Manatee Discovery Anna Maria Island

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Sarasota, USA

Very popular!

5+ bookings in the past 6 hours.

2 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

5.0

· Melanie_M ·

Mar 2026

Tommy and Blaze made this whole experience. They were informative, helpful, patient, and funny! Their passion for what they do is evident. Tommy’s knowledge and enthusiasm for manatees and the ocean life were fascinating and contagious. This was a 10/10. Every family or group should try this. I was also leery of going in a kayak in the ocean, but these two brought peace and joy to the trip!!!

· Jean_K ·

Feb 2026

Great experience, got to see many dolphins, birds and wildlife! Kinsey was an excellent guide with lots of enthusiasm for what he does. Although I kayak regularly, I appreciate his attention to water safety and imparting of knowledge on currents and riptides. I highly recommend this tour company!

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Overview

Explore the waters of Anna Maria, Florida with the help of an experienced naturalist for a guide to help you spot manatees in the wild. Paddle your way around the waterways with a local to tell you all about the area’s ecosystem as you sightsee on the water. Stop at Beer Can Island to explore on land too.

Your guide is on hand to make sure you’re safe and having fun
Look out for other wildlife like dolphins and ospreys too
Beginners are welcome
See a side of Florida most tourists won’t

What's Included

Kayaks
Paddles
Life jackets
Dry bags

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

1507 Gulf Dr S, Bradenton Beach, FL 34217, USA
This tour is out of the Captain Scott Moore Boat Ramp at 1507 Gulf Dr S Bradenton Beach, FL 34217. There is additional parking across the street in the Coquina Beach NORTH Entrance.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Most travelers can participate
Travelers should bring their own water and snacks
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Melanie_M

Reviews

5.0

based on 394 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Outstanding Guides

Sue_P, Mar 2026

We had a great time! We had a group of 8 people with 5 kids so one kayak had two kids. One guide stayed either them and coached them the whole way back as the waters were a bit choppy. The guides were very knowledgeable about the area and gave very informative tidbits. 10/10 would recommend.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Outstanding!!! We are thrilled your group and many kids had a great time and got plenty of information about the area!!! Thank you so much!!!

Our guides were very...

Elizabeth_E, Mar 2026

Our guides were very friendly, but knew very little about the natural history of the area. We knew we might not see manatees, but the guides didn't explain anything about why they hang out where we were paddling. The guides were young, but had very little information to share.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hello. After I read this review I called you and we talked. I appreciated your time getting on the same page. I understand your frustration with not getting enough information. Your tour had 6 small kids and you didn't see manatees on the water. We did make sure you had an experienced guide show you several manatees free of charge at an extra location after your kayak tour. Thank you for your feedback!

Great kayak experience.

Tim_L, Mar 2026

The team were very friendly and made sure everyone had a good time. Well worth the money. Fun trip for family and good excersise for all.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Excellent!!! Thank you!!!

Highlight of our Vacay!

Sara_R, Mar 2026

We saw many dolphins, one manatee, and many other creatures! Very fun and informative! Our guide was very funny and made sure everyone was having fun.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Wonderful!!! We are so happy you saw the manatee, dolphins, other wildlife, and had a fun and informative time with your guide!!! Thank you!!!

Great family excursion....

Anna_M, Mar 2026

Great family excursion. Had to pivot locations due to windy weather but still enjoyed our time. Ended up at the Robinson Preserve since it was protected from the wind.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Great!!! We always do our best to put our guests in the best position to have the best experience possible given the weather conditions! Thank you!!!

Best experience of the trip!

Melanie_M, Mar 2026

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Excellent!!! We all take great pride in what we do every day!!! We are so happy you had a great experience with us!!! Thank you!!!

Soooo fun!

Mary_C, Mar 2026

The guide was so patient. Full of information and knowledge .. felt very safe on the water with him. You never know how nature is going to participate.. but we did see dolphins and manatees!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Awesome!!! We are so happy you saw manatees and dolphins with us!!! Thank you!!!

Staff review

TeresaO_B, Mar 2026

Did not do the kayaking experience but the staff and service provided was awesome. Instead we we did a walk tour. Viator is highly recommend they truly work with u to have a great experience. Thank you Viator!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Awesome!!! Thank you!!!

