Orange City Trip Overview
In the winter, Blue Spring is home to more manatees than any other place on the planet. Last winter, Savethemanatee.org counted 572 manatees here at the same time. Join us for a paddle from the shore of the beautiful St. John’s River. This river is home to many species of wildlife including manatees, deer, eagles, turtles, fish and more.
We are certified Guardian Guides through the Save the Manatee Club and we practice manatee-safe, passive observation.
After a safety lesson on land you will launch on your paddleboard or kayak and explore the river. We’ll sit quietly by the entrance to the spring where hundreds of manatees are known to swim in and out right past our vessels. We call it the Manatee Show! We often see mothers with their babies, young manatees, and older manatees.
After our initial paddle on this scenic Old Florida waterway, we will park our vessels at the state park and wander the boardwalk to the spring head. The views of this gorgeous spring are EPIC!
Additional Info
Duration: 2 hours
Starts: Orange City, United States
Trip Category: Outdoor Activities >> Nature & Wildlife
Explore Orange City Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Orange City, Florida, United States
In the winter, Blue Spring is home to more manatees than any other place on the planet. Last winter, Savethemanatee.org counted 572 manatees here at the same time. Join us for a paddle from the shore of the beautiful St. John’s River. This river is home to many species of wildlife including manatees, deer, eagles, turtles, fish and more.
We are certified Guardian Guides through the Save the Manatee Club and we practice manatee-safe, passive observation.
After a safety lesson on land you will launch on your paddleboard or kayak and explore the river. We’ll sit quietly by the entrance to the spring where hundreds of manatees are known to swim in and out right past our vessels. We call it the Manatee Show! We often see mothers with their babies, young manatees, and older manatees.
After our initial paddle on this scenic Old Florida waterway, we will park our vessels at the state park and wander the boardwalk to the spring head. The views of this gorgeous spring are EPIC!
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Blue Spring State Park, 2100 W French Ave, Orange City, FL 32763-9501
We will launch from the shore of the beautiful St. John’s River and paddle to the entrance to Blue Spring State Park. We will sit and observe manatees in their winter habitat. These gentle giants swim in and out of the spring during the winter months and put on quite a “manatee show”.
They are quite curious and will come up to the vessels. We practice manatee safe passive observation and do not touch, feed or interact with them other than observation and photographs. It is an amazing sight to see these official state marine mammals up close.
It is not necessary to have previous paddle experience. We will give lessons and we will be by your side to make sure you feel safe and secure.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
