Guided Kayaking Manatee Tour Near Orlando

Aaron was very helpful in setting up our tour. Our thorough directions to the parking/launch area included the last chance for a bathroom. The parking was easy- Aaron offered assistance in and out of the water. He was attentive to safety and our ability to kayak safely. The weather was perfect. We saw several manatee in the St. John River - one exhaled on my arm!!! We also saw an alligator and many different birds. We got to go into Blue Springs and see more manatees. (Seasonal). The water was beautiful. Aaron is knowledgeable and fun. We will book a tour with him whenever we are in the area. Highly recommend his tours.

Amazing and very cool. The location was easy to get to and the guide was very knowledgeable.

Aaron was an amazing guide and took my friend and I exactly where manatees were hanging out. Aaron was very knowledgeable of the land, biology, and just a cool guy to hang out with. Highly recommended for anyone wanting an immersive tour and I can't wait to bring my family from out of state to do this again!

Fun informative trip with a knowledgeable guide. Saw manatees and gators! Recommend!

If you want to experience something fun in the Orlando area that's not a theme park, you've gotta try this! I was in Orlando helping my son settle into his apartment for the Disney College Program, and since program participants receive free tickets to visit the parks, he and his friends decided last minute to visit Epcot. That left me with time to myself to have a solo excursion for the day. I found AWA tours on TripAdvisor and booked a manatee kayak tour near Blue Springs State Park for the next morning at 10 am. I received a confirmation text from the tour operator, Aaron, pretty quickly regarding details is what to bring, how to get there and where the closest restrooms were before arriving to the meeting spot. I gave myself 1.5 hours to get to the meeting point but due to morning work traffic, my ETA kept getting pushed back, but I luckily arrived just a few minutes after 10 am. Turns out I was the only one on the tour so I got a personal guide! I appreciated that it wasn't cancelled on me since no one else booked a tour that time. I figured that we probably would not see any manatees because it wasn't high manatee season, but Aaron assured me that we would see some that day. We paddled out around the water and saw a bald eagle as well as many other kinds of birds. I heard crocs croaking at each other. And finally when we reached the other side of the water, we saw manatees! I told Aaron multiple times that he is a manatee whisperer as they would come to his paddle board and play with him. It was so cute to watch their interaction. As we made our way close to the springs, you could see the change in the color of water to a clear green shade. That's where we were able to see a mama manatee and her baby and a few other male manatees. This was definitely a highlight of my FL trip. I loved the serenity of being in the water and surrounded by nature, and especially watching the manatees in their natural habitat. I highly recommend AWA kayak tours if you want to do someone unique in central FL!

We had a great tour. Aaron is a fantastic guide and took care of everything. We saw manatees, alligators, and a wide variety of birds. We never felt unsafe at any point. Highly recommended.

Look no further! We chose this tour because the reviews for the guide, aaron, were amazing. They were so true! Aaron is so knowledgeable about the area and wildlife and he’s just an overall nice dude. Kept us laughing and made us feel so welcome. We just hung out while the manatees were playing right beside us. Saw a few gators as well. Overall the best experience I’ve had on a tour. So much fun.

Our kayaking tour with Aaron was an amazing experience. He is super friendly knowledgeable making the whole trip feel safe and fun. We saw alligators,birds, fish and manatee

What a fantastic experience. Aaron was an amazing guide. One thing I didn't realize until I arrived, is he only does very small tours, just a few people. On the day of my tour no one else showed up, so I got a private tour. Some tour operators would have canceled the tour due to lack of participants, but not Aaron, he honored his word and gave me a great tour and even extended it because he didn't have another tour that day. HIs knowledge of the area, wildlife (and of course, the manatees) was expansive and because of him I got to see quite a few manatees close up. He also took photos which he shared. His photos were much better than mine... I was traveling alone for business, so I wish my family could have experienced this great tour. If I return to Orlando I will definitely repeat.

AMAZING tour with an AWESOME guide! Aaron was patient, explained everything throughly (I hadn’t kayaked in yeaaars so I was basically new). He was kind, very knowledgeable, and had an arsenal of puns ready at hand. The manatees loooooved him and we were able to see 3-5 at a time as well as a few alligators! Aaron made sure we were safe and together the entire time as well as took amazing pictures and sent them to us afterwards so we could focus on the in-person memories! Will absolutely do this again if I’m ever in Orlando!

