Setting off on a kayak and snorkel outing comes with "chances". Chances it might rain, chances it might be windy are but two. Our trip was excellent. Our 'captain' and 'guide', Bethany, was really good at handling the boat, and all that went with it (including us)!! Maximum number of guests is six, today we were four, we all got along well. The kayaking around the little mangrove island was easy despite the moderate wind. Those easily frightened need not be. Bethany imparted a lot of interesting mangrove facts as we went as well as pointing out the different birds that occupy the island. Not really an island as it's all mangroves and no sand, dirt or rock to stand on. Snorkeling that day wasn't great. It had recently rained and the water was a bit murky but we did see a variety of sponges and a few fish. The sail back to port was relaxing, snacks were put out, pineapple and those chunky pretzel things, and for a bit, all was right in the world. read more

Yes! Had an amazing time. Shout out to our guide, Eddie. He was attentive, friendly, and very personable. He taught us quite a bit about Key's flora and fauna. We were lucky to see manatees and sharks. The tour lasts about 2 hours, so make sure you protect yourself from the sun and stay hydrated. It gets crazy hot out here in the Keys. What are you waiting for? Book your tour now! read more

This company charged my credit card but did not provide services. I tried to call them numerous times and left messages, but they do not pick up the phone or return calls. BEWARE read more

Friendly staff, nice catamaran! Beautiful weather conditions. would sail with Liz again anytime! read more

Key West Eco Tours - Kayak and dail - Boating Near Me - Key West, Florida

Great day!! Really loved our time with Sarah and got to watch Frigate birds feeding really close. These charters are so worth it! read more

Key West Eco Tours - Stilt Sandpipers and great looks at Frigate Birds feeding! Sarah was a fantastic captain and her energy was so fun! What a great way day! - Boating Near Me - Key West, Florida

The guided kayak tour of mangroves is excellent. The guide who led us is knowledgeable and made sure paddlers of all skill levels had a great outing. This outfitter is very close to the natural areas, so you are out in the shallows and mangrove mazes within minutes. read more

This was such an awesome tour! We learned so much about the mangroves from our guide Tortuga Jack and the water was clear and perfectly flat - it was a truly wonderful SUP experience. It was really fun going under the mangrove canopies and we were lucky enough to see tiny sharks (one was even napping in the seagrass), stingrays, starfish, conch, and tons of jellyfish. read more

Awesome tour! We had a great guide, great Weather and perfect group size. The kayaking was smooth sailing ( had the option of paddle boards but we chose kayaks) read more

My husband and I went on the two hour kayak tour with Jack. He was a wonderfully informative and laidback tour guide. He was happy to answer all our questions and very patient with our lack of kayaking experience. Being that we went to Key West during the off season we ended up getting a private tour, it was a great experience! During the tour we seen quite a bit of wildlife: herons, egrets, many little fish, a few barracudas, a baby nurse shark, really neat jellyfish, and lil black crabs. The water was soo clear and the mangroves were just gorgeous! Also our shuttle driver Shelly was super friendly and upon request dropped us off at a different location then we were picked up. Overall the staff was professional and super nice! We would highly recommend this tour:) read more

Key West Eco Tours - Mangroves - Boating Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Our guide Bethany was awesome. Had a great time and the cost of a private tour rivals that of the larger more populated tours. Highly recommended. read more

Key West Eco Tours - Boating Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Great trip and the best way to spend an afternoon. Knowledgable and fun captain made the trip a delight.

Great kayak experience for our group of 10. We loved our guide. She was really accommodating and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend them when in Key West. read more

This was the highlight of an amazing trip to Key West! Captain Kelsey was delightful. She explained our route, the history, the tides, the plants and animals - she was knowledgeable and helpful. We loved every minute of our morning trip. The catamaran, the kayaking, the snorkeling (which was AMAZING), the food, the company. Everything was top notch. We saw turtles, rays, more birds than I can name, and even a Portugese man-o-war!! We loved kayaking among the mangrove trees. We are so very glad we opted NOT to go on one of the cheaper trips with other companies who take loads of people out on short trips. Spending a little more for a small group (we had 6 guests, plus Kelsey) and a personal experience was well worth it. Highly, highly recommend Key West Eco Tours!! read more

Key West Eco Tours - Loading up the catamaran - Boating Near Me - Key West, Florida

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My husband and I had the BEST time on this trip! Because it is so smalland can only have 6 people plus the captain it is really personal and relaxing! Definitely recommend this trip! Thank you to Captain John who had great stories to tell. read more

Fantastical! 4 hour Catamaran/ kayak and snorkel eco trip. Crazy great experience much needed after being cooped up with the current environment! Loved seeing all the wildlife!The whole group loved it! Super relaxing and sooooo much better than being on one of the big boats with tons of people/strangers. Amanda, "Our Guide Extraordinaire", was on point the whole time with information about the keys, wildlife, nature, the ocean and also safety. She also followed COVID protocols. She made the trip even better!!! She was also patient with us serenading her with the song "Amanda" by Boston every other 30 minutes. Well done Amanda! We will be back for more of the Java cat soon and perhaps a different island tour. read more

Key West Eco Tours - Off the Java Cat near Archer Key. - Boating Near Me - Key West, Florida

Kristin was an awesome guide/naturalist. Awesome tour. Small size groups makes it well worth it.

