GAEA Guides - Guided Kayak Nature Tours
GAEA Guides - Guided Kayak Nature Tours
GAEA Guides - Guided Kayak Nature Tours
4
Eco ToursPrivate ToursDolphin & Whale WatchingNature & Wildlife ToursKayaking & Canoeing
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Full view
About
GAEA Guides - Guided Kayak Nature Tours leads tours on every waterway in SW Florida. Environmentally Sustainable Tours. All Tours are led by a Certified Florida Master Naturalist and include all equipment. Specialty tours: Manatee, Estuary, Bird Rookeries, River and Creek. See lots of wildlife and learn about the rare ecology of our Mangrove Forest. See many birds, dolphin and manatee.
Fort Myers, Florida
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GAEA Guides - Guided Kayak Nature Tours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
102 reviews
Excellent
69
Very good
11
Average
6
Poor
7
Terrible
9
travelingkatdancer
Fort Myers, FL21 contributions
Sep 2020
The Gaea Guides Bat Tour included a variety of interesting sights and sounds on a beautiful little creek. We launched from a recreational park area with picnic tables and plenty of shady parking spots nearby for the car. After launching from the boat ramp, it was an easy paddle to a rookery island, where we saw over a hundred birds nesting on the island and flying overhead. At dusk, we watched thousands of bats swirling and circling as they left their roosts to begin their busy night. The colorful sunset over the mangroves reflected as an exquisite collage in the still water beneath our kayaks.
Our guide, Connie, was very clear in her instruction that we all wear masks until we get out into the breeze and water.
Our guide, Connie, was very clear in her instruction that we all wear masks until we get out into the breeze and water.
Written October 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your glowing review. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the tour and really hope to paddle with you again.
Written October 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Carol C
3 contributions
Sep 2022 • Solo
Perfect tour. I’ve lived here 43 years & this was my first time on a guided tour with a Certified Florida Master Naturalist. So much better than going it alone. Connie shared her knowledgeable about all the birds we saw, and the plants & trees. We also saw a manatee and her baby! She even told stories along with it. Really fun day.
I’m a 69 year old female in the kayak by myself & this was not a difficult paddling experience. You can do it!
We were on the Royal Palm Park Caloosahatchee River & Creeks Kayak Tour. I would definitely recommend this company & tour.
I’m a 69 year old female in the kayak by myself & this was not a difficult paddling experience. You can do it!
We were on the Royal Palm Park Caloosahatchee River & Creeks Kayak Tour. I would definitely recommend this company & tour.
Written September 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Russelle Strauch
3 contributions
Jul 2021
Not a pleasant experience at all. The owner is very short with little patience. We had to unload and load all the equipment, and she then complained the way it was loaded and the order we loaded the kayaks. Could not hear her, she has some sort of injury and we all had to wait for her to get to the water. I would never use this place again. The only other family we went with also asked if she was nasty when we called for a reservation. No one was happy. We were all glad when we left.
Written August 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melinda H
Wichita, KS13 contributions
Feb 2021
Having to lift all kayaks and drag them into the water was not good when the guide and assistant were not able to help. My husband lifted for me. I would recommend a more modern trailer and lighter weight kayaks. Use lots of bug spray! We did not and that was a big mistake, resulting in many bug bites on all exposed skin. We had high expectations and did not see any wildlife other than one or two birds, a couple of shells and mangrove tunnels which were the best part. It was a difficult to find the meeting place, no sign or marking. The guide was knowledgable.
Written April 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jamie H
1 contribution
Jul 2020 • Family
I grabbed this tour for me and three teens...2 were my kids, 1 a friend. It's been an uneventful summer with covid so needed something easy and local that got us outside but not melting in the sun and heat. This was perfect. Winds were a little strong and my teenagers were typical teens(lagging behind, didn't care about the "knowledge"), but Connie rolled with the punches and provided an informative tour and a good time was had by all. Other than the wind, weather was beautiful, and honestly the breezes kept mosquitos at bay and made the temps quite comfortable. Even the kids thanked me and said they had a good time when we got home. I'm a native Floridian but picked up a lot of juicy tidbits about our history and the native wildlife/plant life. Worth the price.
