Coastal Wildlife Kayak Tour

Our guide Alan was very informative about the area and the wildlife. We got to see dolphins, manatees and bird’s. We found being out on the water kayaking relaxing and not too strenuous.

Our guide, Shane Catts, was excellent. He gave us so much nature education of the local environment. He actually got out of his kayak on a shallow spot and pulled out a few critters and talked to us about them. I can’t say enough good things about this adventure. He’s a native of the area which brings credibility to his valuable tours. He not only gave us great information about the ecological environment system there, he also gave us great tips to help us have a better paddling experience.

Excellent guide who had a wealth of knowledge about the area and ecosystem. Beautiful scenery .

We have rented kayaks from Happy Paddler several times, and we have explored all three of their kayak sites. The equipment has always been in excellent condition, and the operator has always been polite, helpful, and professional. We have seen manatees, many types of birds, and even a small shark this last time.

Our guide, Alan, was great! Very knowledgeable and patient. I highly recommend Happy Paddler for your next adventure. We will definitely book with them in the future.

At the end of our week on Anna Maria Island, all four of us stated that this was our favorite activity of the week. Shane was an awesome guide, showing us many different creatures in the air and in the water. He did a great job giving everyone equal attention and keeping us safe on the water. The pace was good for all members of the group. We are sad that it was cloudy, so we didn't really see the sunset for our Sunset Kayaking, but it was still a fun cruise and a wonderful experience. Highly recommended!

Saw manatees and dolphins and birds! Moderate kayak depending upon the tides. Bring water and sunscreen.

Allen was a fantastic guide! Local guy that knows all the history and the best spots. Super friendly. Encountered a couple manatee and dolphin pods that were fun to watch. Clean shop and kayaks. Highly recommend this outfitter for any guided kayak tours around Longboat Key!

I went on this kayak trip with a friend and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Well worth our time!

My two sons (9 and 12 y) and I had a great small group tour through the mangroves with Happy Paddler and our tour guide Jeff. Jeff was extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife and the history of the mangrove park and made the tour so much fun for me and the boys. We had a great time out on the water. I highly recommend!

Communication, kindness and knowledge are key elements when choosing an activity while on vacation! Happy Paddler has all of those positive elements and more!

Fantastic experience. This was the 1st time we had ever kayaked and Jeff was a stellar teacher and guide. We learned about sealife, birdlife, and mangroves. So, not only was the tour fun, it was very educational! Thanks for your mango book suggestion, too.

My Family and I had a great time! My husband and I with our 3 kids (8/10/13). We did two tandem and our 13 year did the solo one. When you launch, there is shallow water to practice before going to the mangrove tunnels. Also, 6+ have to have a life jacket on. The gentleman was very informative and so nice. I prefer Happy Paddlers kayaks over other.

Jeff was a great guide through the mangroves. His knowledge and stories were very informative. We really enjoyed our time

Great experience. Shawn was great. Super personable and knowledgeable.

It was a fantastic experience and a family trip. At first, my children were a little scared, but once in the water they realized it was very easy and they had a great time. The company was waiting for us with all the equipment ready, and they gave us a briefing with a map of the area, explaining where to go and which spots to visit. Highly recommended!

Alan was an amazing tour guide, he had fun facts about all of the flora and fauna. He spotted a manatee as we were leaving and we had a close encounter with a manatee scratching it's back on our kayaks on the way back! It hung out for 20 mins. We saw several dolphins, 3 that were jumping and flipping within 5 feet of our kayaks! Beer can Island was just gorgeous. This was a one of a kind, priceless experience. A Happy Paddler tour is a must do if you are visiting Longboat Key.

We had a great time on the coastal island kayak tour! Another pair joined, but that was no problem at all because our guide was so personable and made it fun for all of us, while sharing great info/ history along the way. We saw several birds, conchs, sea urchins, dolphins, and a manatee!

Jeff was an excellent guide. He knew his birds, shells and fish. He explained the differences between the. 3 kinds of mangroves. He lives very environmentally.

What a Great experience! We did the mangrove tour which lead us through tunnels of mangroves. Jeff was our tour guide and you can really tell how passionate he is which really elevates the experience. I highly recommend doing this tour if in the area!

This was a fun family activity we did with our two adult girls. We each had our own kayak on the open water. We had several chances to stop and our guide gave us good, informative information about the area. We also had time to relax and swim at the beach for a bit. It was a great morning workout without being too much. Perfect amount of time. We'd do it again!

