Upon arrival you'll check in with your guide and they will get everyone fitted with comfortable, high-quality life jackets. We'll then proceed with a quick introduction to the day's adventure, safety tips, and paddling basics for those who need a refresher.
Your guide is an experienced nature enthusiast who knows these waters inside and out. As you paddle through the peaceful waterways of Blue Spring State Park, they’ll share fascinating insights about the manatees, alligators, and diverse bird species you encounter. Expect a relaxed, immersive experience, whether you're a beginner or seasoned paddler. Besides manatees, you may spot alligators, bald eagles, herons, otters, and more.
Incredible experience! Saw tons of wildlife and our guide TJ was amazing. He was so knowledgeable on the flora and fauna, and able to point out wildlife camouflaged by the surroundings. He went out of his way to make this adventure memorable and he did not disappoint. I would highly recommend this tour and request TJ if possible.
Our guide Jimi was awesome. You can tell he loves his job and is super knowledgeable about any questions you may have.
TJ was an amazing guide! We had so much fun. He gave us so much interesting information about the river and the animals that inhabit the river. Even though we went before manatee season, he still managed to locate a manatee for us to marvel at and we got to see an alligator! We had a great time and we plan on doing it again in the future during manatee season.
Really enjoyed our family kayak trip to see the manatees and other wildlife. TJ was a great guide, we would love to go back
Lovely private tour with TJ very knowledgeable, saw plenty of wildlife including the manatees, highly recommended
Jimi was our tour guide and we had such an amazing experience with him. Jimi has incredible knowledge and passion for the area and wild life. We had an amazing encounter with Manatees, other reptiles and bird life. Jimi showed us some bush tucker we tried and taught us amazing things about the foliage and plant life. I really encourage anyone to book with Jimi for an incredible experience and memorable time. I I’ll book again with him next time we are in Florida.
We had such a great time kayaking and saw manatees and alligators. Our tour guide, TJ, was awesome! He was so friendly, informative, and made the experience unforgettable. He even stayed with us until our Uber arrived. Highly recommend TJ!
This was one of the best experiences while my Orlando vacations. T.J. is an excellent guide. He found Manatees in august. Normally it's not the time for Manatees. The Manatees came to our Kajaks to play. It was amazing. We saw also many alligators near our Kajaks. And o lot of different birds and fishes and also Turtles. T.J.explained very well and answered all our questions. Most of the people of our group never was in a Kajak before. But after the good leading and explaining from T.J., everyone could do. We had a lot of fun. I can really recommend this experience and TJ our Guide. Thank you very much!
We had a terrific time exploring St. John’s River and snake river. Our guide was knowledgeable and we had an opportunity to see gators, turtles, a variety of fish and birds and even manatees! We would highly recommend and are looking forward to going on another tour with our guide!
Sam was an awesome tour guide! Being summer, we weren’t sure we would see a Manatee but we found several. We even had one come up to our kayak.
Amazing experience that saw couple of Manatees and alligators. Jimi explained a lot and very detailed.
Jimi was great! Very knowledgeable & entertaining. You can definitely tell he loves his job. The views were amazing! Recommend it 100%
Very pretty and learned a lot. Jimi was a great guide, I would recommend him to anyone wanting to do this.
Tj was a wonderful guide!! Great spotter! We managed to see a couple gators and manatees!! Even on a hot day we had a great time!!
Absolutely amazing trip! Had the best time, and have equally beautiful pictures. Wish we had more time there!
TJ was an awesome guide! Very knowledgeable and we saw many manatees! We loved our experience which was very family friendly for a 13 and 11 year old.
TJ was a great guide. He spent almost two and a half hours with us looking for manatees while giving us a lot of information about other fauna and curiosities about the area. We couldn't see any during the tour but gave us recommendations about where to go in the park and finally saw three of them while going for a swim. Very well recommended.
We had a great time kayaking with Sue! She was really friendly, informative, and made the whole experience enjoyable. We got to see several alligators and even some manatees, which was amazing. Sue shared lots of interesting information throughout the tour and made sure we were comfortable. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and we would definitely recommend this tour!