Great kayak tour with Aaron - saw so many animals!

I had an amazing time ! I saw manatees, a big alligator, small ones, various birds and a huge turtle. Thanks, Aaron !

Super fun kayaking trip. We saw manatees several times up close along with gators and various native birds. Our guide Aaron was great. He was personable, knowledgeable and fun. Highly recommend!

Just went on a guided tour with Aaron and I can't say enough how great of an experience this was! Aaron was such a great guide! He clearly knew what he was talking about and was genuinely a fun person. We got to see plenty of manatees, alligators, and various species of birds. I would definitely do this again if ever I'm back in the area

This tour was the highlight of my trip to Florida. Aaron was excellent and kind. Aaron informed us on everything a person needed to know about the wildlife in the area and protecting it. The location was gorgeous. The best part of the tour were the manatees! They definitely recognize Aaron. Before we knew it, we were surrounded by these beautiful, sweet, and playful mamals and it was just absolutely breathtaking. I recommend taking a trip with Aaron if you can. It was worth all time!

This guided trip was not difficult and it was fun. Aaron, our guide , was very knowledgeable and humorous. This is a good way to spend some time in Old Florida.

What an amazing experience. Seeing the manatees was the highlight of the trip. I felt blessed to be in the presence of these gentle, curious creatures. Aaron was a first rate guide: knowledgeable, amicable, and open to taking us further along the river to explore. We saw a variety of birds (anhingas, herons, egrets, ibis, black vultures) and a couple of alligators sunning themselves along the shore. Everyone in our group of four loved our outing. And kayaking was quite meditative. Highly recommend.

AWA / Aaron was terrific. He communicated details before the trip to make sure we found him. During the paddle he adjusted where we went to avoid other groups and ensured we saw as much wildlife as possible. We saw numerous manatee, smaller alligators and bird species. He used a SUP board for better viewing and even took video and pictures he shared afterwards. Loved the smaller group size and his knowledge. Highly recommend!

Aaron was very knowledgeable about the local wildlife and history of the river we were exploring. He made it fun, safe, and entertaining. There were tons of Manatee that swam right around and under us, it was so cool.

Amazing kayak experience with the manatees! Granted, we had perfect weather so were fortunate in that respect. Aaron was incredibly knowledgeable and shared so much about the wildlife, and as a bonus, sent us beautiful photos afterward that captured the day. Highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a memorable adventure on the water!

Our guide was so patient and fun. We arrived late and he still waited and made our experience awesome. We were able to see tons of manatees and alligators.

Aaron was a knowledgeable guide. Always keeping us engaged in tour. We were able to see several manatees and gators.

Aaron was a great guide showing us around the river. Kayaking was very easy and he brought us to see the different wildlife including manatees. Great location as we did not have to pay an admission fee to enter park and met him right at the river. Was about two hours overall, bring your own snacks.

Great guided tour! The guide was knowledgeable and helpful. River is a beautiful ecosystem, and it was a privilege to explore it.

We had a great experience with AWA Kayak Tours from start to finish. Aaron and his team member (I’m sorry, I forgot the name) guided us on the tour. We saw wildlife and also learned a lot about the animals we encountered during the trip. Overall, it was a truly amazing experience. Getting there was easy, and Aaron reached out to us as soon as we booked the tickets, which made everything much smoother. I would definitely give them 5 stars!

We were able to book this kayak tour last minute (less than 2 hours before), which was amazing since we were looking for something fun to do our last day in Florida. Aaron was a fantastic guide—super friendly, easy to talk to, and very knowledgeable. He made sure we felt comfortable the whole time (and even stayed between us and the big gators 😂). The manatees were incredibly friendly and curious. It’s wild to have these giant sea potatoes gliding right underneath your kayak. We even had a mama and her baby hanging around us for a while, which was unforgettable. Aaron texted all the instructions ahead of time, making everything easy and stress-free, and he also took photos and videos and shared them via a link the same day so we could just be present and enjoy the experience. 11/10 would recommend both the experience and Aaron!

Aaron was a wonderful guide. I was a single and he could have easily cancelled but went out of his way to take me on a beautiful paddle trip. Very knowledgeable about all the wildlife, saw many manatees, bald eagle, alligator, and lots of bird species. Also sent pictures of our trip. Highly recommend any of his tours.