This was our 2nd time using Happy Paddler &, just like the 1st time, we really enjoyed ourselves. Our guide, Jeff, was friendly, ecologically aware, and a fountain of interesting knowledge about the Florida ecosystem. We had multiple Manatee sightings, which was a real bonus! Definitely use Happy Paddler again!

This was awesome! To start out and see manatees (one with her calf) almost immediately was pretty spectacular. No dolphins, but that in no way diminished the experience. The cormorants were funny, especially since one popped up next to my kayak with its fresh caught lunch! Jeff, our guide, was knowledgeable, funny and extremely professional. The mangrove tunnels cannot be truly explained without experiencing them. Thank you for making our last day the most memorable of all!

We had the BEST time with Nick as our tour guide! Loved the fun facts, beautiful tour, all the dad jokes and seeing the fun wild life. Highly recommend!

The weather was beautiful, that water was perfect! The owner and staff were very nice and more than accommodating even with our daughter who has limited mobility! We saw dolphins within a few feet and manatees just as close! Core memories for our family!

This was by far the best experience we could have asked for. We went with 6 adults and 5 kids (ages 3-10) and it was a success! We saw dolphins, manatees, a sea turtle, and our guide, Shane, showed us a crab and shells. We even met a bird named Kevin who followed our pack while fishing along side us. We would highly recommend and will definitely do again!

We had a great time on our Kayak tour with Alan, our guide. Our kids got to see some cool sea creatures and Alan was very good about explaining what they were. We will definitely be back!

Wonderful time ! So much fun ! Saw Manatees, Dolphins and these crazy black water birds! Highly recommend. Our guide was so much fun and knowledgable.

This was a really great kayak tour. Shane was our guide and he was so informative, very nice and very patient with me as I had a hard time with the kayak. We thoroughly enjoyed our kayak tour and saw many manatees. Well worth the cost, which was very reasonable.

Our family of four had a fantastic sunset kayak tour. Alan was a great guide and was really fun to kayak with. He told us all kinds of cool stories and about the local wildlife we saw. We stopped at the far end of Longboat Key and explored the beach. Would highly recommend a tour with them.

I've taken the Kayak / Paddle Board Tour and rented Paddle Boards with Happy Paddler several times now and always a great experience. Last week I did the tour fro Longboat Key, as well as Lido Key and rented a Paddle Board to do some exploring on my own. Shayne and his team are great and provided a first class experience, from quality equipment to experienced and knowledgeable guides. Al was the guide when I went out and he was great. We saw a couple manatees as well as dolphins and various bird and sea life along the trip to the inlet between Longboat Key and Anna Maria Islands. Highly recommend the morning tour when winds are calmer and temperatures lower with summer coming. y tour had 6 people total which was a nice size and kept things moving so we got to see a lot more and spend extra tie at the beach near the point.

Fantastic experience, so glad we went with Happy Paddlers. Alan was knowledgeable and accommodating, totally going at the group pace making for a very relaxed time. Great intro paddle lesson, too. Equipment in excellent condition. We were fortunate to see a wide variety of wildlife including manatees, dolphins!!, and so many different bird varieties, and Al was great at spotting it all out for us. Being able to get off at Greer Island to explore a bit and enjoy the beautiful water was definitely a highlight. Highly recommend!

This was our second time doing this exact tour with this company. Both times were amazing. This time, we brought two of our younger kids. We saw a ton of dolphins and manatees. Allen, our tour guide was so laid back and kind. 10/10 recommend doing this trip!

We booked at the last minute and were llucky to stumble upon Happy Paddler. I was anxious about taking my 5-year-old out on a kayak and having to navigate at the same time, but this was one of the only tours that offered three person kayaks! This way my mom could manage paddling if I needed to direct attention to my kiddo. We had Jeff as our guide, and we were the only ones on that time slot, so we got to chat with him and learn a lot about the area and his experiences. He was incredibly kind and knowledgeable. We lucked out seeing a manatee right away, and got to witness some other fun creatures along the way. Highly recommend!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!! Our guide Alan was awesome! We saw 2 manatees within minutes of starting and then a couple dolphin! And can’t forget all the different birds. Alan was fun and informative. This was a great experience!!!

My husband and I stopped in first to check out the place and condition etc of the kayaks which are in great shape. We were promptly greeted by Shane who welcomed us and answered a few questions we had. The next day we rented kayaks for the half day and had a great experience. As we kayak a lot we like variety and this area was diverse; offering a canal paddle, a bay paddle to an interesting bird island and sunken sailboat and then over to Greer Island to spend some time on a beautiful secluded beach. We were lucky to be visited for a bit by a manatee. Highly recommend!

