2.5 Hour Kayaking with Manatee and History Tour in Tarpon Springs
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Clearwater, USA
- 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
What's Included
- Use of the kayak, paddle and life jacket
- Snacks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 1060 N Pinellas Ave, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689, USA
Please meet 15 minutes before the tour begins. You will find free parking at the address. If you have crossed the bridge, and are driving north, you have gone too far.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.12:00 pm
Itinerary
1
Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks
Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Cathy_P
Julie, Julie was the greatest. Very sweet, knowledgeable, and quite patient. I flipped over at the beginning and Julie saved the day and gave us a wonderful tour. We will definitely when we come back. Thanks Julie! For making my husband’s bday so enjoyable with the yummy food recommendations as well!!!
Reviews
4.8
based on 29 reviews
K_A, Apr 2026
While the guides were super nice, I was really disappointed with this tour. First, the description said “ Experience a once in a lifetime opportunity of kayaking with Manatees”. We saw no manatees. I understand that nature isn’t predictable but the description should be changed to indicate that seeing manatees wasn’t a sure thing. Secondly, the description also said that we would be padding by docks and learning about history. Unfortunately, we were asked to make a choice in the beginning between going to the docks or seeing manatees, which we didn’t see. So we spent the entire time going through mangroves looking for manatees. I’m not sure whether this was a one off (not seeing manatees), but if you are really interested in seeing manatees then I would recommend you call in advance to ask about the probability of seeing them.
chris_c, Apr 2026
Albie was a great guide- full of knowledge about the area and the wildlife we saw. We were lucky to see several manatees, plus a few dolphins, one of which lead our way and showed off a bit for us!
I was worried going into it that I wouldn't be able to keep up, but we went at a relaxing pace on the way out. It was more constant on the way back, but it wasn't a struggle. It was sooo nice being on the water. I would definitely recommend!
christina_g, Mar 2026
Julie is a great guide and very knowledgeable. while we didn't see manatees on this particular day,
it was fun to learn about all of the plants, fish and birds that we saw.
Cathy_P, Mar 2026
Julie, Julie was the greatest. Very sweet, knowledgeable, and quite patient. I flipped over at the beginning and Julie saved the day and gave us a wonderful tour. We will definitely when we come back. Thanks Julie! For making my husband’s bday so enjoyable with the yummy food recommendations as well!!!
Kasey_T, Jan 2026
Julie was amazing! She really knows her stuff. We had such a great time paddling while she pointed out birds and wildlife along the way. We got to see LOTS of manatees also. This tour was awesome.
Linda_Q, Jan 2026
Wear sunscreen. Our guide Julie was very knowledgeable about local wildlife. She was exceptionally interesting to listen to. She was respectful of the manitees' environment. GREAT!
Scott_W, Jan 2026
Albie was super knowledgeable. This was a great tour for teens. The new headsets they offer were perfect for hearing all the interesting facts about spongedocks and manatees. We lucked out and the manatees were super active for us. Overall, a great adventure for all.
Lisa_B, Apr 2025
Julie was a very knowledgeable and passionate tour guide. She was very patient with those of us (me) who don’t possess sting paddling skills. We shown beautiful wildlife while learning about the different ecosystems that exist along the river. I highly recommend a kayak tour with River Wild.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for the 5 star review and we are so happy you had a good time on the water!
Debra_W, Mar 2025
Julie was an awesome guide. She is very knowledgeable about the wildlife as well as the local history. We were fortunate enough to see several dolphins and a herd of manatees! She explained that the manatees were mating and it was so cool to see the 1,000 pound creatures breach out of the water! I was concerned whether this would be too strenuous for me, but it wasn’t too difficult.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
That sounds like a magical experience! So glad you got to have that with us!
Rhonda_S, Mar 2025
Julie was a great and knowledgeable guide. The trip was the perfect length of time. We did see the manatees, dolphins and tons of different birds.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Sounds amazing, thanks for reviewing us.