TJ is the awesome guide!!! We had a great time with TJ and the wild animals!! We see a lot of fishes too! Fun time
Sam is an informative, friendly, and knowledgeable tour guide, and we had a lot of laughs throughout the trip. We truly appreciated her energy and the effort she put into making sure we both had a great time. Even though we went outside of manatee season, we still got to see one along with lots of other wildlife! She made the trip memorable, and I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a fun and enjoyable experience. I would definitely go again and would absolutely request Sam as our guide!
TJ was amazing! I highly suggest booking a tour with him. My son and I had a great Mother's Day. He's very knowledgeable and kept everyone safe during the tour definitely recommend! 10/10!
Astrid is a wonderful tour guide, and I had such a happy and memorable trip with her. She is very calm, patient, and kind. She guided me kayaking and helped me look for manatees in the spring area. This was my first time doing this kind of trip on my own, and I felt very safe and comfortable with her. On the first day, we used a two-person kayak. Since I was not very good at paddling, Astrid paddled almost the entire way by herself, which must have been very tiring. I truly appreciated her patience and effort. On the second day, she guided me again, and we each had our own kayak. She led me around the St. Johns River, and we saw beautiful nature and manatees. She also helped me take many precious photos of the manatees and the experience, which made the trip even more special. If you are looking for a private or small-group kayaking and manatee sightseeing experience, Astrid’s tour is truly one of the best choices. She is very respectful of the local environment and deeply cares about protecting the nature and wildlife around her. She made sure that our kayaks always stayed at a proper distance from the manatees, alligators, turtles, and fish, so that we could observe them without disturbing them. I feel that Astrid is a very principled and responsible tour guide. She not only provides a beautiful and enjoyable experience, but also protects the environment of the St. Johns River with great care and respect. I highly recommend exploring the natural beauty of the St. Johns River with Astrid. This was a very precious and unforgettable travel experience for me.
10/10 Absolutely loved it. TJ was such a great guide, super knowledgeable, patient and laid-back. My boyfriend and I had to reschedule our reservation twice due to the weather not being great/timing issues and TJ was super supportive and understanding. Our tour was a complete success even though we were not kayak savvy (in the least) and the wind/current kept pushing us around LOL We managed to hang out with a grazing manatee for a while, saw gators, turtles, herons (and a heron turf war), haws, mudhens, snakes and heard a plethora of pig frogs in the bush. Really looking forward to going back and getting to see more of the park and the river, maybe I'll try to learn how to keep my kayak under control beforehand though haha
Sue was awesome! So fun and knowledgeable!
Our kayak tour with Jimi was amazing. He was so knowledgeable which made our experience so enjoyable. We seen manatees, alligators and a lot of other interesting wildlife. If you love nature and kayaking, then this trip is for you. Jimi was the perfect guide and was able to answer all of my questions and teach me a few things. Thanks Jimi!
It was a great day! Tour guide was awesome and cool!
It was a great experience. Our guide was even patient with us considering we had never kayaked before. So don't let that scare you away. They teach you how to do it, about 5 minutes. Beautiful sights
Absolutely amazing experience! Our guide Jimi was very knowledgeable and friendly and found a manatee for us to see when we thought it probably wouldn’t happen that day. It was our first time kayaking and he was a great teacher. Definitely recommend.
A fantastically informative experience conducted by our guide Jimi through the Blue Springs State Park, we saw some amazing wildlife and learned so much We
We had a beautiful day...saw a few manatees,an alligator,a whole bunch of turtles a lot of gar and different birds..JT was a great guide and was very knowledgeable
We had an excellent kayak experience with TJ at Venture Outdoors on April 1. From the start, TJ was knowledgeable, patient, and clearly passionate about what he does. He made sure everyone felt comfortable on the water, provided clear instructions, and shared interesting insights along the way that made the trip even more engaging. The pace was perfect—relaxed but still active—and TJ did a great job balancing safety with fun. Whether you’re new to kayaking or have some experience, he creates an environment where you can enjoy yourself without feeling overwhelmed. What stood out the most was how much of an impact the experience had on our kids (ages 8 and 10). Out of everything we did in Orlando that week, this was the one they were most excited to tell their friends about. Overall, it was a well-organized, enjoyable outing, and TJ made it memorable. I’d definitely recommend booking with Venture Outdoors, especially if you have the chance to go out with him.
