Manatee Guides

Tim and Eric are really outstanding guides — they offer a lot of interesting information in an entertaining way, they are professional, and they truly love what they do. They were able to locate manatees and get them up-​close and personal to our kayaks while being respectful and thoughtful of nature and the manatees within their environment. I took my parents (mid-​sixties) on this trip and we all had a blast. It’s a great event for any family and we highly recommend them to be your manatee guides!

I am a sucker for animals. That being said, this trip definitely exceeded any expectation that I could have had.
The guides were incredibly friendly as well as incredibly knowledgeable, so learning about the ecosystem was an added bonus. One of the guides is considered the «manatee whisperer» and I must say that he PROVED why they call him that. The manatees flock to him and actually followed him as he paddled around. It was indeed a sight to see!
The best part is, we not only saw numerous manatees, we saw turtles, numerous fish (jumping), Dolphins, birds, and a little baby puffer fish, crabs, shrimp, and some even saw a shark!
At the end of it the love and respect this company has for the ecosystem is enough to get them a 5 star in my books, it is really awesome to participate in a tour with individuals who are in it for the conservation not the money.

This was hands down one of the best vacation excursions I have ever been on! It’s slow season right now so we even got a private tour, which was an added bonus.
I’ll start with the manatees. We not only got to see 8 – 9 manatees while kayaking for several hours, but we got to see a female with two babes up close and personal. The tour guides are experts and they know exactly how to get close without scaring them off and can actually get them to interact with you. One of the babies came out of the water so close to me that I literally could have given it a kiss on his cute whisker-​y face! It was absolutely incredible. The trio spent a good 10 – 15 minutes checking out each kayak and popping their heads out to make some intense eye contact.
Manatees were just the tip of the iceberg on this tour. We also got to see several dolphin with babies and got close enough to watch their fish hunting techniques. We saw so many birds and also sting rays. Truly amazing
The tour guides are so knowledgable (ours was a marine biologist). They were spouting facts about every animal and can literally name every species of creature/​birds we saw. They are so passionate about the conservation of these beautiful animals!
Favorite thing I’ve done in Florida!

Most people seem to do their reviews on trip advisor. But for anyone that looks here, it’s worth the price. The guys that ran the tour were friending, informative, and seemed to enjoy what they do. Me and my dad went in early October and made the reservation the night before actually because I was holding out for some better and lucked into that that time of the year is not that busy. We ended up being the only two with them, so it was like a personal tour. But the way they run it, going with a group would be fine to. It was lots of fun. Saw Manatees of course! So much better than at a zoo, it was peaceful and I wish it could have lasted all day. I took my go pro and even got some cute video of on swimming around under our kayak!

Tim is awesome! He is truly a manatee fanatic and knows how to track these creatures! He took my mom and I on a private tour last minute –and was full of knowledge and trivia questions the entire time.
We got to see the snouts of manatees and even a calf! We saw dolphins as well! If you choose any manatee tour while visiting this area on Florida definitely pick Tim. Truly a wonderful experience!

Kayaking with Tim and Manatee Guides is an adventure not to be missed. It was the highlight of our trip to the Fort Myers/​Estero area. The kayaking is on beautiful Estero Bay and in the mangrove forests. During the 4 hour trip we saw many manatees and other wildlife, including a mating group of manatees. Tim’s knowledge, enthusiasm, and humor are unparalleled and made our day a memorable one.

Spend your money on this tour — you will not be disappointed! Mike and Tim are great and knowledgable in their information regarding the wildlife and history of the area.
I wish the tour didn’t have to end. Unfortunately, hunger set in and the day was coming to an end.
We were told up front, that because of time of year and water temp., that we may not see a manatee; which is understandable, as nature is unpredictable. We did see a manatee, a loggerhead turtle, & several dolphin playing.
This day will stay with me for years to come. Outstanding!!!