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 reviewWe booked a tour while we visited Florida. Steve was our guide, and he was amazing. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the nature and history. He was also extremely patient ...
Julie Lindy
We booked a tour while we visited Florida. Steve was our guide, and he was amazing. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the nature and history. He was also extremely patient with novice rafters. He was very responsive to my kids' comfort in the boat, excitement about the experience, and even let my younger son catch some jellyfish to study while on the raft. My children got on the boat a little nervous and left feeling proud and accomplished thanks to his expert guidance. We would definitely do this again and ask for Steve as our guide!
Shoutout to BK Tours and the three tour guides Dan, Brooke and I believe his name was Nick I’m so sorry 😢 we forgot his name! They were amazing! We ...
Faith Thompson
Shoutout to BK Tours and the three tour guides Dan, Brooke and I believe his name was Nick I’m so sorry 😢 we forgot his name! They were amazing! We had an amazing tour we saw Dolphins 🐬 on Dolphins and more Dolphins! Manatees and a mom with her baby! We booked the Bioluminescence tour and Brooke really was phenomenal! Dan the man had the jokes and all of us well educated on our experience in real time! I was reassured by him to stay for the bioluminescence part of the tour because mosquitoes 🦟 were eating some white girl booty up! I am so glad we stuck it out and got to see the Avatar water! They was amazing and we saw dolphins in the bio chasing dinner! All in all an epic birthday 🥳 I was serenaded by everyone for my birthday and it was really sweet they cared that much to do that 🫶🏼🎉🎊🥳Thank you!
Waiting on that sunset pic Dan took we would love it mucho!Faith & Rafael Rosario
This tour was amazing! Our guide, Dan, was extremely informative and kind. There was never a dull moment between laughs, wildlife, and of course bioluminescent creatures! The sunset was incredible. ...
Haley Romjue
This tour was amazing! Our guide, Dan,
was extremely informative and kind. There was never a dull moment between laughs, wildlife, and of course bioluminescent creatures! The sunset was incredible. We saw loads of manatee and not just from a distance, all sorts of native birds, and bioluminescent jellies and plankton, If you get to the area an hour early, you can check out the manatee observation area as well as take a walk around the cove as the area is beautiful! We were lucky enough to see dolphins in the area before the tour. I can’t recommend this experience enough and specifically at this location. My fiancé and I now have a beautiful memory to look back on.
(I don’t have photos of the wildlife to share as we were trying to take it all in and pay attention)
Thank you so much BK! 😊
- Haley & Kevin from Rhode Island April 2023This was an amazing tour! My daughter asked to do this for part of her graduation trip. I was hesitant to say the least. I’m afraid of dark water. But ...
Carol Hatcher
This was an amazing tour! My daughter asked to do this for part of her graduation trip. I was hesitant to say the least. I’m afraid of dark water. But John, our tour guide, put me at ease. He was super laid back and was very knowledgable about the area. We saw a huge pod of dolphins (15!) and a manatee within 5 minutes of heading out on the raft. The tour was super peaceful and fun. We saw so many comb jellies and were amazed at the bioluminescence. So cool! I would highly recommend this as a family outing.
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.