Written July 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KS
62 contributions
Jul 2022
This was one of the weirdest Kayak tours we’ve been on. It started when they said that we had to wear a mask when on land; we thought that was over. Needless to say, they didn’t ask us to do that when we arrived.
They mandated that we had to help get the kayaks off and on the trailer and into the water. They weren’t kidding: these are tandem kayaks and you definitely need to help the guides with this. In addition, one of the guides was physically handicapped and we helped her down to the water in/out of the kayak. (Concluded that one of the guides was the “muscle” and the other was the “naturalist”.)
One of the couples was fairly new and were putting their life jackets on backwards. We (the participants) helped them put them on correctly and showed how to adjust them snuggly. They were nervous about kayaking as they were fairly new to it, so we talked them through it and reassured them; neither guide helped them with the PFD’s nor did they give them any short kayak lessons or reassurance about the trip. When we got off the water, one of the participants was ill in her car, we checked on her to make sure she was okay, which neither of the guides did.
We felt we should have been paid for the help we provided… ☹
The naturalist said we should follow her, so we did. Then she became upset that we weren’t right next to her to hear what she had to say. She spoke so softly that we had to paddle in front to hear her. The other guide went off and did his own thing for the majority of the tour.
And, finally, they said they wouldn’t give us pictures of the tour unless we reviewed them online. The views were great, but we saw little wildlife. (The best part was kayaking a few times through mangrove tunnels.)
You’re really on the water to enjoy the kayaking itself, which was lovely. But, be ready to support the other guests, help the guides in/out of the water, be ready to wear masks if they ask and be reprimanded if you aren’t paddling right next to the guide to hear what she has to say. She’s been doing this a long time and was impatient and conceited – perhaps it’s time to retire from this gig.
They mandated that we had to help get the kayaks off and on the trailer and into the water. They weren’t kidding: these are tandem kayaks and you definitely need to help the guides with this. In addition, one of the guides was physically handicapped and we helped her down to the water in/out of the kayak. (Concluded that one of the guides was the “muscle” and the other was the “naturalist”.)
One of the couples was fairly new and were putting their life jackets on backwards. We (the participants) helped them put them on correctly and showed how to adjust them snuggly. They were nervous about kayaking as they were fairly new to it, so we talked them through it and reassured them; neither guide helped them with the PFD’s nor did they give them any short kayak lessons or reassurance about the trip. When we got off the water, one of the participants was ill in her car, we checked on her to make sure she was okay, which neither of the guides did.
We felt we should have been paid for the help we provided… ☹
The naturalist said we should follow her, so we did. Then she became upset that we weren’t right next to her to hear what she had to say. She spoke so softly that we had to paddle in front to hear her. The other guide went off and did his own thing for the majority of the tour.
And, finally, they said they wouldn’t give us pictures of the tour unless we reviewed them online. The views were great, but we saw little wildlife. (The best part was kayaking a few times through mangrove tunnels.)
You’re really on the water to enjoy the kayaking itself, which was lovely. But, be ready to support the other guests, help the guides in/out of the water, be ready to wear masks if they ask and be reprimanded if you aren’t paddling right next to the guide to hear what she has to say. She’s been doing this a long time and was impatient and conceited – perhaps it’s time to retire from this gig.
Written September 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GAEA Guides is the longest operating guided kayak nature tour company in SW Florida. Operating since 2001 on every waterway in SW Florida.
We hate to see a negative review. The guides give a report to management after every tour so we know what happens on each tour and can respond to reviews.
Sorry to hear that Kristin did not seem to enjoy some parts of the tour. We at GAEA Guides are surprised to hear her negative comments as she tipped both of the guides very well. Kristin tipped a WHOPPING 80% - $40 tip on a $50 tour! She told both guides that she enjoyed the tour.
Kristin was by herself on the tour so we do not understand her use of the pronoun “We” throughout her review. We did this, and We did that makes little sense.
