THE BAYOU PADDLE.  Our most popular shuttle trip! Launch  a kayak from Clam Bayou Nature park and follow the map through the 160 acre mangrove estuary to see a bounty of birds, fish and marine life. Then just a short 30 minute paddle along the natural shoreline -through the fish and over the grass lies the Gulfport Waterfront district. Pull the kayak or paddleboard onto the beach and leave your shoes behind for the steps into Omaddy’s Beachfront Grille for lunch, dinner, or refreshments! (see menu here http://omaddys.com/01-2010_Menu.pdf )   * PADDLE TIME  = 2hrs

BEACH PADDLE = Launch right off Gulfport Beach and head into the rising sun and Summer breeze. Jumping mullet, soaring rays, and occasional dolphin or manatee encounters occur on this 30 minute paddle into Clam Bayou Nature Park where birds, fish, flora & fauna flourish!  Landing at the designated kayak launch site is a breeze and within yards of the Gulfport City Marina’s ship store and bath area.  * PADDLE TIME  2hrs.

EGAN PARK ISLAND HOPPER.  Egan Park on St Pete Beach is a great place to start an adventure with us! Paddling through the inner waterways of St Pete Beach, S Pasadena & Gulfport on Boca Ciega Bay offer the best experience in the area.  Pack a picnic and stop on 1 of 2 uninhabited islands for some quiet time in the sun-n-sand! * PADDLE TIME  3hrs +  (but likely longer as the islands are timeless)

* FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE  is available (upon request)  every hour on the hour back to your car.

Single kayak = $30
Double kayak = $45

Reservations necessary and space is limited so reserve today!  (727) 418-9728

Once you glide over the flats land on the white beaches of this unspoiled paradise, you’ll see the coastline as it must have looked to early explorers: mounds of shells trapped underneath tree roots, nesting birds, and undisturbed coastline brimming with shells, sand dollars, and young sea creatures.
 

Kayak Cathy has spent years combing the sands of Shell Key and will  guide you through the hidden entrance into mangrove islands and show you where to snorkel for dollars and the best shells! Bring your snorkel and mask, pack a lunch and spend a day in Florida paradise!

RESERVE TODAY for this great kayak paddle trip!

SINGLE KAYAK – $55

DOUBLE KAYAK -$90

More About Shell Island

Shell Key Preserve – Overview Shell Key Preserve was established in 2000 through a lease agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The 2000 Shell Key Preserve Management Plan was adopted in October 2000 by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and the FDEP. The lease agreement requires that the property be managed “only for the conservation and protection of natural and historical resources and for resource-based public outdoor activities and education which are compatible with the conservation and protection of these public lands.” This 1,800-acre Preserve includes one of the County’s largest undeveloped barrier islands (Shell Key) as well as numerous mangrove islands and expansive seagrass beds. Shell Key has been designated as one of the State’s most important areas for shorebird nesting and wintering. It also is an important area for recreation. A balance for both uses was established by restricting public use to the northern and southern ends of the island. A central core area for conservation is off-limits to the public. Boating, camping, and beach-going activities are permitted in public use areas of the Preserve. Shell Key offers very clear water and is great for snorkeling and shelling. Check out our photos pages for pictures of Egmont Key, the dolphin show on the way out to Egmont Key, the Spanish American war forts and the lighthouse.

For the photographer, sightseer, bird watcher and nature lover, or if you just like to paddle around, look and listen, KAYAK NATURE ADVENTURES will open up new avenues of enjoyment for you and all who would come to enjoy its treasures!

 Our mobile outpost allows us to offer kayak & paddleboard rental, eco & birding tours 7 days a week!

Our website has lots of stories to tell with pictures and videos too. Take some time and look around. Feel free to send us an email or comments

CALL TODAY AND LET YOUR NEXT KAYAK &PADDLEBOARD ADVENTURE BEGIN 

With the help of our sponsors we’ll be providing these clean up/eco-tours FREE OF CHARGE! Your only requirement is filling up a bag of trash during the trip and together we’ll help protect and preserve Florida’s manatee habitat!

We anticipate a huge turnout of volunteers and sponsors and in an effort to track info more efficiently please fill out the form with a brief sentence or two of how you’d like to help.

THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO REGISTER FOR THESE EVENTS! 

Register here = http://kayaknature.com/habitat-flor-da-manatee/

Details and schedules will be sent electronically.  1 person per registration.

Sincerely,

Kurt Z.

Throughout the year come out and see nature’s inhabitants go about their daily activities. The majestic American Egret glides effortlessly over the mangroves… In the distance and Osprey calls… a dolphin chases his dinner through the shallows… the Otter scoots to the top of the shell mound and gazes intently at the world around him… the Night Heron gazes intently as you glide silently by…

For the photographer, sightseer, bird watcher and nature lover, or if you just like to paddle around, look and listen, KAYAK NATURE ADVENTURES will open up new avenues of enjoyment for you and all who would come to enjoy its treasures!

Kayak & stand up paddleboard (sup)  rentals, kayak paddleboard tours & kayak paddleboard eco- adventures. Kayak Florida, kayak St. Petersburg, kayak St Pete Beach, kayak Gulfport & kayak Florida Beaches. Your Kayak Nature Adventure begins here… today!

WELCOME WATER MONKEY STAND UP PADDLEBOARD

The action of the tides creates a lovely day for a guided kayak, paddleboard  tour!

Many different environments meet at the Clam Bayou estuary. Freshwater from springs and rain runoff come together in a weave of creeks. Because of Florida’s gentle slope, these streams braid their way into wide mud flats where birds wade gently and many animals live and feed…

Tiny shellfish make their homes between
the roots of coastal grasses.
Small hermit crabs scurry across the mud flats
looking for tidbits of food.
Crowds of fiddler crabs await the tiny particles of food
brought in on the incoming tide.

As freshwater flows into the sea it mixes. This brackish water is a world of its own…

The branches of mangrove trees shade
mussels and tree oysters who live there.
The tangled stilt-like roots of the red mangrove
are ornamented with shells, fleshy sea squirts,
and delicate bryozoan colonies.
Ducks drift along the shallow channel
between out-reaching mangrove trees.
Golden orb and star-belly spiders
weave webs in the shadows between branches.
The limbs above provide homes
to nesting snowy egrets and pelicans.
Mangrove crabs use the branches as highways.
Oyster beds cluster between the low islands
along the widening shallows.
Great blue herons look for minnows.
The beds also attract tiny sea snails called
oyster drills and sea stars as well.
The sea stars probe the oysters looking for a meal.

  As the marsh and mangrove forest reaches Boca Ciega Bay, the shoreline is rimmed with white sand beaches. Along these channels the waters deepen enough to attract manatees, dolphins and an amazing variety of fish. Clams live just below the sand and all kinds of sea snails hunt for a meal. Many of the shellfish need a clean environment. Every day, as the tide leaves, it carries the fine dust-like soil (silt) down the creeks, out into the bay and beyond… THIS IS YOUR NEXT KAYAK ADVENTURE!

$55/single      $90 double kayak

Spoonbill of Clam Bayou

Brandt’s Pass

Special thanks to photographer Andrea Linquanti for this series of photos. YOU’RE NEXT!

Single kayak Only $55  for a two hour trip. Double kayak = $90 WIND NOR RAIN HAS AN EFFECT ON THIS PROTECTED ESTUARY TOUR!