fantastic guides. Was great to spend the evening with them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Angeldg8694qw
May 30, 2024
Best kayaking trip I have been on and I love to kayak! - Our guide Lauren was fun, knowledgeable, and accommodating. We were lucky enough to see lots of wildlife, probably more than average, but the bioluminescence alone is so cool that it is worth the trip for that alone. We saw pelicans, a blue heron, a gator, a raccoon, numerous dolphin and manatees who were in mating season and putting on a show. A manatee even pushed my sons’ canoe along from the back. I want to do it again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
247shannank
Apr 30, 2024
10/10 - What a trip! Our guide Dylan was excellent. Very funny, knowledgeable, friendly & flexible. Kayaking was great and we saw many different animals - big alligators, a lot of manatees and even baby manatees, variety of birds, & dolphins. The fam really enjoyed our time with Dylan, and hope he continues his tour-guiding when we return this time next year!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F9313zusheryll
Apr 30, 2024
Wonderful tour - This was a great tour. The guide Ross individualized the tour. He was informative, friendly and went out of his way to help us experience all parts of the tour. I am new to kayaking but my family member was not. He made sure it a great experience for both of us. I would recommend this combination tour since we saw manitees, dolphins, a beautiful and peaceful sunset and the glowing bioluminescence. The guide took his time to find us a glowing jellyfish.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Angelct5539jw
Mar 30, 2024
The best part of our two week vacation in Florida - This is one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had on vacation this year. All four of my kids loved it. We all got to see everything we expected to see our tour. Our tour guide Freedom was absolutely amazing friendly talkative, very knowledgeable about all the wildlife We seen she was very interactive with us and the kids. She was absolutely amazing. We enjoyed the laid-back, fun, kayaking tour. We almost thought we were gonna have to skip it because we scheduled it and the winds were too high on our last day of vacation. Luckily, we stayed an extra day just to do the kayak tour and we are so grateful to have Freedom as our guide. I lived in Florida for a good portion of my life and still learned a lot of information about the local wildlife from her. She is definitely an asset on your tour guide crew!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mroth086
Mar 17, 2024
Mondo Tour Review March 15th - We had Chaz as our guide and we were lucky enough to be partnered with a huge group that went off with another guide so we were super lucky in having him all to ourselves. Chaz had amazing knowledge and really took us to some amazing places. We saw tons of Manatees, sat with a couple dolphins for over an hour, saw and felt some of the big red drum fish and then...to top it all off we saw a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch at night!!! so cool. This is our 4th tour with A Day Away - and they always seem to get better and better. The guides are super friendly and helpful and you get to see some of the natural world. A MUST HAVE add-on to your Orlando vacation AND if you are local like we are, its amazing to experience all this so close to home.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarah_the_wanderlust
Jan 21, 2024
Chaz is a rockstar guide! 🌟 - Chaz is a rockstar guide! Super bubbly, genuine and knowledgeable. He taylors the tour to what you want to see and facts/info to your interests (history, animal species, fun facts, weird stories) 5 🌟 dad jokes, guaranteed to keep you smiling or anoy your teenager. VIP service, no helping to carry gear or even get your toes wet stepping into the kayak. The tour itself was amazing. There's nothing like watching a beautiful scarlet sunset over glass water with dolphins all around you. It was both breathtaking and peaceful. Perfect way to refill your shockrahs. Once in a lifetime. I would definitely choose a day away again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
638mollyo
Jan 10, 2024
Super fun way to get out in nature - This trip was so fun! We learned a lot of about the area and the animals. They even offered a "paddle buddy" (for an additional cost) so my group of 3 (2 kids and myself) could participate.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
