- 3 Hours
Tour through the bays, lagoons, bayous, sounds, rivers, creeks and passes of Southwest Florida. Birds, occasionally dolphins and sometimes manatees are spotted on this tour.
Offering Kayak Tours on all the waterways of SW Florida for over 22 years
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Get up close and personal with these gentle giants and learn about their history and habits. This is a seasonal tour that allows you to see these large animals in their natural habitat.
Go where few can go and explore the lush waters of Southwest Florida on the gentle quietness of a kayak. Our tours are designed to give you an opportunity to see the wildlife of Florida while respecting it. We feature several different kayak tours that vary from in time and location. Each of our tours is guided by a Florida Master Naturalist who is certified by the University of Florida. Our guides have years of experience exploring hundreds of miles of back bays, aquatic preserves, wildlife refuges, creeks, bayous, rivers, and mangrove forests all in Southwest Florida. This will allow you to gain a rare and new perspective of the land and learn of its rich natural history.
At GAEA Guides we strive to show our guests this unique ecosystem while maintaining respect for its fragility. To do this we use tandem kayaks. This allows us to limit the number of kayaks in the water and minimize the impact it may have on the wildlife.
GAEA Guides uses very comfortable, stable, tandem kayaks. These kayaks handle like a single when someone is alone in one. Many people do not do well paddling on their own, so having another in the kayak makes it possible for them to enjoy our watery environment and all it has to offer.
GAEA Guides is very proud to be the first Eco-Tour provider to be certified by The Florida Society for Ethical Ecotourism. Following the tenets of FL SEE, GAEA Guides makes as little an impact on the environment and wildlife as possible while providing a quality nature tour experience. To that end, we only have 6 kayaks on the water at a time. Having tandem kayaks then lets us have a ratio of one guide per a maximum of 10 people and allows us to charge a very reasonable rate for our tours while still being able to make a living.
Our clients have been enjoying our quality tours in tandem kayaks since 2001 and will continue to do so for many years to come.
All of our tours include all equipment and no experience is needed. Book a tour by activity or check out our calendar and book today.
Tour through the bays, lagoons, bayous, sounds, rivers, creeks and passes of Southwest Florida. Birds, occasionally dolphins and sometimes manatees are spotted on this tour.
Tour down the Caloosahatchee River and see hundreds of different bird species. You’ll paddle through the only mangrove forest in the United States.
Kayak through a beautiful estuary area, with mangroves and many birds, dolphins, manatees and other critters
We had a beautiful kayak tour with Connie on 23/03/18. We had to actually reschedule our tour from two days before due to high winds but Connie was great about contacting us and making a new time that would work before I had to leave Florida later in the week. All communication was clear and timely and we had no trouble finding the spot where we had to meet prior to the tour. The paddling itself was low stress and very educational with the knowledge Connie shared about the plant life, birds, and animals. Would definitely recommend to any nature lovers traveling or staying in the area!
– Susan P, TripAdvisorOur family of four (all adults) went on the estuary tour (in kayaks). Connie was an excellent guide. She taught us many things and helped us identify many birds. We are avid birders and appreciated Connie's quick eye and her knowledge, which seemed right on with what we've learned about various bird species. We also saw a dolphin! Connie took pictures throughout our kayak trip and then emailed the pics to us -- what a treat!! The trip exceeded our expectations by far and was well worth the money.
– Roland S, TripAdvisorOur resort recommended GAEA Guides Kayaking. Connie offered a kayaking tour in the Caloosahatchee River estuary which perfectly met our schedule. As others described in their reviews Connie is knowledgeable and passionate about the environment, the foliage and the wildlife. She provides a running dialog with information about native species and the threats of invasive species. The 2.5 hours was just right and the equipment was more than adequate and well maintained. Connie and GAEA provides other kayaking options and I would not hesitate to recommend her services if you are interested in some beautiful scenery and an educational experience.
– Dave D, TripAdvisorAlthough I've been in Canoes and dog boats before I think I'm going to like this new venture. I'm looking for a kayak right now and I'll be returning to this same spot on my own. I'm a photographer so being able to be on my own is important. Shell Creek is like going back in time. I highly recommend it. Connie's knowledge of wildlife and the trees and plants was very insightful.
– Michael W, TripAdvisor