Clear Kayak Bioluminescence Tours
In summer our clear kayak tours launch from Kiwanis Island Park near Cocoa Beach and the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge near Kennedy Space Center in Titusville. Both locations are amazing for bioluminescence!
Choose Bioluminescent Clear Kayaking near Cocoa Beach or Titusville
Bioluminescent Clear Kayak tours in these glass-like boats are a spectacular way to experience Florida’s glowing waters. It’s especially breath-taking in summer when the dinoflagellates (plankton) light up a bright iridescent blue.
This tour is a “mystical experience” that is sure to be the highlight of your stay near Orlando or the Space Coast (Titusville and Cape Canaveral). Experience the magic world of these neon sea creatures as your kayak lights up from all sides!
Looking for our Cocoa Beach Clear Kayaking (Kiwanis Island) Location? Click here.
Why choose clear kayaks: All of our tours offer a great way to experience the wonder of bioluminescence, but clear kayaks make it all the more magical. You get a view of not just the sides of your boat, but all sides of your boat – front, back, sides and bottom. You see the glowing plankton sparkling under you.
When to go: The best time to see dinoflagellates (plankton) is June – October. However, bioluminescent Comb Jellies are present in the colder months and make for a great experience as well. Book early clear kayaking usually sells out in summer.
Tours depart nightly: These clear bottom kayaking tours depart nightly throughout the year and are a “must-do” for Florida vacations. There are only a few places to see bioluminescence in the world, and BK Adventure tours are the most popular in the continental United States. So, if you’re ready to get up and go kayaking tonight, simply book online or give us a call.
Where we take you: This tour launches on Florida’s east coast near the Canaveral National Seashore. We depart where the bioluminescence is best, and sometimes this changes. When you book the tour, your confirmation will have directions to the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge (Titusville).
How to book: Simply click on the orange “book now” button on this page, and follow the prompts. For same day bookings or special options, just give us a call (407-519-8711). We are happy to help you, and often last minute bookings can be arranged.
What is included
- Kayak This tour is in a 2-person tandem kayak.
- PFD
- Guides
What you should bring
- Insect repellent
- Towel
- Water bottle
- Sunblock
Weight Limit
415 lbs total for 2-Person Kayak (neither participant should weigh over 250); some participants may need to use the clear kayak as a single person based on weight limits. Additional charge may apply.
Moon Notice
Moonlight effects this tour and how brightly you will see bioluminescence. The less moonlight, the brighter the bioluminescent 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!
Check tour conditions
Check our Twitter updates to see how the wildlife has been lately on BK Adventure Tours.
Meeting point
Beacon 42 Boat Ramp on Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge.
Reviews
Write a reviewHad a terrific kayak adventure with BK. We did the sunset trip followed by bioluminescence in mid October. We happened to be there on a very chilly day, which was ...
Lisa E. (Peachy in Georgia)
Had a terrific kayak adventure with BK. We did the sunset trip followed by bioluminescence in mid October. We happened to be there on a very chilly day, which was unexpected, but we all made the best of it! We saw a lot of gorgeous birds, manatees, and even dolphins. Magical!
There is still bioluminescence in mid-October, but it’s not as plentiful and bright as what you see mid-summer.
The BK team were well-prepared and all of our equipment and boats were in great condition. The kayaks are for two people, so if you come with an uneven number in your party, someone will get paired up with a stranger.
There are porta potties at the drop-in location. You can go before you get on the boat, and with the double tours there was a snack and bio-break in the middle.
Our family group included one adult (admittedly in not great shape, lol) one senior citizen, and three teenagers and all of us were able to manage the exertion of paddling around for three hours.
If you have little children with you, and they are afraid of the dark, the night time tour would not be a good choice. There were some parts of the tour that were in incredibly dark areas of the water.
I’d love to come back in the summer and see the bioluminescence when it’s at its peak. Thanks BK for an enjoyable evening!
So fun!! A must do!! Nathan our tour guide was the best. Super engaging and will do about anything to make your experience the best it can be!! Trevor was ...
shannon downing
So fun!! A must do!! Nathan our tour guide was the best. Super engaging and will do about anything to make your experience the best it can be!! Trevor was good as well, can't forget him. 🙂 I didn't want it to end. Highly recommend! Thanks for a great time!
I can't say enough about how wonderful our experience was. I've never really spent much time kayaking, so the instructions at the beginning of the tour were very helpful. We ...
Elizabeth Albarez
I can't say enough about how wonderful our experience was. I've never really spent much time kayaking, so the instructions at the beginning of the tour were very helpful. We did the combination sunset tour and bioluminescence, and both were unforgettable. Abigail was so enthusiastic and wealth of knowledge! Jade was thoughtful and gentle, making suggestions and pointing out small obstacles. We walked into the water near the shoreline for a bit after, enjoying the stars and playing in the glowing water. Don't hesitate. BOOK THIS! You are going to be blown away.
Such a great experience. We did the sunset kayaking with bioluminescence. Kyle was our guide and did an amazing job! Highly recommended for any skill level.
patti Callahan
Such a great experience. We did the sunset kayaking with bioluminescence. Kyle was our guide and did an amazing job! Highly recommended for any skill level.
FAQ
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Because of the limited availability of our equipment, they tend to book up quickly. Please call us if there is a time/day you would like that is not available for online booking. We may be able to get you on.