My husband, adult son and I booked an eco tour with Java Cat for the sail/kayak/snorkel 4 hour excursion. Captain Liz was wonderful throughout the whole experience. She was informative, kind, and did an excellent job making us feel comfortable. The beautiful sunny, calm weather took a turn on our way back, but Liz handled it with confidence. I believe she was even responsible for the beautiful rainbow at the end, even the "double rainbow". Haha. Thanks again, Liz, for a fun last day of vacation. read more

My wife and I did the kayak tour today and really enjoyed it. We were in single kayaks and loved paddling through tight spots in the mangroves and spotting fish, rays, small sharks, jellies, coral, sponges and more. Our guide Jeff has great knowledge and passion about the ecosystem in the Keys and we really enjoyed his teaching. Would not have been the same to just go paddling out there on our first trip like this. Very safety conscious as well. We had only one other couple with us and definitely recommend this trip to see and learn about the habitat up close. read more

Key West Eco Tours - Paddling through the mangroves - Boating Near Me - Key West, Florida

This tour is a great value for the money. In the span of just four hours my group of four, in Key West for the first time, got a pleasant ride on a catamaran, a snorkeling session where we saw conch, parrotfish, rock lobsters and other species of marine life, a birdwatching session via kayak through the mangroves with frigates, cormorants, egrets, pelicans and others, a tasty snack with refreshing cold sodas, and an entertaining narrative on Key West history from veteran guide John M. I highly recommend John - if you have flexibility on days and times, ask for a booking with him. read more

Our kayak tour was awesome. Our guide Liz was so nice and very knowledgeable. We learned so much about mangroves and its importance to our eco system. I would highly recommend taking the time to do this. read more

Key West Eco Tours - Boating Near Me - Key West, Florida

Had a guide take myself and two friends out. One was a new paddler but felt comfortable both with the equipment and the skill level. Learned about sealife and the importance of the mangroves to our ecosystem. Also had a ton of laughs with our easygoing and friendly guide, Kristen. read more

Key West Eco Tours - Boating Near Me - Key West, Florida

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We had the best time! Our guide (Kristen) was super knowledgeable, fun to chat with, and made the entire experience very fun and informational. We learned so much and got to see all kinds of wildlife, ecosystems, and varying sceneries. Getting to hold jellyfish and star fish were the highlight of our trip. Our guide tried her best to make sure we got to see as much as we possibly could. Highly recommend! read more

We had a great time and our guide Paul was awesome. Very educational and entertaining. Being a fan of the outdoors it was really neat to see the insides of nature in the Keys. read more

What a fun time this was. Our guide was wonderful and great at spotting wildlife. We saw baby sharks, rays, turtles, beautiful conchs, jellyfish and sponges. Relaxing and a lot of fun! read more

Key West Eco Tours - Holding one of the beautiful conchs our guide found. She was careful to make sure they were kept wet when out of the water. - Boating Near Me - Key West, Florida

Great experience! Staff was friendly & helpful. Jeff the tour guide was awesome. So knowledgeable. It's worth the drive there. read more

Dawn was a fantastic guide full of interesting information and willing to go the extra mile to show you a variety of wildlife. Such a lovely lady. We took a tandem kayak and a SUP board out and were amazed at how much we saw, including rays, sharks, tulip snails, conch, basket fans, sea cucumber, etc. Unfortunately it wasn't the right time of year for manatees - maybe next time. Luckily it was the right time of day for a beautiful sunset on our return paddle. It was such a peaceful way to spend a couple of hours away from the frenzy of Duval madness. SUP boarders see a lot more with their height advantage. We ended up standing in the kayak. Launching the kayaks/SUP boards was easy as they use a slipway so all you have to do it sit/kneel and they push you into the water, same on the return. We used the shuttle which picked up/dropped off at our hotel. Pricing was reasonable, easy to book online. Try it, it is great fun. Sunscreen and insect repellant a good idea. Dawn carries cold water for everyone. read more

One of the best adventures ever! Took a catamaran out to several remote islands-kayaked around the mangrove islands while taking in many species of birds, fish and beautiful scenery. Went snorkeling out on a sandbar/reef and while it was out in the middle of the ocean, it was relaxing and not intimidating at all! Captain Jack took such great care of us,the boat and even prepared us a delicious snack Viewed a spectacular sunset while on the ride back to the Mariana-just all around an amazing experience! read more

