Florida Bioluminescence Kayaking Tour
Bioluminescent Kayaking Tours Near Orlando & Cocoa Beach
Get ready to spend a magical evening on this nighttime bioluminescence tour with BK Adventure. See the water light up as luminous sea life surrounds your kayak. Our bioluminescent kayaking tours are often called “the best thing to do in Florida for vacation.” See this natural nighttime spectacle as you paddle around the warm waters of the Indian River Lagoon.
Where is the best place to see Florida Bioluminescence?
The Indian River and the Banana River both have glowing algae. Both rivers are part of the Indian River Lagoon – We affectionately call this Florida’s “Bioluminescent Bay.”
When to go: We do this tour year ’round. In warm weather, you will see glowing plankton. In colder months, you will see comb jellies. Some months you will see both!
Tours depart nightly: In summer months there are 3-4 departures per night between 8:30 pm to midnight. In winter there is one departure every night. Book early for July/August weekends as tours often sell out.
What type of kayak: This tour is in tandem kayak only due to restrictions of the number of boats allowed on the water in the areas we kayak.
Bioluminescence Moon Calendar 2020
Moonlight effects this tour and how brightly you will see glowing plankton. The less moonlight, the brighter the bio luminous sea creatures will appear. Please check the Moon Calendar before booking. Note that in July-August dinoflagellates appear so bright that almost any night is great!
New moons for 2020 are June 20, July 20, Aug. 18, Sept. 17, Oct. 16, Nov. 15 and Dec. 14. These dates and the four days before and after are best times to see bioluminescence.
Photos and Viewing
The glowing water or comb jellies can be very hard to photograph. It can only be photographed in perfect conditions usually during July – Sep when there is a new moon (very dark). This is when it appears bright, bright blue. If you are not coming during that time, it may appear somewhat different, but it is still awesome! For more about viewing this phenomenon and what to expect read the description here.
Best Time of Year for Bioluminescence in Florida
November – May is glowing jellies season
Bioluminescent jellyfish are really just jellies (they do not sting). These prehistoric sea creatures, called Comb Jellies, have been on the planet for over 500 million years. As the waters of the Indian River Lagoon cool down, the Comb Jellies move in. Depending on how warm in gets, we start seeing glowing plankton as early as March.
May – November is dinoflagellates season
In the early days of summer the bright blue-green glowing algae begin to show, and by the height of summer it shines and sparkles bright when it is stirred with your kayak paddle, hand, or even the myriad of Mullet fish flying around. The glowing plankton are amazing bright in July and August. This is when our tours sell out nearly every night. So, be sure to book early if that is when you plan to go.
Peak season is June – October.
In other months, dinoflagellates will be present, but may be more like sparkles than glowing water.
For other Florida Bioluminescence Tours
Join us for Clear Kayaking Tours and Bioluminescent Rafting with our 10 person raft! The rafts are great for kids and those who want someone to paddle for them.
BK Adventure tours are near Orlando, Cocoa Beach, Port Canaveral, Disney Area, and Ocala. These night tours have become one of the top things to do in Cocoa Beach and the Space Coast.
More about the Indian River Lagoon
The Indian River Lagoon is an estuary that is fed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean making it a unique natural habitat. The high salt content in the water here makes it a perfect home for dinoflagellates which create a natural light to protect themselves. The lagoon is one of the most biodiverse eco-systems in North America, and has been the main source of research about bioluminescent dinoflagellates.
Bioluminescent Kayaking
For Wildlife Refuge Bio Tour (Titusville, FL)
We were able to see manatees and dolphins. Plus, we watched the sunset. It was incredibly beautiful and romantic. I didn't capture the photo of the sun because I was too busy enjoying the experience. I did get a shot of the beautiful sky after the sunset tour was finished. Our guides Bailey and Josh were awesome and made our trip unforgettable. They are very outgoing and knowledgeable about the wildlife in the area. The bioluminescence was beautiful that night. It was so dark that we were able to see millions of stars in the clear night sky. We were very lucky with the weather. I definitely recommend going with BK Adventures for the sunset tour and bioluminescent tour package. Oh, and don't forget to tip the guides, even though it is optional. They work really hard to make the trip enjoyable, and they have to keep track of everyone and keep them safe. It can be a high pressure job because people on the tour have different levels of kayaking experience, so be generous.