One of the highlights from our trip to AMI!

Kelly_D, Mar 2026

My husband and I had a lot of fun on this kayaking tour when we visited Anna Maria Island. Our guides, Andrew and Kinsey, we enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We saw dolphins in the area which is always a thrill. I particularly loved the gorgeous clear waters over the sandbar. It reminded me of being in the Caribbean. For reference, my husband and I are 60 years old and we managed well with the pace and difficulty of the tour but you do need some upper body strength to keep up. Thanks for a fun, memorable experience!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Awesome!!! We are excited about your wildlife encounters!!! Thank you!!!

First time Kayaking

Raven_G, Mar 2026

This was a really fun tour. The tour guides Josh and Colin were friendly knowledgeable and incredibly helpful. I had never kayaked before and they made it a wonderful first experience

Response from Host, Mar 2026

We are happy you had a wonderful first time kayaking with us!!! Thank you!!!

Fantastic experience!...

Paula_G, Mar 2026

Fantastic experience! Can't recommend FL Blue Adventures more highly. Our tour guide Kinsey was hilarious and wonderful--he taught us so much about the local ecosystem and the wildlife we saw. He was also very attentive to the skill levels of everyone in our group. We didn't see manatees while kayaking, but after our tour, another guide actually called and gave us the location of another spot where we could see some. Thank you FL Blue Adventures for memories my family will have forever!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Fantastic!!! We always take the extra steps needed to help make sure you get to see manatees with us!!! We are excited about your tour with Kinsey!!! Thank you!!!

Wonderful day!

Michelle_V, Mar 2026

The manatee kayak experience was so much fun! Our tour guide took us around to see the many sights. He was knowledgeable and fun. I felt safe kayaking the waters. We stopped at a few sand bars to look for sea creatures. I found a couple of starfish and was able to hold them in my hand. We stopped at an island and explored the beautiful beach. It truly was an amazing and worthwhile experience!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Amazing!!! Thank you!!!

Excellent experience

Allison_C, Mar 2026

enjoyed our kayak tour. although we were too early in the season for the manatees, our guides showed us plenty of Florida sea life. they were extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

We are glad you saw plenty of the sea life our area has to offer! Many manatees were sheltered due to the harsh winter cold blasts we had over the last month. We are excited to be seeing more manatees each week return to their natural habitats!

Great guide

John_S, Feb 2026

Fun and informative. Great way to spend an afternoon, get some exercise and enjoy the sunshine. *****

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Wonderful!!! Thank you!!!

Kayaking from South Coquina

Steven_M, Feb 2026

It was a great tour. Well coordinated and planned out. Kinsey is very knowledgeable and shares his experience in a clear and entertaining way!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Excellent!!! Thank you!!!

Just Book this Experience!

Jean_K, Feb 2026

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Excellent!!! We are thrilled you had a great experience with the wildlife!!! Thank you!!!

Great for everybody

Abagail_A, Jan 2026

Jonah and Kinsley were great guides. We booked the wrong day and showed up on the day we meant to do it on and they did everything in their power to make sure we could still tag along. They kept the entire trip fun and interactive and allowed me to embrace my wild side by letting me jump in the water and search for my own sea creatures. We saw everything we were looking to see and more, and they even let us stop twice making sure we never got too tired. beginner or experienced, this would be a great time for anyone that loves the ocean and new faces. this was all around was a great way to end our trip. Thanks again to Kinsley, Jonah, and the team with Manatee Discovery. 10/10 will be doing again.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Excellent!!! We are thrilled you had a great adventure with Kinsey and Jonah!!! Thank you!!!

Afternoon kayak adventure

Weezie_P, Jan 2026

This tour gets you on the water for two hours to explore the channel, nearby sand bar and beer can island. Kinsey, our tour guide, was knowledgeable, professional and personable. Tommy from the front office made a pre-trip phone call to indicate that there were gusty winds that would impact our trip and that due to a cold snap, the manatee had migrated north and we would be less likely to encounter them. I appreciated this preview and the offer to be reimbursed but we were happy to enjoy the time on the water and do not regret our decision. Florida Blue Adventures offered a safe, fun, guided kayak trip despite the unpredictable weather.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

We are happy you had a good experience with Kinsey! We will always be transparent and make sure you know exactly what the conditions and wildlife can bring. Thank you!

