We had an amazing experience with the best guide named Freedom! We were also accompanied by a new guide on her first day, named Chance, and she was absolutely amazing, despite it being her first tour! Freedom was extremely nice, and knew the area super well, which helped ease everyone's mind on the bioluminescent tour. I would highly recommend choosing Freedom and Chance as your guide!! read more

We booked the Manatee & Dolphin Kayaking Tour for my family -- my parents (in their 60s and 70s) and my 3 siblings -- and it ended up being one of the most memorable parts of our entire Orlando-Titusville trip! We were in the area for a one-day visit to the Kennedy Space Center and this tour was the perfect morning activity before heading there. The canals and lagoon were smooth, peaceful, and perfect for a beginner-friendly experience that packs a punch! Our guide, Josh, made the entire experience extraordinary. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the canals, Florida's ecosystem, and all the sea life we encountered along the way. His knowledge & passion was so captivating, i couldn't stop asking him questions about all the wildlife. And wow -- I couldn't believe how many animals we saw! Dolphins just a few feet away, manatees right beneath our kayaks, and flocks of pelicans, ospreys, and egrets dotting the shoreline. We even spotted a moon jellyfish, an alligator just vibin' on an island, and several black and turkey vultures keeping watch overhead (which was not at all ominous ). My parents were a little nervous at first but ended up laughing, pointing out animals, and saying it was one of the most relaxing and beautiful things they've ever done. Thank you, Josh, for one hell of a morning on the water. read more

See all

Such a fun night under the stars! The waters were calm. We expected more bioluminescence waters (like the pictures), but we saw a bunch of jumping fish and learned a lot from our guide "Terrence" about the history & ecosystem! Thank you read more

Our guide Brian was great! He was a wealth of knowledge about the area and wildlife. We did the Bioluminescent Nighttime Kayak tour and could not have been more impressed. We saw so much wildlife - dolphins, manatees, an array of birds, alligators, and Comb Jellies. The "glowing" Comb Jellies were certainly a highlight! We event spotted a few gators with our flashlights, which added a thrilling rush of adrenaline. This tour was easily one of the highlights of our time in the Cocoa Beach area. We'd recommend the Bioluminescent tour to anyone traveling to the Cocoa Beach area! read more

See all

We had a lovely night kayaking experience to see the bioluminescence. Our guides were very safety conscious and I felt very safe, but at the same time was allowed to have an adventure. Our guides were also very knowledgeable about local wildlife and clearly interested in conservation, which I appreciate. In fact, he carefully replaced a tree crab back on his mangrove leaf. The one thing I'd say is that the cone jelly (the thing that really lights up) actually can be damaged by handling it and does have a nervous system. I'm always concerned about hurting the animal I'm looking at and as a veterinarian I did a little research afterwards. They are actually one cell unbelievably and can be easily damaged by handling it, which we did during our adventure. read more

See all

Enjoyed the educational parts Javier shared. I learned more about my home community the trip was a delight. Was disappointed in the minimal wildlife. However. They don't come out when invited. read more

Florida Adventurer - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Merritt Island, Florida

See all

Wow . So this company has a MO for scamming. Made reservation at 8:30 for a 11pm tour . Was called and texted by Josh who said he needed to talk to me ASAP about the tour . When he finally called me back it was to say that the tour I booked wasn't going to happen but we could participate in the tour that was 45 minutes further away. Well considering the time of night we were not going to return home at 2am. I told Josh this - who responded to me that it was my responsibility to call the office the next day to track down the refund. This was annoying as a company that had to cancel a tour the day before (PTI Florida adventures) immediately refunded the price. When I finally checked my credit card statement I saw that Florida Adventurer did not make a refund . I emailed the company and received a call from Josh the next day . He told me that I was marked as a "no show" and I would not receive a refund . He denied everything I said and would not refund my money . I said would write a review and contact the credit card company . He was rude and hung up . Can't imagine how I would be treated in person . I go to Cocoa Beach several times a year, bring friends with me and go out with residents there . I'll be sure to let everyone know . I'll be contacting my credit card company , better business bureau and local consumer advocates in the area as well as contacts at scam podcasts . This is not a "he said- she said " this a full blown scam operation. Read the rest of the reviews .... I should have . read more

