Manatees Sunset Tour: Bioluminescent Wildlife Refuge Experience

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 - A Day Away Kayak Tours

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
(162 Ratings)
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Marys8668
Aug 4, 2024
Great tour with knowledgable guides. - Drew and Aiden (sp) did an excellent job on this tour. Drew took the lead and was extremely knowledgeable about the area and its wildlife. Aiden showed true concern for the comfort of the tour goers. My primary desire was to see manatees and I was overjoyed at the amount of animals I saw. The bioluminescence wasn't quite as bright as I thought it would be but you could definitely see it. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amies176
Jul 16, 2024
Nothing short of amazing! - kayaking and playing with the friendly manatees was an incredible experience! Bird island reminded us of natures ability to thrive without people. The bioluminescence experience was amazing! Our guide David did an excellent job making us feel as though we were inside a nature documentary! My teenage boys loved it - I highly recommend adding this to your Florida experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kelly
Jul 7, 2024
Amazing - We had such a great experience. Our guides David and Tanner we amazing. We started before sunset and ended around 10pm. The Bioluminescence were amazing and they new right where to take us. We enjoyed manatees and saw Flamingos and then mullet lighting up the Bioluminescence as they swam by after dark. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cyrielle
Jun 29, 2024
Unforgettable - The kayak tour at sunset is a must! This will be our best memory of Florida. We saw in their natural environment manatees full of birds (pelican herons etc) and a dolphin around our kayaks. Add to that the magical effect of bioluminescence and you leave with unforgettable images. The guides are very professional the equipment provided of very good quality. Zoe our guide kindly provided us with mosquito spray! To be repeated if the opportunity arises.
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X7065bglaras
Jun 21, 2024
Manatees, dolphins, and bioluminescence, oh my! :D - It was all amazing, and a huge thank you to Zoe for a tremendous job!! We would absolutely recommend for anyone looking to see manatees, dolphins, and the lights all in one evening!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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!
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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