Pamela_L, Feb 2025
The kayak trip was awesome!!! Julie the guide was informative and interesting. We saw tons of manatee learned a lot about the area.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for the review, it sounds like you had a great time.
Kristen_K, Feb 2025
Julie was a friendly and knowledgeable guide. The scenery and wildlife were beautiful. The manatees were a little shy, but peeked up at us. There were very playful dolphins that put on a show. The kayaking was no problem for amateurs like me and my teen daughter.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thanks for the review. Glad you had fun with us!
brendon_f, Feb 2025
Great experience. Suitable for all experience and ages.
Julia the guide was knowledgeable and so helpful. Being so close to many manatees was a once in a lifetime experience.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thanks for reviewing us, super glad you had a great experience with us.
Udi_W, Jan 2025
Julie, our guide was great, but the kayaking was rough. I've asked for tandem in the comments, but that was overlooked, so we all got single kayaks (I have an 8 and a 12 year olds). Luckily one couple agreed to split (otherwise had to reschedule which was not an option), so I could do tandem with my 8 y/o, but my wife and 12 y/o had to do single. It was a difficult 2 hour kayaking against gusts and with lots of boat traffic, and 30 min with the manatees. On the way back the guide connected my daughter's kayak with a rope to help her. As for the manatees - you can barely see them because the water is not clear. You can see the same by parking at the spring and seeing them.
A couple years ago we did a similar kayaking tour in Crystal Springs (a 1.5 hour drive north), and it was so much better. Clear water, short and easy paddle and a much better facility. No boats and lots of manatees that you clearly see from your kayak.
Overall, if you're in the area, and have strong kayaking abilities - it's fine. The guide said I should have booked the tandem tour, but I couldn't find it. Also, there's no option to mix tandem and single, and I assumed that they read the comments before hand. Also, probably best to call them directly and say exactly what you need. And get ready for a workout. Tarpon Springs is a cute town, dominated by Greeks, which is like being in a greek village. Very fun.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thanks for the review. We do offer the ability to book tandems separately. It is not so easy to find when booking through Viator/Tripadvisor however. If booking directly on our website it is much simpler. I appreciate that doesn't help now.
Jingying_Y, Dec 2024
super relaxing and saw lots of animals! Julia is very supportive and knowledgeable. Very good family experience with reasonable price!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thanks for the review, glad you had fun.
Janet_Z, Feb 2024
Julie, our guide was the absolute best. Very informative, accommodating, passionate, energetic, and made sure everyone was safe and involved. The experience met all expectations and I highly recommend taking the tour.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thanks for the review. Really happy to hear you had a great time with us.
Sandra_Z, Feb 2024
Beautiful day kayaking. The highlight of the tour was the manatees. Our guide Julie was amazing and knowledgeable regarding the manatees and wildlife. Was a highlight of our 2 weeks in Clearwater beach.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thanks for the review! Glad you had a great time with us, an honor to be your highlight.
Kate_L, Feb 2024
Julie was an amazing guide. So knowledgeable and taught us about a variety of things. We were able to see so many manatees, a couple dolphins and a variety of birds along the way. We definitely recommend this tour!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thanks for the review! Glad you had a really good time with us.
Lynn_O, Feb 2024
Julie was such an amazing n knowledgeable guide. We learned a lot from her on the wild life and just tarpon springs in general. We got to see dolphins with their babies n manatees with their babies. It was an excursion my husband and I will never forget! Thanks Julie 🐬💕
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thanks for the review, really glad you had a good time with us.
Marty_G, Feb 2024
We had a wonderful time with our guide, Austin. He was very knowledgeable about the area. We saw dolphins and many manatees! They were right near our kayaks! It was amazing!!!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thanks for the review Marty, glad you had a great time with us.
From $68.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
2.5 Hour Kayaking with Manatee and History Tour in Tarpon Springs
29
2 hours 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$68.00
