Manatees and Mangrove Tunnels Small Group Kayak Tour
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
Without question, this tour route is the most unique kayak tour in the area and offers guests with the greatest opportunity to spot bucket list wildlife while visiting the Everglades area. This tour launches from a permit only launch site within the 10,000 Islands Wildlife Refuge. This route requires proper planning and expert knowledge due to the fluctuating tides. No other company is capable or willing to take the time needed for this type of planning. Guests will start their paddle through the salt marsh, a popular feeding zone for numerous long-legged wading birds and river otters. 30 minutes in guests will notice a change in habitat, transitioning into Mangroves, indicating a change in salinity and elevation. This is where you will enter one of the best Mangrove Tunnels in the county. After numerous mangrove tunnels, creeks and ponds and hopefully tons of wildlife guests will then empty out into a manatee safe zone the Faka-union Canal. Year Round expert kayak guides included!
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
We meet all guests inside the hotel lobby at 25000 Tamiami Trail East Naples, FL 34114
Children 13 and under must ride in a two person kayak with an adult 18 or older.
At certain tide levels this tour can become more difficult
Not recommended for guests over 275 pounds. The heavier the kayakers the less stable the kayak.
Environmental conditions will impact the required fitness level. High winds and strong tides can make this tour more difficult.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Our tours are small by design and our Manatees and Mangroves tour is the absolute best location in Collier County for spotting manatees from your kayak. Manatees are most abundant here during the colder winter months. Guests can expect to see manatees (best during colder periods), alligators, numerous bird species all while kayaking through some of the most extensive mangrove tunnels in the area. During the Winter months with colder water temperatures, the manatees congregate in large numbers in the deeper canal. The canal's deeper water does not cool down as much as the surrounding Gulf of Mexico waters. Providing the manatees with water temps above 68 degrees. We will spend around 30 minutes in the canals looking for manatees and around 2-2.5 hours in the mangrove tunnels and salt marsh habitat. This is considered a "downwinder" type tour. Guests will hop in our passenger van (WE ARE OFFERING INDIVIDUAL SHUTTLES PER HOUSEHOLD, PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY FOR THIS SERVICE) Will shuttle you 1 mile down the road allowing us to kayak back to the marina around 4 miles.
What‘s Included
TripAdvisor's Cancelation Policy
ACA Certified Kayak Guide
Tandem Kayak (singles not available through TripAdvisor booking)
Gratuities
No Refund for going to the wrong location Meet us at 25000 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34114
Our proprietary automated communication.
NO REFUNDS WITHIN 24 HOURS OF TOUR
Options
25000 Tamiami Trail East
3 Hour Port of the Islands Mangrove and Manatees Kayak Tour
Reviews
975 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
great time kayaking through the mangroves
jasontP3455IQ,Apr 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My family had a great time kayaking through the mangroves. Our guide was knowledgeable and kept us safe
Make sure you can actually paddle across open water
cindycM6065YA,Apr 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An authentic kayak tour through the mangroves. This tour gave you a very up close and authentic look at the mangroves. Kayaking through a very large areaof mangroves and allowing us to see several birds and fish. We did not see gators or manatees, but it was still a great kayak experience A word of caution is that this does require actual paddling through some open water with some wind.
Mangrove tour
Escape444270,Mar 26, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Went on the tour today with Adam. He was a great guide and I had the best time. I would highly recommend this tour, go book it.
Loved it
maryme0422,Mar 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Adam was a great guide. The entire staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. Very efficient and friendly. Thank you.
Fun morning!!
JoyceV221,Mar 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Adam was an informative and friendly tour guide. He explained well all the info we needed to know throughout the tour. We saw manatees and an alligator and learned about the mangroves and pythons and some bird species. Fun morning. Highly recommend.
Unique and Fun Kayak Expierence
fishingp2023,Mar 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My son and I did this trip as part of our spring break road trip. We kayak or canoe rivers throughout the state each year. The Mangrove and Manatees kayak trip was very unique as it was a more intimate expierence due to the narrow creeks and mangrove tunnels vs the typically wider rivers in Florida. For most of the trip the creek is just slightly wider than the kayak and the flora and fauna change from freshwater to brackish to salt. Our guide was Adam who was very engaging and attentive to his clients the whole trip. I would recommend this trip to anyone looking for a unique kayaking expierence.
Kayak through the Mangroves
toby2304,Mar 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great experience!! Loved paddling through the mangrove tunnels, saw several birds, an alligator and manatees. Our guide, Adam was very knowledgable, personable, prioritized safety and made sure everyone was included - thanks for a great trip! Highly recommend!
Long and boring. Did not...
Dawn S,Mar 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00Long and boring. Did not see any animal other than a blue crab. We were single file through the mangrove with the leader in the front, so if he was saying anything of interest, those of us in the back of the line couldn't hear it anyway. This was our most expensive tour and by far the most disappointing.
Manatees and nature
josueenriquej2023,Mar 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was a very nice experience, we saw Manatees and various types of birds. Although we couldn’t see Caymans, the experience of navigating mangrove tunnels was wonderful, our guide Adam was very enthusiastic along the way and infects his good vibe. I recommend having a minimum of fitness or strength on the upper train because it is rowed during the 3 hours, except for a couple of breaks.
Experience the coastal everglades up close and personal!
MatthewK1560,Mar 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Dad took two kids (8 & 10) and we went out with another family, total size was six people altogether, which was a perfect size to stay close to our guide Jimmy. We saw a handful of manatees in the bay, then paddled out to the magrove forests. Jimmy was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the area. Gliding through the mangroves--and especially the super cool narrow tunnels beneath the leaves--was a really amazing way to see the coastal Everglades environment. Definitely recommended!
From US$95.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Related Experiences
Operated by Adventure Paddle Tours