Seeing the wildlife in it's natural setting and experiencing a bucket list adventure! The manatees are so perfectly content to show off and check you out in the kayak! Javier was the best. He was funny and informative, we really had a good time. He put up with sisters trying to work together... And he was very kind dealing with us....good time was had by all! read more

I have never been treated so horribly by a company in my life. While driving to the site the guide called asking us to get there earlier than expected because he was ready to go. We were scheduled for a 10:30pm-12am time slot. We got into the water by 10:10pm we paddled around for a bit and then the guide told us we were heading in and we got back to our car by 11:15pm. So, we were all shorted 30 minutes on the raft. When I emailed and complained that we drove over 4 hours round trip and one person in our party had come from Spain to do this I never got a response back. I wrote another email over a week later stating I've been waiting for a response. I had 1 call from Josh today (he claims 3 but I have proof of only 1) which I missed since I was working. I called back when I was home and left a message. I was not called back instead I got a nasty email saying my group asked to go in early and he is not offering any refunds. Josh claims that his tour guides notes are never wrong and we are lying yet.... The notes state that one of us in the party was celebrating breast cancer remission and that is 100% incorrect and the notes also say that we asked to go in early which also never happened. No one in my group complained of bugs we were all saying how relaxing and nice it was. Josh continues to swear that his employees never lie so it has to be the customer. I just find it odd that the tour ahead of us asked to go in early and supposedly we did too... seems to be Jeremiah had other plans that evening and wanted to go do that instead of working and made his notes reflect that. I will never use or recommend this company. Josh is incredibly rude, nasty and unprofessional. Save your money and time or pick another company if you want to get your moneys worth. read more

See all

We did a night tune bioluminescence kayak tour. We were insanely lucky to get Terrence and Hope, as they were literally the perfect guides. No fake show out on by these two. No yelling either. Just a nice chill tour with lots of interesting local history and facts about the flora and fauna. We had manatees and dolphins right by us, and the bioluminescence was amazing. Terrence even took pictures of us that he shared at no extra cost. These two kept it light and followed our moods perfectly. Couldn't be happier! read more

Wow . So this company has a MO for scamming. Made reservation at 8:30 for a 11pm tour . Was called and texted by Josh who said he needed to talk to me ASAP about the tour . When he finally called me back it was to say that the tour I booked wasn't going to happen but we could participate in the tour that was 45 minutes further away. Well considering the time of night we were not going to return home at 2am. I told Josh this - who responded to me that it was my responsibility to call the office the next day to track down the refund. This was annoying as a company that had to cancel a tour the day before (PTI Florida adventures) immediately refunded the price. When I finally checked my credit card statement I saw that Florida Adventurer did not make a refund . I emailed the company and received a call from Josh the next day . He told me that I was marked as a "no show" and I would not receive a refund . He denied everything I said and would not refund my money . I said would write a review and contact the credit card company . He was rude and hung up . Can't imagine how I would be treated in person . I go to Cocoa Beach several times a year, bring friends with me and go out with residents there . I'll be sure to let everyone know . I'll be contacting my credit card company , better business bureau and local consumer advocates in the area as well as contacts at scam podcasts . This is not a "he said- she said " this a full blown scam operation. Read the rest of the reviews .... I should have . read more

I regret using Florida Adventurer for a bioluminescence tour, as they lack any accountability for their lack of customer service. There were so many preventable issues yet the owner, Josh, never once apologized. To make matters worse, he makes excuses and does not take any accountability for his business. He blames National Car Rentals for not having enough trucks which caused a last minute change to our reservation time. Really? I responded to a text the day before to confirm my reservation time and they have the audacity to blame a 3rd party? Wow. To add insult to injury, Josh blames the weather for our 90-minute tour ending after 15 minutes due to a couple whose kayak capsized and almost drowned. The real culprit was a lack of safety training as new tour guy who was on his second day on the job panicked and did not know how to properly rescue people. Brian, the main tour guide, left the rear group behind which led to this disaster. Instead of offering a refund, this company hides behind some verbiage about their website stating no refunds. Instead of a lifelong enjoyable experience, we will always remember how awful this tour company treats its customers. Do yourself a favor and book with any other tour operator besides Florida Adventurer. read more

