TROPICAL MANGROVES, INTRACOASTAL RIVER AND OCEAN WILDLIFE WATCH
6 hours
6-mile total
3-mile paddle
3-mile motorized return
Adults ages 12+ $89
Ages 11 and under free
Mangrove forests, watery trails, open bays, dolphin watch sandbar, swim, and break at iconic waterside restaurant.
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Embark on an unforgettable adventure as you begin your day at our archaeological launch site, the gateway to the untouched mangrove forest. Your journey commences with a serene kayak paddle through the slow-flowing ocean-filled waters, nestled within the calm and sheltered embrace of the mangrove root systems.
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As you gently glide along the watery trails, keep your eyes peeled for the local avian inhabitants concealed among the lush foliage and soaring gracefully above you. Our guide will accompany you on this mesmerizing expedition through heavily shaded mangrove tunnels, where the waterways are barely wide enough to accommodate your kayak. This mangrove forest remains preserved, shielded from conventional boat traffic by its shallow waters, sandbars, and narrow, densely covered untouched passages. Immerse yourself completely in the area's natural beauty, abundant wildlife, and the prevailing sense of tranquility, quickly forgetting the nearby proximity of civilization.
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Emerging from the jungle like mangrove forest, you'll navigate a winding creek, offering ample opportunities to explore tannin-colored shallow sandbars. Keep a keen eye out for enchanting marine creatures like little stingrays, checkered pufferfish, crabs, and a diverse array of egrets, herons, woodpeckers, and kingfishers, among others.
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There are miles of estuary to explore, and our knowledgeable guide will lead you along the best route for your tour day. Pass by State Preserves, charming islands, waterfront homes, and venture into vast open bays as you make your way toward our magnificent and expansive shallow water sandbar. An exciting bonus awaits as you might catch glimpses of stingrays, manatees, and dolphins in their natural habitat, often frequenting this unique sandbar.
When the conditions are favorable, take a break at the sandbar, and savor the chance to wade, swim, or simply relax at the edge of your sturdy kayak with your feet brushing against the soft, white sand beneath the shallow waters.
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With the morning's adventures behind you, a well-deserved lunch and land break await you at one of our most iconic waterfront restaurants where you can indulge in a delicious lunch and refreshing drinks (available for purchase). Your guide will share the history of this special spot during the tour.
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Recharged and nourished, it's time to paddle back to the jungle launch location. En route, you'll pass through a more popular mangrove island with wider tunnels, offering a chance to observe snowy egrets, great white egrets, great blue and little blue herons, pelicans, ibis, invertebrates, crabs, and a variety of fish, all thriving in this unique ecosystem.
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As your exhilarating journey nears its end, you'll enter a hidden, tight secret passageway that leads back to the launch site where your day began. This extraordinary experience has taken you through several distinct ecosystems, leaving you with countless cherished memories in a way that will stay with you long after you return home.
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