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                          |      |  Guided Kayak and Canoe Eco-Tours
Everglades National Park, the 10,000 Islands and Big Cypress Preserve 
Boat Assisted and Traditional Kayak & Canoe ECO Tours Boat Assisted Kayak ECO ToursMangrove Tunnel Kayak ECO ToursTraditional Kayak ECO ToursBoat Assisted Kayak ECO Tours Our Most Popular Tour and Best for Viewing WildlifeGreat for all Ages and Experience Levels - Stable, Easy and Quiet Reservations are Important 3 ½ - 4 Hours (with breaks) $129 Per Adult; Kids Under 12 - ½ Price Departs 9 am and 1:30 pm Daily
Everglades Area Tours
238 Mamie Street ~ PO Box 824 Chokoloskee Island, FL 34138 Phone: 239-695-3633 Email: tours@EvergladesAreaTours.com | |
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Our transport boat nestles six very stable kayaks in her bow and provides comfortable captains-style seating for six guests. With full safety equipment, a satellite phone, GPS tracking system, a large sunshade and a cooler full of cold drinks, your guide will bring you deep into the Park in safety and comfort.
Once we reach one of our many destinations, we "slow" the tour down and turn it into a "hands-on" eco-experience. VERY stable, comfortable kayaks are used to get you close to the Park's flora and fauna … closer than by any other means. (Not to worry, no previous kayaking experience is required and we do not paddle far and we have two-person kayaks for those that do not wish to paddle alone).
You will continue your interpretive experience with a walking tour on pristine barrier island beach … an island that is seldom visited by others. There is a lot to see and lot to experience in the shallow tidal zones. You can expect some excellent shelling on these beaches!
After your beach trek, we are back in the kayaks to paddle back the boat for the ride home in time for a seafood dinner at a local restaurant. Be sure to Bring your camera!
Each trip is led by an experienced interpretive guide who is certified by the National Park and licensed by the US Coast Guard and a Florida Master Naturalist. All are educators. As our guest, you will be presented with a wealth of information on the colorful local history of the area, as well as, it's wonderful wildlife and flora.
Everglades Area Tours will customize private trips for your family or group. Specific locations, timetables, camping and catering ... anything is possible, just give us a call with your ideas. However, daily, half-day trips leave from Chokoloskee Island located just 3 miles from Everglades City at 9:00 am and 1:30 pm. Please plan to meet a bit early. Afterwards, you can enjoy the goodies and the works of local artists at JT Island Café and Gallery. The tours last approximately 3˝ to 4 hours. The cost is $129.00 person. Seating is limited, so advanced reservations are important.
The Everglades area is a vast and varied ecosystem and has the largest mangrove forest in North America. Throughout the forest are brackish "lakes" whose waters are a mix of "sweet" (fresh) and salt water. This is where the Everglades transitions from fresh water to salt water and this mixing is part of what makes the Everglades so special. These lakes, surrounded by mangroves, are refuges for herons, egrets, stilts, ducks, wood storks, spoonbills, alligators, otters and a gamut of fishes.
Interconnecting these lakes are narrow, flowing tidal creeks. The mangrove forest grows to very edge and even over the tops of these creeks forming a canopy or a tunnel. The sunlight (or moonlight) shimmering through the canopy, the noise deafening affects of the forest vegetation and the sounds of the forest itself, make for a surreal experience in the tunnels.
The dense canopy regulates moisture and humidity allowing orchids, mosses and bromeliads to thrive. A moonlight tour or sunset tour in the tunnels can be something you will never forget The mangrove tunnel tour is a completely different experience than the Boat Assisted Kayak/Canoe Tour. Many guests enjoy both. As well, if you enjoy the mangrove tunnel tours, you may enjoy one of our Special Tours. Click here for more information
