Turtle Beach Kayak Tour: Explore Mangroves and Wildlife

Embark on a thrilling Lido Mangrove Kayak Tour and explore a unique ecosystem. Our expert guides will enhance your paddling skills and help you spot fascinating wildlife, including manatees and dolphins.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Turtle Beach - The adventure begins at the Turtle Beach Boat Launch. Participants will paddle through the intercoastal waters of Sarasota Bay, an ideal spot to familiarize themselves with the equipment and potentially observe manatees, especially during the spring and summer. The journey continues through a canal leading to the mangrove islands of…
What's Included
  • Single kayaks
  • Tandem kayaks
  • Paddles
  • Safety Equipment (Life Jackets, Leashes)
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Launch Fees
Additional Information

Just a short distance from the lively atmosphere of Sarasota lies the cherished local spot, Turtle Beach. Located only a few miles from the main Siesta Key beach, Turtle Beach is easily accessible via the Sarasota County trolley, which conveniently drops visitors off right at the site. This area is not only stunning and serene, but it also offers…

Location
Turtle Beach
Once you enter Turtle Beach park, go straight until the stop sign. Turn left. The public boat launch will be on your left. Find parking anywhere inside Turtle Beach Park.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(817 Ratings)
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Halfmoon710
Mar 15, 2025
Fun Day!! - Had a great time hanging on the beach looking for shells and shark teeth. Not much paddling time but it was a workout with the tide and water coming in Through midnight pass. Orion was a great guide as he was very knowledgeable about the sea life, ecological system and local history. We (3 sisters) had a nice day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pioneer310839
Mar 9, 2025
Fantastic experience! A must do when visiting Siesta Beach area!! - This was an excellent adventure! My 72 year old sister came along who had never kayaked. She was super nervous but turned out to be a superstar! Our guide was very attentive, helpful and encouraging. He gave equal attention to all and shared his stories and experiences with us. Everyone on the tour enjoyed our time on the water. Did I mention it was an 85 degree, sunny day in early February? What's not to like?
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trek30462644962
Feb 28, 2025
Fun and educational - An interesting mix of paddling in the mangroves and looking at shells on the beach. The midnight pass is a very interesting area, and the guy was very knowledgeable about the area and the sea creatures.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Caroline_w
Feb 27, 2025
Paddling through the Pass - We enjoyed our very well organized kayak tour and guide Orion was very easy going, attentive & knowledgeable. A lovely way to enjoy the local area and learn so much about the ever changing scenery and abundant wildlife - and enjoy some exercise too. The close up view of newly reopened Midnight Pass was amazing!
Review provided by Viator
W9196zyelizabethm
Feb 27, 2025
Paddling in the sun - The guide was a young man who studied ecology in college. He was amusing and knowledgeable. The paddle was a lot of fun and just the right amount of time. We had a blast
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hayley_h
Feb 25, 2025
Great tour! - Lewis was our guide, he was very informative and nice. He was even willing to let us change our date and time due to poor weather!
Review provided by Viator
Brittany_s
Feb 19, 2025
Great first kayak experience! - Awesome experience. Lew was very knowledgeable and shared great information with us along the way. Had a great time! It was even my first time kayaking!
Review provided by Viator
Kirsti
Mar 11, 2025
Missing Manatees (for months) - We booked this excursion through Expedia, based on reviews. The original date was rained out so the Guides rebooked us for another day. As a result, the tour group was much larger. There were at least 3 groups lumped into one trip. Once we were underway, we were told that they haven’t seen manatees for months. That would’ve been helpful to know up-front. The larger group did create some log jams with inexperienced kayakers/SUPers. The beach we stopped at was created from the hurricane. It was a nice break halfway through. The water was never very deep (3-4ft deep). The mangrove tunnels are low hanging, we had to duck to go through them. Overall, the paddling was easy. We did see ospreys and some marine life. No dolphins or manatees. Guides were friendly and the trip was pleasant.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
713kerrij
Feb 27, 2025
Worth the Kayak - Don't look for Manatees in Feb. Trip was nice. Guide, Orion, was super friendly and knowledgeable of the area. Fun trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jenna
Feb 27, 2025
Very disappointed. - Very disappointed. This is not the type of tour to take if you’re looking to explore mangroves. If you are looking to hang out on the beach for majority of the time, this is the tour for you. Instead of spending your money just go hang on a beach for free. Same thing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
March 2025
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