Our guide, avi, was fantastic. Answered every question. A lot better than expected,as I am a skeptic at heart. Manatees and other wildlife for the sunset trip and a very cool logar show for the evening trip out. Went on a dark and rainy night and the bio was really bright. Thank you for a great evening. I do have to mention getting there is part of the adventure, and the staff was great at providing directions when needed. - Bruce Hamilton, Google Reviews
Our trip was two days after a new moon. The trip departed at about 9:15 PM this Sunday evening. The weather was gorgeous and the lack of ambient lighting in the area surrounding Kennedy Space Center made for amazing star watching. No less exciting was the bioluminescence in the water. The dinoflagellates and the comb jellies were amazing. The unique clear hulled kayaks we're fascinating as the bioluminescent life-forms sparkled and glowed as they glided against the hull in the water. it was like thousands of green shooting stars running along the entire underside of the kayak below the waterline. every pedal stroke made the water glow. Skimming a net through the water made huge glowing swirls of green light. The guides were extremely knowledgeable about the biochemical phenomenon creating the lights and about the role of dinoflagellates and comb jellies in the ecosystem. I highly recommend this tour, especially in the days surrounding a new moon.https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34515-d8808975-r396579284-BK_Adventures-Orlando_Florida.html#
Went with friends for the Bioluminescence tour kayaking 10pm. We had a blast. Guides were fun and knew a lot about the nature of the wildlife preserve. We saw dolphins from the shore. At first glowing plankton were not out, but guide knew where to kayak and water started lighting as we paddled around. Tons of stars out. Can't say enough good stuff about BK and our guides (dillon? And jake).This was the best thing we did in Florida. Everyone should try this!https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34515-d8808975-r396579284-BK_Adventures-Orlando_Florida.html#
Bioluminescence tour/BK Adventure/Clear Kayaks-it's Pixie Dust in the water! My family and I did this tour June 8....despite the rain at the start, we had a wonderful time....our guides were so great! Pay attention to the guides and do this tour folks!!!! For the person in the front of the kayak-look down toward the front of the boat and watch the jellyfish hit it and illuminate it as you glide through the water...it's sparkles in the water! Every time you paddle, it looks like pixie dust in the water, glowing with the movement of the paddle. By the end of the tour, the rain completely stopped and the stars came out, the view of the Space Center was crystal clear. Very cool, we all really enjoyed it! Thanks so much BK!
Very memorable and a great experience. Nearly a 2 hour kayaking adventure on easy, flat water canal. Picturesque & Ram, the owner, very knowledgable. It took about 1.5 hour to drive from Orlando. - E. Peterson
Important Information about your tour
- Read Our Refund Policy Here
- What happens if it's raining? - Our tours rarely cancel due to weather. If it is raining the day of the tour, chances are, with Florida weather, it will clear up by the time your tour starts. Sometimes we will hold the tour by 30 minutes for the weather to clear. In the case of lightning, high winds, or some other reason that we cannot paddle, we will re-schedule all guests to the very next tour available, or at a convenient time for you. Rainchecks are valid for 1 year.
- We use tandem kayaks for this tour. Because of wildlife and environmental protection we have a limited number of kayaks we can launch at one time. So, we use 2 person tandem kayaks in order to get all of our guests out to see the bioluminescence on the dates they want. That does not mean you will be in a large group. Only 8 boats go out with 2 guide boats at one time.
- What about small children? Our recommended age for paddling is 5+ years old. Each tandem kayak, has a small middle seat, that a younger child could sit in. Price is per person regardless of age, or number in kayak. We recommend only for small children who are able to sit still for at least 90 minutes.
- What about dogs? Lots of people who love kayaking with their dog have asked about this tour. We do not recommend this one for dogs, as it is a night kayaking tour. Maybe chose the manatee tour or the monkey tour instead of bioluminescent kayaking if you want to have a great experience with your favorite pooch!
- How close is Bioluminescent Kayaking launch to Orlando or Miami? This depends on your launch site: either Kelly Park is near Port Canaveral right off of Hwy. 528 (about 45 mins from Orlando), or in peak-season also, Haulover Canal in Titusville, Florida (1 hr; 15 mins from Orlando). Kelly Park near Cocoa Beach is the closer launch site to Miami.
- Will the bioluminescence be bright? We like to think so, but we cannot guarantee it. Here are the best conditions: hot weather, right after a rain storm, dark night. Sometimes the night is dark even when the moon is supposed to be bright. Sometimes a barely visible moon occurs on such a clear night, that even the slightest shine makes it seem bright. So, there are many factors that make the bioluminescence more/less visible. The BEST TIME for glowing algae (dinoflagellates) brightness is usually July to October. But we see it all year round, and in November, we see amazing flashing comb jellies! So, don't miss out because your vacation does not fall during the summer months.
- What about groups? We can manage groups up to 50 people. We recommend you book weekend nights at least 45 days in advance for large groups. Weekdays is best, as those are easier to find spaces for. Please phone us for details, and we will be happy to get you and ALL your wonderful friends out for the tour! See more about Group Tours here.
- Will there be mosquitos? Ram, the owner, likes to say, "You bring the spray, we'll bring the mosquitos!" We cannot guarantee there will be mosquitos, but there is a 99% change there will be. Some breezy nights have no mosquitoes. Some nights there are a lot. The other pest is No-See-Ums. The best way to keep them away is with Baby Oil. So, consider slathering on a layer of Baby Oil to any exposed skin. PLEASE BRING MOSQUITO SPRAY.
- What if I am not a good kayaker? Some people are naturally athletic, and they pick up any kind of activity easily. If that's you, pick either launch location. If you are a beginner, or not sure about kayaking abilities, or have small children, you may want to choose the Haulover Canal kayaking location. You may also want to ask about our new rafting options where you join others in the raft for an easy paddle in a big boat.
- What is the weight limit? For our single kayaks, the weight limit is 275 lbs. For the tandem kayaks it is 550 lbs. The night kayaking tours are done on tandem kayaks.
- What else is recommended? We recommend you do the "Sunset Tour" if you have time. That way you get to see dolphins, and possibly manatees and all the amazing birds. Then, take a break, and go out for the Bioluminescent Kayak Tour later. It's just $20 more and it's an amazing tour! Click here to book that.
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