St Augustine

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Guided Tour for Dolphin & Sea Turtle Observation in Saint Augustine, Florida

St Augustine, USA

From $50.00

Select Date and Travelers

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

2 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Matanzas River is filled with awesome wildlife like dolphins, manatees, and birds, but if you're not a pro kayaker, it can be hard to navigate the area on your own. This Matanzas River Kayaking and Wildlife Tour from St. Augustine takes you on the river with a guide that knows the best ways around to see wildlife in its natural habitat.

Kayak down the Matanzas River and through Moses Creek
A guide teaches you about the ecology of the area as you spot wildlife
Kayak rental and lifejacket included for a stress-free day
Meet in St. Augustine for an easy start to your tour

What's Included

Kayak, Paddle, Life Vest, Safety Whistle
EcoTour Guide

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

291 Cubbedge Rd, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
Meet at Genung's Fish Camp Kayak Launch at the end of Cubbedge Rd. Two blocks directly across A1A from Crescent Beach Park. Right on the Intracoastal under SR 206 Draw Bridge.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Not recommended for lily livered land lubbers
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 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.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Erwin_R

Ben is an outstanding guide in every way. He gave us completely professional support. He is an extremely knowledgeable and passionate naturalist who gave us a rich lesson about the local ecosystem.

Reviews

5.0

74 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 74 reviews

Great trip

Cherie_S, Apr 2024

We saw dolphins, beautiful birds, and sea turtles! Ben was very knowledgeable and a thoughtful, calm guide with our inexperienced crew. Thanks for a great time!

Very informative and enjoyable experience

Diane_W, Apr 2024

Ben was an excellent guide who gave us very helpful hints on making our kayaking easy and he was very knowledgeable on the Ecco system. We didn't get to see any dolphins or turtles while out but still had a very enjoyable time.

Great learning experience and easy paddling

Janet_F, Dec 2023

Learned a lot about the environment and that there is hope. Ben is very passionate about the environment and is an excellent steward of the water.

Informative Eco Paddle

c8pvsdnhq6, Apr 2023

Informative and fun kayak! Ben did a great job explaining wetlands and oyster beds. Awesome that it was a small group experience. Plus we saw dolphins!!

Response from Host, May 2023

Dolphins! 🐬 What an incredible sighting during your kayak adventure! We're thrilled you had an informative and fun experience with Ben as your guide. His explanations about wetlands and oyster beds were top-notch. The small group setting made it even more special. Thank you for sharing your amazing experience with us! 🚣🌟 #DolphinEncounter #InformativeKayak

First class guides and great experience!

Mary_M, Apr 2023

We were fortunate to be on a low-tide kayak tour Sunday at 11:00 which allowed ample views of the oyster reefs and the seabirds that inhabit the area. My husband and I were so impressed with our guide's enthusiasm and knowledge of the local ecosystem and their passion for ecology. Ben is a native to St. Augustine and provided an insider's view to an area he clearly knew intimately. Seeing wildlife is obviously out of the guides hands, but they managed to navigate us to a great view of dolphins! I would highly recommend and plan on returning on our next visit to St Augustine!

Response from Host, May 2023

🐬🦪💚 Thank you for sharing your experience of the low-tide kayak tour in St. Augustine. It is amazing how people on the same tour experience them in unique ways, and this is especially true when it comes to nature. The surprise element that nature brings always makes the experience even more special. I'm glad to hear that you and your husband had a wonderful time on the tour, and that your guide was able to provide a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm for the local ecosystem. It's always great to have a local guide who knows the area intimately and can provide insider's knowledge. I agree that seeing wildlife is not always guaranteed, but it's great to hear that your guide was able to navigate you to a great view of dolphins. It must have been an incredible sight! Thank you for recommending the tour, and I'm sure others will find your review helpful when planning their next visit to St. Augustine.

Very Disappointing Kayak Experience!

Anne_M, Apr 2023

Sunday at 11:00 am presented low tide and too much boat traffic. I did not like this location. The guide gave boring details and was 19 years old talking about the importance of wetlands to us who grew up on Cape Cod Bay and the Long Island Sound. We all are extremely knowledgeable about the importance of estuaries, etc. His audience were all in their 40’s and well educated, which our guide was not. Nice kid, needs to learn to adjust speech and facts to the audience. If we were under 20 years old, we might have been interested. Saw one dolphin in the distance. Very disappointing way to spend $195.00 will not use this company again.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for caring enough to share your feedback with us. We are sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your experience. We understand that low tide and boat traffic can affect the quality of the tour, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We are also surprised to hear that you did not enjoy this time of day, as it is typically one of our favorites to be out on the water. We are sorry to hear that our guide did not meet your expectations. We strive to provide knowledgeable and engaging guides, and we apologize if this was not your experience. We appreciate your feedback and will use it to improve our training and communication with our guides. Regarding the dolphin sighting, we understand that this can be a highlight of the tour, and we apologize that you only saw one in the distance. We cannot guarantee sightings, as we are observing wildlife in their natural habitat, but we always do our best to provide our guests with a memorable experience. Finally, we understand that spring break can bring increased boat traffic, and we apologize if this caught you by surprise. We appreciate your feedback and will take this into consideration for future tours. Thank you again for choosing our company, and we hope that you will consider giving us another chance in the future. If you would like to discuss your experience further, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

Fun and fascinating

Sharon_F, Mar 2023

Ben made this a meaningful trip with the knowledge he shared about the importance of saving our wetlands

Response from Host, Mar 2023

We're thrilled to hear that our eco tour guide helped make your trip in St Augustine meaningful and shared valuable knowledge with you 🌿🌱🌊. We hope to see you on a kayak tour again one day! 🤗 🎉 Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review!