This was our third time kayaking in longboat key. Shawn and his team are so friendly and helpful and made the check in process stress free. We plan on coming back again!

What an awesome adventure with our wonderful guide Alan! We had the best time with our families, including kids. Alan knew all kinds of fun facts about the area we kayaked in, was so helpful with taking photos, helped the kids find shells, and provided an all-around fantastic experience! Highly recommend!

Awesome! These guys are great. Alan was very informative and knowledgeable about what we were seeing and the Bradenton/Sarasota area in general. If you are looking for a kayak trip whether on your own or guided tour book Happy Paddler today!

These guys are great! They are laid back, but quite informative. We saw manatees and dolphins. There is a spot where they like to stop so everyone can get out and stretch and look for shells. Beer Can beach has great sea shells. If you walk past the bridge, you’ll find a big downed tree; be sure to leave a shell to the others. Enjoy!

Shane was VERY nice and gave us great tips about how to kayak & where. He even drove in just for us (it wasn't into the busy season yet). I had a couple of questions before our time and he responded to my emails really quickly.

Absolutely fantastic guide. Truly knowledgeable about marine life, and maritime history of Sarasota Bay! One of the best kayaking tours we have ever had in the area we will certainly be back!

Fantastic activity to do with the family and the Happy Paddler guys were very friendly! We saw birds, manatees and dolphins and had a great time all around. If it's summer, I would definitely book the 8AM slot since the sun can be very strong.

This is the best kayak tour in the Anna Maria Island area! This was our third time going with them. Nick was a great tour guide. He is very entertaining and also knowledgeable about everything all along the way. The morning tour is wonderful. Starts around 0830 and we got back about 1110. Just enough time before it gets too hot! We have also used them in the past to rent kayaks. This company is the best! You will be glad you came!

This was our 2nd time doing a tour with Happy Paddler, and it was just as awesome as the first! The kayaks were comfortable and easy to get in and out of. Nick was our guide, and he was so nice, very professional, and made you feel at ease on the water. His jokes were on point, and he had us laughing the whole time. Book the trip you won't be disappointed!!!

This is our second year renting kayaks from the Happy Paddler and again we had an amazing time. Very professional, easy to reserve online, and the dock for loading and unloading set up made it super easy to launch. Highly recommend!

We live in the area with our own kayaks, but I like renting occasionally to learn new routes and know the best places where we can take our out-of-town guests when we need more kayaks. I’m thrilled to have found The Happy Paddler! A friend and I went on the Coastal Kayak tour last Sunday to try them out, and we had a marvelous time. The route was a perfect blend of nature and dreamy waterside homes. First we passed a rookery island loaded with birds, and then paddled past one of my favorite restaurants – Mar Vista – so I can’t wait to do a trip where we rent kayaks and stop there for a meal! Then we went to the lovely, empty beach on the tip of Longboat Key, which I had never been to but always wanted to – it’s only accessible by boat or by a far walk from Whitney Beach, but we landed right there without having to enter the channel currents and were the only people when we first stopped. (Some boats anchored there later as we were leaving, and I really recommend you go on the 8:00 a.m. tour to enjoy it as your private beach if possible). We swam in the clear, tropical water and even saw three dolphins hunting not far from shore. Then we walked farther up the beach to the Gulf side of the channel for more waves and gorgeous scenery with lots of driftwood. Our guide, Nick, was so laid-back and friendly and didn’t watch the clock or ever rush us to paddle fast, being sincerely concerned that we have as relaxing a time as possible. He was also knowledgeable about the nature around us, which I always enjoy learning about as a bonus. And I was so impressed with and loved the deluxe quality of their kayaks, paddles, and comfortable seats – especially nice if you are on the other side of 60 like I am! In fact, I’ve bought a cushion to use with rental kayaks and this is the first time I didn’t need it. Great back support in the seat too, which is so key for enjoying the paddle, especially in any wind or tidal current. They even have a place where you can change into dry clothes afterward if you swim, and they furnish you with a dry bag and offer a hose for washing off the salt, plus a restroom - all needs covered. If you are visiting the area, or if you live here and want a beautiful, memorable trip with a taste of adventure and plenty of relaxation and soul-restoration, I highly recommend you take this tour – you’ll love it!

Super friendly and helpful with our first time paddler family! Our kids saw lots of dolphins! Great experience and I would highly recommend !