About this experience
Join me for a guided bioluminescent kayak tour on Merritt Island's Indian River Lagoon, the most biologically diverse estuary in North America! I'm Sunny, a certified Florida Naturalist and the owner and operator of Sunny Nights Kayak Tours. My night kayaking tours launch from Manatee Cove Park on Florida's Space Coast. If you're visiting Cocoa Beach or Kennedy Space Center, we're just a short drive away and we're also only about an hour from Orlando.
In the summer, tiny dinoflagellates can make the water flash with blue-green bioluminescence when you dip your paddle in. Sometimes you can even follow a fish by the glowing trail it leaves behind!
In the winter, we go looking for bioluminescent comb jellies! They look a little like jellyfish, but they don't sting and produce their own light.
It’s pretty common to see dolphins on our paddles and we might even spot a manatee too, but we're usually out past their bedtime!
Bioluminescence and wildlife sightings depend on conditions.
At a glance
- Duration: 2 hr
What is included
- Use of kayak, life jacket, whistle and safety light included
Not included
- Please be sure to bring sunscreen for a day tour and bug spray for a night tour
Itinerary and highlights
Your guide will have everything set up and ready for you to embark when you arrive on site! Our launch location boasts open views of the Space Center’s vehicle assembly building, rocket launch pads, and the Milky Way in the night sky. On a clear night we often see shooting stars, starlink satellites and even the ISS over our heads. In the water, a microscopic algae is responsible for bioluminescence below you. Paddle with a certified Florida naturalist who truly cares about the ecosystem and learn from the microscopic bottom of the food web to the top about ecology in the lagoon. On some summer nights, there’s a possibility to learn about water sampling to quantify the dinoflagellates in the water as Sunny Nights Kayak Tours is aiding in a scientist’s cumulative studies on the pyrodinium bloom in our lagoon!
Meeting and pickup information
- Manatee Cove Park is a public park in Merritt Island that should come up on your GPS!
Languages and tickets
- English — Guide
- Mobile Only
Tour operator
- Sunny Nights Kayak Tours
Accessibility and practical details
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Available tour options
- Tandem kayak : Two person boat
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