More than just a dolphin experience!

Amanda_H, Mar 2023

This experience was so much more than just seeing dolphins… Which we saw plenty of. Our experience was led by a very knowledgeable person, both of kayaking, as well as environmental, preservation and implications for future action.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Wow, we're delighted to hear that you had more than just a "porpoise"-ful time on our kayaking St. Augustine ecotour! It's great to know that our knowledgeable guides were able to share their passion for the environment and its preservation with you. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us and we hope to have the pleasure of hosting you on another "fin"-tastic adventure soon!

Incredible Adventure on the Matanza River!

susangstanley, Mar 2023

Ben is a fabulous guide, helpful, interesting, and friendly, we had a blast! Ben is super knowledgeable of the area, the marine life, the environment, the ecosystem, the history, the oysters!! ....everything he shared with us was fascinating, we learned a lot. We were blessed with a perfect weather day and enjoyed our time on the water, will definitely come back to Ben when we return!

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful experience on your kayaking adventure! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great time in St Augustine and that we were able to provide you with interesting and informative insights into the area's marine life, environment, and history. We can't wait to welcome you back on another adventure soon!

Outstanding guide and tour, highly recommended.

Erwin_R, Dec 2022

Ben is an outstanding guide in every way. He gave us completely professional support. He is an extremely knowledgeable and passionate naturalist who gave us a rich lesson about the local ecosystem.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We're thrilled to know that his passion and expertise shone through during your lesson on the local ecosystem. We hope to see you again soon for another memorable adventure!

Excellent experience

Sarah_B, Nov 2022

Excellent estuary ecology oriented kayak trip. Ben was friendly and a wealth of information. Shares his passion for the protection of waterways. Blissful 2 hr plus on the water.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our estuary ecology oriented kayak trip and that our guide was able to provide you with a wealth of information about the local waterways. It's great to know that you found the experience blissful and we appreciate your support for the protection of our natural environment. We hope to see you again soon!

a beautiful day in the neighborhood

patricia_c, Jul 2022

this eco trip was definitely a learning experience. Our guide was quite informative when it came to knowing about the river and its estuary and the life in it. Unfortunately the tide was not with us that day and because of the shallow waters we could not move in and out of places that he usually took kayakers but none the less and enjoyable trip.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Well, it sounds like even Mother Nature couldn't rain on our guide's parade! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great time on your eco trip, despite the tides being against you. Thank you for choosing us for your kayaking adventure and we hope to see you again soon for a more "tide"-turning experience!

A Must Do Experience

Christine_B, Jul 2022

Ben was such an amazing guide. He gave us some good basic technique instruction and then made the paddling so interesting with his great knowledge and perspective. I’ll bring others back and request Ben!

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing time on our ecotour in St Augustine, FL and our guide was able to make your experience both informative and enjoyable. We would love to have you and your friends back for another adventure with us soon!

Amazing time Kayaking, Good for the soul

Darcie_H, Jun 2022

Great time! Can’t believe it was my first time kayaking - I’ll Definitely be doing it again. My guide Ben was awesome!! Learned a lot about wet lands, oyster beds and Of course Kayaking! Thanks for a fun time!!

Response from Host, Mar 2023

May the Force be with you, and congratulations on your first kayaking adventure! We are pleased to hear that your guide was able to provide you with a wealth of knowledge about the wetlands, oyster beds, and kayaking techniques. We hope that your experience has sparked a newfound passion for exploring the great outdoors and that you will join us again for more epic adventures.

Fun with young teens

Pamela_M, Jun 2022

We took this adventure as a family- two adults, two young teens. We had two tandem kayaks. We all enjoyed it! It was a fun and informative way to spend a morning.

Response from Host, Jun 2022

💚

A great morning on the water

Kari_D, May 2022

We had an awesome time kayaking. Our guide, Ben, was super knowledgeable, friendly and fun. We learned about the different vegetation, oyster reefs and other wild life. Ben gave great local restaurant recommendations too. At the end of the tour we were lucky enough to see dolphins as well. I would highly recommend this activity. We are looking forward to bringing our daughter next time.

Response from Host, May 2022

Whoop whoop! It was an honor to meet you both. I'm glad you found the adventure you'd hoped for!

Great educational experience

Jennifer_E, Apr 2022

Ben was an excellent guide he kept us safe and he was very informative would highly recommend the trip

Response from Host, Jun 2022

The best birthday present we could’ve asked for was a spend the day on the water with wonderful people like you. Thank you for coming kayaking in Saint Augustine Florida we are glad to know you enjoyed

Family Adventure

Tim_M, Oct 2021

We had a GREAT time! Ben (our guide) was awesome! Explained about the local ecosystem and the efforts to continuing to make better. We had dolphins swimming as close as 10 ft from our kayaks! I would HIGHLY recommend!

Response from Host, Oct 2021

That really was a tremendous morning. Thank you for your kind words. I look forward to seeing you again another day.

Excellent tour!

Manny_M, Aug 2021

Excellent experience, we also learned some history about st Augustine and the estuaries & eco system! both Ben & Ethan were amazing guides, highly recommended!!!

Response from Host, Aug 2021

Fun and learning! Mission accomplished. Thank you for the feed back and recommendation!!

Peaceful Adventure

Rachel_P, Aug 2021

This is a very peaceful time. Nothing too adventurous. We didn't see much wild life but we were ok with what we did see and we enjoyed the calmness of this adventure. The scenery was beautiful. The kayaking was easy.

Response from Host, Aug 2021

It’s nice to hear you enjoyed your your time. Much appreciated!