The guide made this excursion worthwhile. He provided us with a tremendous amount of information about the conservation area, plants, animals and fish. We saw a great variety of birds and lots of jumping mullet. The oyster beds were especially interesting. read more

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Inexperienced kayakers, highly recommend. Two and a half hours, learning about the estuary and it's inhabitants is a gentle reminder of nature and its beauty. Bring your spouse/bf/gf- it's tandem seating, which makes it more easier. read more

Ripple Effect Ecotours - Kayaking - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

My family and I really enjoyed the Sunset Tour, kinda of overcast, which made it comfortable temperature wise. They can't control the weather. Daniel was great and was very informative along our tour. We didn't get to see Manatees or Dolphins, but we did see several different birds and lots of fish jumping. I recommend if you enjoy just being on the water. read more

I surprised my hubby with a full Moon Light Kayak tour, this was a first for us both. We had a guide named Brandon and from start to finish he explains everything you need to know and he teaches you the whole trip. It was so gorgeous seeing the sunset and that moon appear, you feel safe and confident with Brandon leading the pack. It's small groups and well worth it! Not only are you having fun and learning, your money is going to a great cause to preserve the area and for researchers to keep on doing amazing things, so that people who care about this planet can still do these things and enjoy it in respectful way. read more

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Boyfriend and I took the sunset tour tonight. It was pretty amazing! Leif was our tour guide. He was extremely knowledgeable! There wasn't a question he didn't know the answer to! This tour was so serene and peaceful, I wished we could have stayed out there for hours. It helped, too, that there was only one other kayak on the tour with us..but I'm positive it would have been just as amazing with more folks tagging along! I got an unbelievably genuine feeling from every staff member I came into contact with. Part of the fee you pay for the tour is used to help conserve and maintain the marsh and swamp land. It was a wonderful experience! Would love to do it again! If you book a tour, be sure to stop by the office and pick up you free gen admission tickets to Marineland! read more

Ripple Effect Ecotours - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

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My husband, daughter and I went on the kayak tour with Esteban as our guide. We had an amazing time, this was our first time in kayaks so Esteban took the time to get us aquatinted with our transportation-for the morning. The kayaks were very stable and in good condition. They were the kind you down in and they also had a rudder for steering. Once underway Esteban was very knowledgeable of his surroundings and the creatures that lived there. The time went by so quickly! It was a great time read more

Ripple Effect Ecotours - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Not the wort kayak experience, not the most exciting. Staff is a solid 10 star, but the tour itself was slow and uneventful - except for 3 frolicing dolphins as we pulled back in. Somewhat educational - but a great sunny day on the water. Easy kayaking. read more

Leif and Savanna were awesome guides. The kayaks are stable and pretty easy for a newbie to navigate. I was a little worried because the morning of our scheduled group event was cold and windy, but our guides were so knowledgeable that they mapped out a course for us that shielded us from the wind most of the time. I had eight teens and three adults with me, and we all had a great time and felt very safe. I highly recommend Ecotours! read more

If you are staying anywhere near Marineland when you are in Florida, it would be an absolute shame to miss out on this kayak tour. You will be both mentally and physically exhausted after this workout, but you will be a better person for it. I'm not exactly in shape, but I was able to hang in there for the duration of the tour. You don't need to be a Marine to survive the Marineland kayaking tour, but the physical side of this trip isn't why you need to experience it. It is the amount that you will learn about this ecosystem that makes it invaluable. Our guide, Matt, was amazing, and with what I think is a Masters in biology, he's grossly overqualified for a kayaking tour guide. I never thought I'd be excited to learn why certain species of plant-life is now growing taller in this part of Florida due to changes in the climate, or couldn't wait to get my hands on the binoculars so I could see a bald eagle fledgling in its nest. I'm not exactly science-savvy, but Matt was so passionate about what he was explaining and so insanely knowledgeable that I couldn't help but draw from that positive energy. After the tour, my body and my mind were like jelly, but it was the best 2 hours of my vacation. read more

This is a great place to rent a kayak. I did a an ecotour today with a group of 15 people in kayaks and it was a good experience. We even get a complimentary entrance to Marineland, that can be used at a later date. Danny is a good guide and teaches you what you need to know and can be your tour guide to go with you if you want. I saw a lot of nature, mullets jumping out of the water, egrets and blue heron. I'd go there again. read more

Place was great. People are great. Was going to rent a tandem kayak with my wife who had never kayaked. Decided to do the tour instead. Extra money was worth it. Great for beginners. Instruction was better than me instructing my better half. Guides Quent and Leif were very knowledgeable. Beautiful day and a great outdoor experience all around. Across road from Marineland. Very convenient to St Augustine. read more

Instruction was good and boats worked fine. However, as I'm standing there, having driven 200 miles with my kids, they charged us almost twice as much as the price told us on the phone. And the guy doing this says he can't do anything about it, I have to come back later and argue with his boss, who isn't there. My advice is, if you get a price on the phone that works for you, pay it immediately with a credit card, and bring your receipt. read more

Great tour of the GTM NERR. Tour guide's knowledge of the area and wildlife was inexhaustible. They took great pains to make sure that their clients as well as the surrounding ecosystem were well cared for. read more

My sister and I came here for an ecotour. Our tour guide Dan was great, extremely friendly and answered all of our tedious questions. Very knowledgeable and educational. Thank you so much! read more

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Went on this tour the day after thanksgiving. Leif was our guide, he was great. Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and patient. You can tell that he loves what he does and the estuary. read more

Awesome adventure! Matt is a great guide.

My daughter and I were at the beach for a week. We decided to go on this eco-tour on an evening trip. The weather was not cooperating that night, so they were quick to call us and reschedule. We were able to take the tour the following morning. It was a ton of fun and Brandon and Estefan both did a great job keeping us safe and teaching us a lot about the ecosystem in this beautiful part of Florida. I highly recommend taking this tour and learning how to kayak as well as about what you see as paddling. Plus, the bonus is you get tickets to Marineland to see the dolphins! read more

We had a wonderful time. It was educational and entertaining and just plain fun. Mike and Dana we fantastic. This is a great activity for families with kids. read more