Company changed the location of our tour 2.5 hours before the event. When I contacted the owner and requested a refund, as we were already traveling and hour to take the kayak tour and we would now have to travel two and wouldn't make it, he refused. He then contacted me the next day stating that in his opinion I had plenty of notice and that he has the right to cancel or change locations. He also stated that he offered a raincheck on the initial phone call which he did not. Even if he'd had, as so many people do, we had multiple events planned on this vacation and scheduling at a different time was not possible. He also proceeded to call me a smart a** and a clown because I stated that nowhere in his policy does it state that they can move locations. When he was told that I believed his business to be a scam and that I would be disputing the charges his response was "we fight the disputes as well TA TA" HOW UNPROFESSIONAL! Btw this tour is not cheap. He is trying to steal $400.00 from a single mother who worked her ass off to make this trip happen for my 2 kids. read more

You would have thought Guy, our tour guide, had been doing this for decades! He knew the nature, science, history and of the town and waters. He was very efficient from arrival to departure. He talked, but also gave us plenty of time to enjoy the canals and bioluminescence. read more

Florida Adventurer - Left to the starting point - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Merritt Island, Florida

See all

3.5? This one is tough. Went in March for a nighttime bioluminescence kayak tour. Got there early, chatted with our tour guides Zac and Taylor. Another couple was going with our 4 so we headed out just a few minutes earlier than the 9 pm schedule was was fine with us. Zac and Taylor were great. Always felt safe, personable, and Zac knew his nature. However, we did pay a lot to see bioluminescence. You have the images of the whole waters lighting up cool colors. In 90 minutes we just saw 'glitter' in the water, and only at certain spots. Not their fault, it was ours for coming in the wrong time of the year. But lot of paddling and expense for that. read more

Yikes! I've never seen such rude responses from the owner. Wow. That alone is making me cross this one off the list. Really glad I checked the reviews of this place - wow!! read more

Awesome experience and we actually got to see the bioluminescence in the water as well as some really cool nature lessons and hands on wildlife activities. Terrance and Javier were our tour guides and they were super informative and helpfull. 100% recommended you request them on your next tour. read more

EDIT: we contacted the third party booking website and was able to get a full refund because they told us last minute cancellations were unacceptable. Atleast they know how to be accountable and run a honest business, unlike this place. If this happens to you do the same. THIS PLACE IS A SCAM. They cancelled our tour one hour before due to weather and refused to refund money. They stopped responding through text so we called and spoke to someone who claimed was the manger. He was condescending, disrespectful, and flat out rude. We're from out of state and made a long trip to Cocoa Beach and arrived early to prepare for this tour. When we told him this he blamed us for coming early. So... are we supposed to arrive late? Also, he ridiculed our friend for his disability when he spoke to him on the phone. We booked through a third party website where it said "free cancellation" and no where in the booking did it said there were no refunds due to weather cancellations. It literally rains in Florida everyday. Florida Adventurer said weather cancellations won't expire and we could use this 5 years from now. That's hilarious if they think we would make this trip back and go to them again after that wonderful phone conversation. Looking at other bad reviews, I guess the attitude from management is to be expected. read more

Three friends and I booked a trip that day for 10:30pm. We live a little over 2 hours away. As we were getting close we got a phone call asking where we were and if we wanted to go out earlier. We were already schedule to get there before 10:30 because the website says to arrive early, but arrived very shortly after 10, and we're on the water by 10:15 latest. Tour was nice and guide, Jeremiah, was knowledgeable and funny. It wasn't the best night for bioluminescence (which is completely out of their control) but we still saw many jellyfish light up, and the night and weather was so relaxing one of my friends even kept saying that out loud on the raft. Unfortunately, Jeremiah had us back on the dock early and we had turned in our gear and were back on the road by 11:15. The whole party of 4 was shorted 1/3 of the trip. An email was sent by one person in the party and the manager, Josh, was rude saying the trip notes say we were out from 10-11:15 and are always accurate. However, the trip notes also said we asked to come in early and we were celebrating breast cancer remission, but none of us have had breast cancer and we didn't ask to come in early and we weren't even in the parking lot at 10 let alone had gear and the intro meeting. Josh was nasty, but offered to have two people come back out. We don't want to go back out because we've done the tour and the closest people are two hours away, and one person doesn't even live in the state. He stated the website says no refunds, but he didn't care it also states 90 minutes on the water. Instead of being called a liar and told it's because he has a lot of people calling him to scam him. I would of preferred he offered us nothing back and just listened and say he'd talk to his employees to ensure customers are given what they paid for. Maybe he gets a lot of calls because the trip notes are not accurate and his employees, while good guides, want to go home early. I will not use this company ever again and wouldn't want anyone else to risk it. Find another tour or bring your own raft or kayak. You don't need a clear kayak to enjoy the bioluminescence. read more