Steve was our tour guide and he was great!!! He’s very knowledgeable about all the eco system and was able to find Manatees so we really enjoyed watching them swimming around us. Love the experience and would recommend to everyone for a great fun family time.
Great trip! Jimi was very knowledgeable and showed us some cook animals and areas! We had a great time, and would definitely recommend!
Jeff was our guide and was amazing and very insightful. We had a great experience and left very pleased and hoping to go again next time we visit the area
Great experience, family loved it and both guides were really knowledgeable. Thank you xx
Fun kayak trip in a beautiful location! Sam and Astrid are extremely knowledgeable guides. Don’t hesitate- book now!
We had a wonderful morning kayaking. We saw manatees, bald eagles, great blue herons, snake birds, turtles, BIG Long nose gars and other fish. TJ was an amazing guide and very knowledgeable!
TJ was such a great guide, he was funny and informative. Very relaxing and beautiful. I highly recommend doing this!
Sam and TJ were very knowledgeable with the area . Very nice tour guides.
We had booked with a different company who, due to a technical error, did not have our booking and did not have a guide available. Jimi had a last-minute cancelation, and got us booked over the phone and we ended up with a 2 hour private tour! We had perfect weather for paddling, and he shared lots of great information about the area, the wildlife that we saw, and how manatee rescues work as there was one in progress we were able to observe from a safe distance. We are very appreciative of Jimi's willingness to get us out on the water, or we would have been sad to miss such a great opportunity to see the manatees at the spring. Thank you! Would absolutely recommend this to others.
We had a great time. Saw many birds, fish, small alligators and some manatees, but the manatees mostly stayed under water. Getting wildlife to cooperate is not easy, so you get what you get. But we did see them. Kayaked for two hours, covered much water. Well worth the investment.
We had a private tour with TJ, who was friendly and very informative. We made a pit stop at blue springs state park on the paddle back to look at the crystal clear waters and wildlife there. It was a great family excursion. The manatees were playful as well!
Excellent experience. Had a great time with our guide TJ. Saw some manatee with my son. Very cool experience. Good break from the the theme parks.
This was a great experience for everyone. Beautiful day and knowledgeable tour guide.
What a great day! Sue was the best guide - from clear instructions on where to meet up to fun conversation and lots of great wildlife info as we paddled along. We hit the jackpot in terms of what we saw - so many manatees, fish, gators, birds, and lizards. We even got to see a manatee rescue in progress. All the equipment was in great shape. Highly recommend this tour for your family!
Sue did an amazing job with our tour. The group was small which was nice! Sue did a great job including everyone and making sure no one was left out or behind. We saw lots of manatees and had Ana amazing time.
Very relaxing, interactive experience. Up close to several manatees in a calm and informative setting. Memorable outing with friendly and knowledgeable guides.
We had an incredible time spotting all the birds, fish, and the magnificent manatees. Our guide, Jeff, was brimming with extensive knowledge about all the creatures we encountered. I highly recommend this experience; we’re already planning our next visit.
We met at the right spot and time. The kayaks were already in the water and everything we needed was ready to go. The guide, Astrid, even had a larger kayak for me as I am bigger that most people. After a brief safety meeting we started on the water. Almost immediately the guide was pointing out amazing wildlife and teaching us how to watch for manatees. After a short time we spotted multiple manatees and one even pushed my kayak a little with its nose. We saw many birds and even a gator, at a distance. The over all experience was more than I could have hoped for and I will be recommending them to everyone. Special thanks to Astrid for such an unforgettable experience!
We were right in the middle of a group of manatees playing. I didn’t know they did that! It was much better than just walking the path in Blue Springs Park - you only see they sleeping in the sanctuary. Our guide, Jimi, was very well informed on all the other wild life we saw along the way. It was a wonderful experience!
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