Mangroves, Manatees, and a Hidden Beach: Kayak Tour

Embark on a thrilling Lido Mangrove Kayak Tour and explore a unique ecosystem. Our expert guides will enhance your paddling skills and help you spot fascinating wildlife, including manatees and dolphins.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • 8701 Blind Pass Rd - The tour starts at the Turtle Beach Boat Launch. We start by paddling in the intercoastal waters on Sarasota Bay. This is a great place to get used to the equipment and also a great place to see manatees (during spring and summer months, mostly). Our tour takes us through a canal and into the mangrove islands of the Jim Neville Preserve. Stay alert for beautiful shore and seabirds along the way. With fishing jumping all around you, our goal is to spot dolphins and manatees that frequent the area to feed. Keep your eye open for ospreys, bald eagles and cormorants–all of which are often hunting for fish. As we wind our way around the mangrove islands and through mangrove tunnels we head toward the highlight of the tour. We pull our boats onshore and wander over the sand dunes to a quiet and isolated beach. This is a great place to stretch your legs, take a swim in the clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico or look for shells.

Youth rate is for kids 10 years old and under. Youth paddlers will be in a tandem kayak with an adult.

Kayak Launch Fees are $5.00 per boat and will be collected by the vendor upon check-in.

What's Included
  • Double Kayak
  • Paddles
  • Safety Equipment (Life Jackets, Leashes)
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Launch Fees
Additional Information

Just a few minutes away from all the hustle and bustle of Sarasota is our favorite local beach, Turtle Beach. It is only a few short miles from the main Siesta Key beach to Turtle Beach and the Sarasota County trolley will drop you right there. Not only is this area such a beautiful and quiet place, it is also a great place to paddle!

We start on the intercostal and paddle down a short canal to the Bay. We paddle around the mangrove islands through a mangrove tunnel or two and alongside a bird rookery.

We paddle around the mangrove islands of Jim Neville Marine Preserve and then to a “secret” beach. This beach is only accessible by boat so we may have it to ourselves. Such a beautiful place for a quick swim or just stopping for a few moments to relax. You may want to stay here all day.

This location is home to all kinds of wildlife including manatees, dolphins, beautiful sea and shorebirds and lots of fish.

Location
Turtle Beach
Once you enter Turtle Beach park, go straight until the stop sign. Turn left. The public boat launch will be on your left. Find parking anywhere inside Turtle Beach Park.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(773 Ratings)
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Richard_d
Aug 18, 2024
Amazing - Our guide was fun,and funny,and so much knowledge, the private beach was amazing, didn't see a manatee,butbmy husband claims he seen a dolphin,don't knowbhow I missed it. I would definitely go back
Review provided by Viator
Wendy_i
Aug 14, 2024
Fun times - The most memorable parts were saving a baby turtle, seeing a gator, and going through the mangroves.
Review provided by Viator
568shannah
Aug 10, 2024
Great Experince! - We had a wonderful experience, out guide was great and had a lot of neat info and history about the area. Hurricane Debby had just moved through so unfortunately the maanatees hadn't come back out yet. Regardless it was still a lot of fun and I would highly recommend! We will for sure try again next time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessica_v
Aug 4, 2024
A wonderful family activity! - Our guide, Tim, was knowledgeable and made sure we all had a great time. The secret beach was the perfect break! Great experience!
Review provided by Viator
Bryce_c
Aug 4, 2024
Great time - Midnight Pass beach was a great spot and learning of past Mote aquarium location. Guides have plenty of knowledge.
Review provided by Viator
Carol_l
Aug 3, 2024
Extraordinary Experience - I recently had a kayak experience that turned out to be both fun and memorable. The adventure was intensified by unexpected severe weather, but our tourist guide was exceptionally helpful and professional. When my daughter needed rescue in the midst of the storm, the guide acted swiftly and efficiently, ensuring her safety. Their expertise and quick thinking made a potentially frightening situation manageable . I highly recommend this tour for both the excitement and the outstanding support provided by the guide.
Review provided by Viator
Kristi_t
Aug 2, 2024
Summer adventure - We had a wonderful trip! The guide was friendly and very knowledgeable. Our favorite part of the trip was the hidden beach.
Review provided by Viator
Cindy_r
Aug 1, 2024
Worth it - This was a great experience. We had a blast. These guys were fun & very knowledgeable! They made us feel really comfortable!
Review provided by Viator
Sarah_l
Jul 29, 2024
Great time on our bachelorette trip! - Lew was an awesome guide! He shared a lot of information and was very know. The group cares a lot obout the manatees and their enthusiasm for keeping them safe is wonderful. The whole group was friendly, helpful and fun.
Review provided by Viator
Tarrie_m
Jul 27, 2024
A great experience in the mangroves! - Our guide was a lot of fun, very knowledgeable about the environment and animal life. I learned the value of mangroves to our ecosystem. Our guide was able to locate a manatee under water so we all were able to get a glimpse as he surfaced the water.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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