This "tour" was awful First of all it wasn't a tour We kayaked around without one word from Brian  "supposedly our guide" he was awful. We kayaked and stopped and waited and waited  One time he actually left us to go "look for" the other tour guide who actually went back without telling anyone. We took this tour like 3 weeks ago and loved it so much - gave it a 10 - that we wanted to share the experience with our daughter and her boyfriend - just to get- "Brian" He literally took us out into open water and had us paddle against the current then had to stop for like 15 min cause he was tired. read more

Had an amazing evening seeing the bioluminescence our guide was knowledgeable and made the experience enjoyable. Highly recommend Florida Adventurer. read more

See all

Fantastic bioluminescent kayak tour! Brian and Terrance were great, very knowledgeable about the area, the wildlife and the stars we could see. Super fun time, would definitely book with them again :) read more

100 stars for our tour guide Zack. 4 stars for the overall experience. My boyfriend and I booked a 7pm appointment and we were then told our appointment was at 8:30pm. Very confusing. Bioluminescence is by season, we did not really see much of it, however if you were lucky you got to see a jelly, the jellies were great and we even got to hold one! My boyfriend and I are optimistic so we made the adventure fun for ourselves. Our tour guide was extremely informative, we learned a lot! We heard a lot of different animals, however it was dark so no luck in actually seeing them. (besides birds, we were provided flashlights) read more

We booked this tour hoping to see a few manatees and possibly a dolphin, and boy did we! Zach, our tour guide, led us right to where a dolphin had been hunting earlier, and indeed, he was still there. After watching him for a bit, we went to a little cove where there must have been at least twenty manatees. Since we were the only ones on the tour at that time, we were able to stay in this area for quite awhile, and eventually a manatee came right up to us and we were able to gently touch him. Zach was very knowledgeable and cared about the welfare of all of the wildlife we encountered that day. We also saw an amazing amount of birds. and even a raccoon along a rocky outcrop near the manatees. I would definitely come back to the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge and do this tour over again. Highly recommended! read more

See all

That was an amazing tour. Brian was awesome and had a lot of knowledge to share that I appreciated. We listened to dolphins and he waited in the kayaks with us while we struggled to get an uber to pick us up. We appreciated the whole tour it was a great experience. read more

We had an incredibly poor experience on this tour. Before you write this off as a random 1 star review, I highly recommend reading through our experience detailed step by step below. We arrived 45 minutes early for the 10 pm 90 minute tour, and our group of 11 people was ready to go 15 minutes early. On their website, we had selected to use single kayaks for our party of 2, but upon arrival were told that they only have doubles, and that everyone was going to ride tandem. The website should not present options that do not exist. Not really a huge deal, but something to note. At the time we were supposed to leave, a large group of ~20 people came late (at 9:58 pm, after we had finished the orientation and were about to take the kayaks out). They were initially told they would not be allowed on due to late arrival by our tour guide, but after much insistance from their group and a phone call to the main office, they were let on. I suspect the boss in the main office didn't want to lose all of those paying customers, even if that meant departing late. Because of the new group we didn't get into the water on time (the first group got into the water at 10:15, and we did not start moving until at least 20 minutes later). Again, not a huge deal. We expected the 90 minute tour to end late, given we had started late. But, that did not end up being the case. Instead, we were on the water for about 45 minutes, with 20 minutes as an optimistic estimate of time spent kayaking and touring (the rest of the time the tour guides spent keeping the group of 16 boats together). We did a small loop around the canal that was clearly a lot shorter than those that other tours were doing. We ended up being the first group in our tour to reach the shore at 11:08 pm. We took a few steps to try to amend the poor experience. While we were on the boat, we realized this excessively large group was extremely slow and that we were burning valuable kayaking time, and asked the guide if we could move to the next tour (at 11 pm). The guide said that was not allowed. We then called the main office after arriving back on shore to ask if we could be placed on another tour that day, or receive a partial refund for the experience detailed above. The guy on the line said "I have not heard anything else negative regarding that tour and can not do anything." The experience left a bitter taste in our mouths. We didn't get the tour we paid for, which was half the length we signed up for with a majority of the time spent by two tour guides trying to manage a clearly overbooked group of 16 boats. We paid for a kayaking tour, not a float in the water tour. Another group that arrived early felt similarly as well, and to put it in their words, "that was total bulls**t." I hope this review is valuable for whoever reads it, and I'd recommend considering other tour companies before settling with Florida Adventurers. read more