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A great tour with Joyce. She is friendly, knowledgeable and fun! Highly recommend her!! Only negative was the number of Air Force fly overs, which were very loud but totally out of their control! read more

If you are looking for a back country tour and away from all the regular Key West traffic this is your place. As soon as we shoved off we saw nurse sharks and manta rays in the canals of the mangroves. This tour is a great mix of wildlife fish and bird sightings along with snorkel and sandbar hang. Andre the tour guide has all the knowledge on species and history of the area. We highly recommend this your! read more

Great time for an especially great value. Our guide was awesome. This experience is a much better value for an equally great experience as you would get if you jumped on a group kayaking boat. The mangroves are really neat and our guide had so much knowledge, keen eyes, and made sure we all saw every bit of wildlife he spotted. read more

Snorkel/kayak/sail on Java Cat from Key West was so lovely that we booked a kayak tour from Geiger Key Marina the following week. Professional, knowledgeable friendly and generous people. Thank you Liz and Captain Kelsey and Key West EcoTours! read more

Would give them more than five stars if I could. They're great! We had a fantastic, entertaining and informative kayak tour of the mangroves. Kristen was our guide, and she was informative, entertaining and very easy to talk to. We saw sharks (a nurse shark and a small bonnethead), lots of jellyfish (she was able to explain what the different types were), parrotfish, several different types of snappers, herons and tons of other wildlife. I also learned about the origins of the mangroves and why they're so important to the coastline. read more

This was one of the best days we have spent on a tour. Capt. Bethany Tietz McColley was our guide and she was amazing. Very professional, knowledgeable and friendly. She shared plentiful history and facts for us to learn while enjoying sailing, kayaking, and snorkeling. We rented a private charter and it was first class. The boat was clean and Bethany provided drinks and a healthy light lunch. She even got our 10 year old in the water and helped her feel comfortable to enjoy the time. The tour she have us on the kayaks thru the mangroves was the best part. Bethany knows her wildlife and made it a fun learning experience. She also gave us great tips of other tours and things to do in key west. Thank you Bethany and key west eco tours. read more

Captain John was wonderful for my family. We spent a lovely morning/afternoon, sailing, snorkeling, kayaking and leaning about the natural beauty of the beautiful keys around Key West. I highly recommend! read more

We've had this tour booked for a while, we were going on a Kayak tour through the mangroves. The departure time is very reasonable, and the sights are amazing. We had an awesome tour guide who showed us tons of jellyfish, sharks, and barracudas, and the mangroves were absolutely beautiful. Careful not to tip your Kayak because there are a couple of narrow turns, overall it was an amazing trip. read more

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Wonderful experience kayaking with Tortuga Jack through the beautiful mangroves. Our guide (Jack) was extremely knowledgeable and provided so much information during our 2 hour tour. Our only regret was only doing a 2 hour vs. half day or longer tour. I would absolutely recommend booking a tour through this company if you're traveling to the area. read more

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Had great tour with Elio. She was informative, knowledgeable about the ocean and ocean life. The tour was beautiful, a genuinely great experience. Equipment perfect for our tour. Pickup at hotel on time, and plenty of sunscreen! Highly recommended. read more

Excellent adventure. We took a group of 30 teenagers and they did an awesome job accommodating our large and diverse group. Jack & Kristen were well informed and capable guides. read more

Key West Eco Tours did a fantastic job. We took a 2 hour kayak eco-tour and loved it. Our guide was super knowledgeable and enthusiastic, which made it really fun and interesting. Will definitely use Key West Eco Tours for more outdoor fun the next time we're in Key West! read more

The snorkel and kayak trip was a lot of fun! John was our captain, and he was very knowledgeable with a quirky sense of humor. It was great to be out on the water on a 6-person catamaran rather than a larger vessel. Our 4.5 hour trip involved riding out to the nature preserve and kayaking to and around one of the mangrove islands. Expect to see a lot of birds (pelicans, heron, double-crested cormorants, and colorful finch-like birds). John also pulled a horseshoe crab out of the water, but I saw those all over the beach in Mass while growing up, so it was not that exciting for me. After kayaking back to the boat, you sail to a different location to go snorkeling. The snorkeling was pretty decent--not as good as Hanauma Bay in Hawaii but better than in Aruba. Lots of huge sponges and corals and a lot of fish, but only a few colorful ones. I did see a starfish which was pretty neat. John said sometimes you'll see spiny lobster and baby stingrays, but I didn't see any this time. After kayaking, John prepared us a light lunch of pineapple, pita bread, cucumbers, tomatoes, curry chicken salad, and pasta salad. There was lots of soda and water in the cooler accessible during the entire trip. Tip: It got a little chilly when clouds formed overhead, even though the temp was 75-80 degrees. Bring long sleeves or an extra beach towel. read more

Key West Eco Tours - Kayaks - Boating Near Me - Key West, Florida

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