​We recently took the Guided Kayaking Manatee Tour near Orlando booked through Viator, and it was truly a fantastic experience, thanks entirely to our guide, Aaron. ​From the moment we booked, Aaron was proactive and professional. He contacted us right away, providing incredibly precise instructions on everything—from what essential items to bring to exactly how to find him upon arrival. This excellent pre-tour organization eliminated any stress and allowed us to focus purely on the excitement of the trip. ​Aaron deliberately keeps his tours small, typically capping them at six people. This intimate group size is a huge advantage. It allows him to fully assess the skill and experience level of each individual kayaker, ensuring that the entire trip is both safe and exceptionally fun. We felt completely cared for and appreciated the personalized attention. ​If you are looking for a highly organized, safe, and personal experience getting up close with manatees near Orlando, we highly recommend booking with Aaron. It’s the perfect blend of wildlife adventure and expert guidance.

We had a great trip with Aaron! His communication beforehand was excellent too. He was super friendly and knowledgeable, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend booking a tour with him!

Amazing experience. My 11 yr old,myself and my father was the whole group. We all had a blast. Not a sheep herding experience. Guide super knowledgeable and flexible. Hung out with a pod for more than an hour. Loved loved it! Would totally go back!

This was an amazing tour. Sooo hard to resist the urge to hug the manatees. Guide is knowledge and fun. Will do this again

The tour is short and contingent upon manatee cooperation. We managed to get close to one, which seemed to enjoy hanging around the kayaks (I'd recommend paddle board instead of kayak, better views). Lots of herons, an anhinga, enormous fish in the nearby river, and several gators. I'll try to rent a kayak next time and spend the day, it's definitely worth it. The guide was friendly and informative.

We had an awesome time with Aaron! Might’ve even been the highlight of our week spent in Orlando. He is very knowledgeable about the area, manatees and other wildlife. We had a great time seeing the manatees up close and then we saw a few alligators on the way back before he took us up stream to the crystal clear water where we saw hundreds of fish. It was all quite amazing and he even took photos along the way that he sent to us afterwards (for free)! I would definitely do another tour with Aaron!

Amazing experience getting close to the manatees in such a beautiful location. Aaron was fantastic couldn’t ask for a better guide. Would highly recommend!

Wonderful kayaking tour! The tour guides are amazing ! Very informative, and so patient with inexperienced kayakers. Received photos and videos of our trip. Definitely will book again! 10 stars ⭐️

Thank you so much Aaron! Took this tour with my eleven year old kid and my father and all of us had so much fun. We were able to find a pod of manatee and spent almost an hour in close up observation with them. My daughter was thrilled which is not always easy on a family trip with a tween. I highly recommend this for those who don't want to feel like herded cattle. Aaron took just the three of us and he individualized the trip to exactly meet our needs and expectations. He was above and beyond!! Thanks again AWA, hope to visit again soon.

We had an amazing tour with Aaron! He really took our skill level aka no skills into consideration. He was amazing at encouraging my two 12 year olds who were using a kayak for the 1st time. He got some amazing pictures of the manatees and my family. He shared some wonderful information about the manatees and their behaviors. We will definitely book another tour with him the next time we are in FL.

It was excellent all round experience Very clear instructions where to meet and who to find Great briefing Excellent kayaking experience Knowledgeable guide

Aaron, you rock! We had such an amazing time and will remember this day forever. You were an incredible guide, and as mature travelers who have experienced many guided tours, we truly appreciate the exceptional job you did. Thank you for not canceling when we were the only guests, for being so kind and patient as we boarded and unboarded the kayak, and for sharing so many fascinating facts about the area and its wildlife. I had been looking forward to this experience for so long, even checking the manatee cameras daily before our trip—and it exceeded every expectation! We saw so many manatees and observed many of the behaviors you described. The absolute highlight was when one swam right up to our kayak—I think he was trying to say hello to my husband! We even captured some great photos, and he will probably tell everyone we know about it. It was adorable when the manatee nibbled on my backpack strap. The photos you sent are stunning, and we really appreciated getting both our personal shots and the beautiful close-ups from your collection. And bless you for having tandem kayaks—you are truly a unicorn! Thank you for an unforgettable day!