Clint was our guide last night and he was great! Easy to talk to and ready to answer any questions you might have. We loved the tour and hope to return one day! I hate to say anything negative but it would be nice if the guide had some kind of microphone so we could hear everything. We missed what was being said multiple times. Definitely worth the money!! Five starts for sure . read more

See all

This was such a magical tour! Our guides were Katie and Jessiah. They did a wonderful job . The bioluminescence was so incredibly bright, we saw a dolphin and lots of fish glowing through the water . If you look down at your clear kayaks bottom it looks like starts flying under you. I will definitely be back again to do this with all my friends and family. The only thing that might improve my personal experience is maybe a "quiet time " part of the tour. The constant talking did take away from the magic at times. The moon had not risen yet so we sat many starts overhead . Booking close to The new moon is recommended. read more

Y'all! Such a fun adventure! Zach (guide) was very knowledgeable and gave a lot of great information that this group of info nerds A) didn't know and B) found interesting! The bioluminescence though...y'all! If you're think about it, DO IT. read more

Unfortunately, our guide, Chaz, is the only part of our experience that we can give a good review. As a group with multiple members that run family owned, small businesses, we all were astounded at how this entire process was run. Our initial call to inquire about the conditions, before booking, made us hopeful. We were told that, despite the cold and being on the tail end of the season, the bioluminescence was plentiful, and the comb jellyfish would make up for any lack of bio luminescent activity - but - we were reassured twice this was not going to be a problem, conditions were great at our location. We checked with the group, then called back to book. The man answering the phone said, "Oh! You caught me walking out of Walmart, hang on" (huh??). He got himself situated, and we again checked on the conditions one final time. He reassured us conditions were excellent. After the credit card # was run, the total was more than anticipated. We checked our math and as it turns out they charged us $80/ person, not the advertised $60. This included 4 children - 2 of which were sharing a kayak with 1 adult, and the other 2 sharing with 1 adult each. We called back within 2 minutes, we decided to just cancel because things seemed off. The man answering the phone was obviously irritated that we were asking about the unexpected cost, and said he wouldn't cancel, and yes- they charge $80/ person (yes, even for 6 year olds) in clear bottom kayaks. Since he wouldn't cancel we decided to just suck up the non advertised price and go. The kayak with 1 adult and 2 children couldn't even see the clear bottom of the kayak- their bodies were covering it. Those of us that could see saw so close to nothing it was painful trying to keep the children from being disappointed. Save yourself $599.20, we absolutely do not recommend this business. read more

Not at all what I thought it would be..i couldn't tell if there were bio or it was just ripples in the water.. also the guide brian had a bad attitude.. it was obvious he didn't take his evening nap. read more

Casey was absolutely the best. We were the only couple signed up so we got a private tour. Saw plenty Of wildlife and learned a lot about the area from him. Best tour by far. Thanks Casey. You rock!!!! read more

See all

Got there half an early as it said then we're running half an hour past our start time. so we got on the water a hour late. 10 minutes into being on the water our guide asked if we needed to be back and then asked again 10 minutes later. There was no guide we sat in the middle of the river while he talked about movies to other groups. Then we went by a group sat and listened to them and that's how we learned to see the bioluminescent. And then brought up tipping to complete the end of the tour. read more

