Sarasota

Mangroves, Manatees, and a Hidden Beach: Kayak Tour

Badge of ExcellenceSarasota, USA
Kayak Tour through Mangrove Tunnels

From $50.00

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

  • 2 hours
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Immerse yourself in Sarasota's coastal mangrove forests, look out for dolphins and manatees, and practice your kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding skills on this immersive, small-group tour. After departing from Ted Sperling Nature Park, you'll paddle out on Sarasota Bay and can practice with your equipment. Then, head into the mangrove tunnels for your best chance to see local marine life.
  • This small-group tour guarantees hands-on guidance and support
  • Choose to rent a single or double kayak, or a stand-up paddleboard
  • Discover the striking scenery of Sarasota's coastal mangrove forests
  • Enjoy an active and adventurous way to explore the scenery

What's Included

  • Safety Equipment (Life Jackets, Leashes)
  • Double Kayak
  • Paddles
  • Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • 8701 Blind Pass Rd, Sarasota, FL 34242, USA

    When you arrive at the boat launch, please check in with SURFIT.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Stroller accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

See more
Featured review
Sally_M
Juwan was a very informative guide and was concerned for the safety of our group. The mangroves were truly impressive and we were so happy to be professionally guided through them. Thank you, Juwan, for a very enjoyable tour!

Reviews

5.0
685 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
0
0
0
0
0
Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 685 reviews
No manatees outside of summer months
Tiffany_T, Mar 2024
We were a bit disappointed because the tour was not accurately represented. We kayak fairly often, so the main draw of this activity was the possibility of seeing manatees. At the beginning of our tour, (late March), the guides explained that the manatees do not like cold water and had migrated up to the springs and wouldn’t be back until the summer months. If there’s pretty much a 0% chance of seeing manatees, then it should just be billed as a Mangroves and Hidden Beach tour, and only advertise manatees as a part of the experience in the warmer months when they are actually present.
Ok. AWESOME area. Tour could be much better
Briana_D, Mar 2024
Nice area & a beautiful day! Enjoyed being out on the water but it was low tide so didn’t get much out of the mangroves.. also didn't do a lot of kayaking, mostly floated around waiting for everyone then spent 30 min or more at the beach. Gorgeous beach but felt like we could have gotten a lot more out the day by just renting kayaks ourselves. Have been on much better tours!
Nature Tour plus more!
Jamie_V, Mar 2024
Excellent 2.5 hour tour!! We saw dolphins and many birds. They were great explaining about the mangroves, the different types of birds, conchs and dolphins! Loved kayaking into an old shark tank and then learned about where the new aquarium was located not to far from Siesta Key that was fabulous!! Both guides were super knowledgeable. Loved the animals and nature we saw and learned about and loved the private beach spot. These guys are great!!
Awesome guide, basic kayak tour
llw24, Mar 2024
Let’s start with Tim was awesome!! I just expected to see more wildlife:/ Last year we did a Viator tour outside of Orlando and saw a large amount of manatees, small turtles, gators , and probably 25 different species of birds. I Was expecting it to be more like that.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
I am sorry you were disappointed. Sometimes the wildlife is everywhere and other times they are hiding from us. Come back in the summer and we usually have manatees everywhere!
Friendly, fun with a little exercise.
Bert_P, Feb 2024
Friendly, fun with a little exercise. Nice scenery and good views of wildlife and mangroves. It was simple outdoor activity.
Beautiful and educational
jmr33090, Feb 2024
The mangrove tunnels were beautiful and it was really interesting learning about them. A little too early in the season for Manatees, but still saw lots of wildlife.
Dolphins!!
Linda_C, Feb 2024
We had a great time and a great dolphin encounter!! Very fun experience would definitely recommend when in the area.
Memorable Experience!
Gary_P, Feb 2024
Kelly did a great job explaining the history, sea life and underwater vegetation in the mangrove tunnels.
Fun and educational!
Tammy_S, Feb 2024
What a fun kayaking tour through the Mangroves. Our guide was very informative and we even got to see dolphins.
Mangrove tunnel trip
Pat_C, Feb 2024
Our guide Sawyer was great. The great dolphin we say were very playful. Mangroves were interesting but tough to maneuver through. Without bumping into them but lots of laughs ! A definite !!
Add this to your bucket list!
Leah_C, Feb 2024
We absolutely loved this adventure in beautiful Sarasota. Kayaking through the mangroves was breathtaking. We had a large group of family and friends of all ages and Aaron, our tour guide, kept us all together and thoroughly entertained. I highly recommend this activity! ☀️
Great day in the mangroves!
Gail_O, Feb 2024
We had a perfect day kayaking and highly recommend this tour! Kelly was a great guide! We saw lots of dolphins and loved the birds (can’t remember the name of the bird, Hikes?) that swam around and under our kayak.
Great kayaking
Erin_H, Feb 2024
Aaron was a great tour guide - very laid back pace and let you explore or just hang out and coast. The caves were really cool to go through.
Magical Mangroves of Sarasota
Karen_Z, Feb 2024
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and we all learned interesting facts. The peacefulness and beauty while traversing through the mangrove tunnels was magical!
Awesome Tour!
Ashley_K, Feb 2024
Great guide and wonderful learning opportunity! Martha was energetic and did a great job explaining the environmental impact of the mangroves on the marine life in Sarasota.
Wonderful Kayak Experience!
Mary_S, Feb 2024
This is the second time I have paddled through the mangrove tunnels. This time I brought my friends who were visiting from Sweden and they loved it! I highly recommend this experience!
Great
Brett_D, Feb 2024
Kelly did an outstanding job. He was knowledgeable and built a connection with each participant. Ask for Kelly for your tour.
Fun float
Amie_P, Feb 2024
Beautiful and relaxing tour by Chris. He shared details about the wildlife around us and was very knowledgable. Roseate Spoonbill was an exciting site to see.
Martha was awesome!...
Sophia_P, Feb 2024
Martha was awesome! Really informative and awesome tour, have been before but came back with a first time person and she loved it.
Not enough for the name of the tour.
Richard_B, Jan 2024
Well run with getting people on and off the kayaks. Too much time spent going out in open water to look for dolphins. Not enough time exploring the mangroves. Should have mentioned that in the advertisement for the service.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thanks for coming out with us! We typically spend about half of the tour in the mangrove tunnels and about half of it in the open water. We always modify the tour based on ocean conditions (tides, winds etc) for both your safety and accessibility. Sometimes, there is just not enough water to go through all of the mangrove tunnels. This happens often when low tides and cold fronts happen at the same time--which seems to be the case for your tour. We'd love to have you come out and get more of the mangrove tunnels. Feel free to call the office and get a voucher to use anytime in the future. We love the mangrove tunnels and love to show them off. We apologize if you didn't get enough of them on your tour.
...