Ben was a fantastic guide...

Jill_F, Jan 2026

Ben was a fantastic guide — friendly, helpful, and clearly passionate about his work. He pointed out dolphins, a variety of crabs, and many other small creatures we would have otherwise missed. It was a truly beautiful and relaxing day.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Fantastic!!! Thank you!!!

Kinsey was an excellent...

Nicole_Z, Jan 2026

Kinsey was an excellent tour guide. He made it fun and answered any questions along with teaching us about different animals and the area Would definitely do this again.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Excellent!!! Thank you!!!

Fun afternoon on the bay!

Katherine_T, Dec 2025

Great communication coming into the kayaking adventure. Tommy reached out a number of times to make sure we had the correct address and understood that we likely wouldn’t see manatees this time of year given the water temps, and offered a refund ahead of time. We’re water people and love to see all aspects of nature, so we were in for it regardless of whether we saw manatees. When we showed up, Benjamin and Emmett were great and super friendly with clear safety instructions and a brief tutorial, and getting all of the kayaks into the water quickly (no small feat). The water was super clear and it was fun seeing different species on the sand bars, as well as the shell memorial tree roots on the last beach under the bridge. We saw a sandbar shark swimming by and at the end of the tour, Benjamin spotted a small pod of dolphins and extended the tour a few minutes so we could have a closer look. We had a great time! I hope to bring a few groups back when I’m down visiting for work in January.

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Wonderful!!! We always do our best to communicate every detail with you ahead of time. This area has so much marine life to see and we are so happy you got to experience it!!! Thank you so much and we are excited to see you again soon!!!

Really a lot of fun but...

lauri_B, Nov 2025

Really a lot of fun but would recommend you don’t mention the manatee in the Description since you really don’t see them. Build it up more on the sand bar, other ocean life and seeing dolphins. It was a lot of fun.

Response from Host, Dec 2025

We are happy you had fun and enjoyed the dolphins and other ocean life!!! We can't guarantee manatee sightings because manatees are a threatened species. We take you in the highest percentage area possible to see manatees and even offer an alternative to see them if you get unlucky. Thank you!

The guys are great and...

Tanaine_S, Nov 2025

The guys are great and knowledgable. We learned a lot about the ocean species ! They took us to a place to find sand dollars and we seen crabs also. We seen dolphins that swim right by us!

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Incredible!!! We are so excited about your dolphin encounter!!! Thank you!!!

Kayaking Adventure

Cheryl_P, Nov 2025

Really fun kayaking adventure with Ben. Can't recommend him highly enough! He made the trip informative, relaxed and fun.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Wonderful!!! Thank you!!!

Highly recommend!

Lori_W, Nov 2025

Ben was awesome, great views and a wonderful experience. Ben was very knowledgeable and really made the trip. My favorite part was visiting the memory tree. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Wonderful!!! Thank you!!!

Guides very friendly + knowledgeable

Laura_M, Oct 2025

A beautiful bay off of Coquina beach. Watched a couple of manatees for 20 minutes then kayak to a small island that had shells and lots of birds.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Awesome!!! Thank you!!!

No manatees

kate_l, Oct 2025

Kayak trip was fun. Ocean was pretty choppy so unfortunately we didn't see any manatees but instead we instructed to a local park where manatees frequent...saw their noses only

Response from Host, Oct 2025

We are glad you had fun! We always do our best to make sure you get to see manatees! Please consider reaching out to us so we can make sure you are taken good care of! Thank you!

Our guide Kinsey was very...

Delaina_W, Oct 2025

Our guide Kinsey was very knowledgeable, friendly and funny. The tour was absolutely beautiful and fun.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Wonderful!!! Thank you!!!

We went on the perfect...

David_R, Sep 2025

We went on the perfect trip for me and my gf! We got out of the Kayak, searched for sand dollars. Got to look for manatees, dolphins and all types of wildlife!

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Perfect!!! Thank you!!!

Nice 2.5-3 Hour Activity on the Water

Katie_W, Sep 2025

Kenzie was a informative and laid back, making the experience enjoyable. We unfortunately didn’t see any manatees but we spent lots of time looking for them, nearly 3 hours, and had an enjoyable time.