The bioluminescent was brilliant. But in our 90 minutes we paddled for maybe 20 then the guide talked (about non-biolumineecent things) for 70. We had a small group, and everyone in the group was physically was capable. They also told us it was ok to pet the manatees if a manatee comes to your kayak. That is very illegal! Called fish and wild life to confirm and they said it was a $500 fine! Called to ask the owner if that experience is typical. If it wasn't, we would consider going again with a different guide. He said we paid for 90 minutes on the water which is what we got. But to me that feels like paying for a 90 minute Uber where the driver stays in parking lots for 70 minutes. He also backed up petting the manatees. My guess is that our experience is typical. read more

Amazing experience which we highly recommend. Tyler was our guide, he was informative and made sure that we felt comfortable and safe. We had a great time kayaking and got to see several manatees and dolphins, an experience we would definitely tell others about. read more

My wife and I were in Kissimmee for the week and wanted to try something outdoorsy and not Disney related. She found this place and we were excited to go kayaking. The location is very remote. We're city folk and not used to the long, dark drive but when we arrived we were greeted by Drew. He was very welcoming and accommodating. He was very knowledgeable and took the time to explain everything to us first timers. I have to admit i was very nervous being out there in the dark but once we got going I felt very comfortable under Drew's wing. He shared alot of the history of the location on the tour as well explained the vegetation and wild life. I strongly recommend this for any group. My family had a blast! Bring a towel and water shoes. If you have a head lamp being that too because it's pitch black out there. read more

Disappointed. When we got to the launch site for our tour at 7:30pm, our guide provided us with waivers, life jackets, paddles and all the necessities. He even provided us a place to lock up our valuables so they didn't get lost on the water. One thing that was disappointing is that our guide told us that we probably would not see the bioluminescence due to the time of the tour. It obviously is not the guides fault, but a tour should not be marketed as "bioluminescence" if there is no chance you will be able to see it during the majority of the excursion. While we were learning proper paddle etiquette, there was a typical FL thunderstorm coming in. The guide didn't think anything of it so neither did anyone else. The longer the kayak tour went on, the darker the skies got and the louder the thunder became. Until we were in a canal and lightning struck the water, cutting our trip short. After paddling back in a thunderstorm, our guide instructed us to call the main office to request a refund because it wasn't right that we only got slightly less than halfway through the tour. First of all, it is difficult to get a hold of the "boss" in the front office. The first and second times we called, we had to call again because he wasn't available. When we called the third time, the company refused to refund us at all. They offered a rain check. We live over 1,000 miles away and have no idea when we will be back so a rain check is useless. Upon review of the cancellation policy, "if a tour is cancelled by your guide for safety reasons (water level, WEATHER FORECAST, UNSAFE CONDITIONS, etc) your trip can be rescheduled or you can receive a rain check or full refund. Glad to know this company does not follow its policy. Tour with a better company. read more

Josh Myers is the owner of Florida Adventure and has showcased multiple times complete disregard and disrespect to his customers. Look elsewhere for your kayaking experience, Josh is the last person you should go to for a quality experience as a customer read more

I cannot give this experience enough stars. Guy was our tour guide and he is INCREDIBLE! I have never been on a better guided tour. Guy was an absolute sweetheart to put up with our crazy group and answer all of our questions. Not only did he provide lots of information in a really interesting way, but he also got some fantastic photos of our group that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Guy is the bomb dot com. Now to the tour. WOW. I am a huge wildlife fan and this experience of being up close and personal in one of the most biodiverse refuges on earth was like a dream come true. We got to see dolphins, manatees, and several types of birds during the sunset part of the tour. After dark, however, we got to experience one of the most magical things I have ever seen. The bioluminescent algae was beyond words. It was like kayaking through the stardust that we could see so clearly in the sky. Unbelievably beautiful. With that I will sum up that this is an absolute must do adventure! I cannot recommend this enough! read more

Had a scheduled tour near Cocoa Beach and it got canceled due to bad weather. No complaints about that EXCEPT they will not issue a refund, only a "non expiring voucher"....because I go there all the time...thanks. what a waste of money.... read more