We will respond to Kristin’s specific points as well as we can:
COVID is far from over. Our clients’ safety is paramount. Many people wear masks in public to feel safe. It is mentioned in the waiver and then it is up to the clients whether they, as a group, prefer the protection of masks when they are working together getting the kayaks in the water, or not. That was discussed upon meeting for the tour.
Every client is made abundantly aware that on our tours they are responsible for working together to get the kayaks off of the trailer, into the water and then back onto the trailer when the tour is done – this is clearly stated in the body of the reservation and in the waiver, which is signed by the client. No surprises. We have had this policy for more than 20 years. When someone agrees to this we feel confident that they are strong enough to participate in the physical activity of kayaking.
The Certified Florida Master Naturalist Guide currently has difficulty walking, but no problem getting in and out of her kayak nor paddling. No assistance is expected nor needed by the clients. If assistance is offered, and accepted, that is fine, but definitely in no way is it expected.
One person was putting on their life jacket incorrectly and that was corrected instantly.
The other paddlers that Kristin is talking about had no problems kayaking. They really participated in the tour, asking questions about the birds, animals and environment. In the beginning the lady was a little worried about alligators and both of the guides put her fears to rest. The gentleman with her was an experienced paddler and they had no issues during the tour. As far as her being ill after the tour, it was momentary – she sat in her car with the A/C and felt better. The guides were given a nice tip by them also.
The Lead Guide did mention to the management that Kristin was always way off from the group, staying about 30 to 40 feet away. So, of course, she couldn’t hear much of the tour, which is a shame. Why go on a group tour if you’re not going to participate?
Pictures are often taken by the guides. We ask the clients to let us know that they left a review and IF they would like the pictures to be sent to them. The best pictures are posted on the GAEA Guides’ Facebook page and clients are told so.
Conceited? Our guides talk about their experience on the waterways of SW Florida and about their education, letting the clients know that the tour is about educating people in regards to this precious environment.
If Kristin was disappointed with the tour, why did she tip so well? And why did she wait a week to do her review?
Somethings we will just never be able to understand.
GAEA Guides does small group kayak tours – quality, not quantity. All tours are led by a Certified Florida Master Naturalist and include all necessary equipment. We use tandem kayaks that handle like a single if you are alone in one. We choose to use double kayaks so we have fewer boats on the water annoying the wildlife and it is easier to communicate with the participants. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 239 694-5513.
GAEA Guides is the longest operating guided kayak nature tour company in SW Florida. Operating since 2001 on every waterway in SW Florida.
Written September 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
travelingkatdancer
Fort Myers, FL21 contributions
Jun 2020
I very much enjoyed the Royal Palm Park Caloosahatchee River and Creeks Kayak Tour. The kayaks are very stable on the water, and even a novice can get the hang of paddling the kayak pretty quickly. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about kayaking, the ecosystem, history and nature of the area. We saw a lot of birds, including Wood Storks on the rookery islands, and also a manatee who surfaced about 10 feet from my kayak and swam nearby for a few minutes. It’s a great outing for families, and is also an activity that would be very comfortable for someone who is traveling alone. Social distancing is a natural part of GAEA Guides - Guided Kayak Nature Tours kayak tours. The tour guide and other participants were all very friendly, and we all enjoyed the experience.
Written June 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lauren S
1 contribution
Mar 2020 • Friends
Horrible experience !! Connie yelled at us for asking directions and hug up on us. She was running late and we told her we want to cancel because we did not feel comfortable with her. She hung up on us again. I have never been treated so disrespectfully and did not get my money back !!!
Written March 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What?? There was no yelling, just a giving of information and saying that the guide had to leave to make the meeting time.
Lauren called the office about an hour before the meeting time. She was quite agitated. She was saying that she had no idea where to go. She mentioned some business that she was near that the guide was not familiar with. The guide tried to calm her, told her that she had plenty of time to find the spot and told her that we meet at the Matlacha Community Park near the boat ramp. Lauren said that she was near the park, could see the sign for the park. The guide repeated that the meeting place is at the boat ramp. "Please read the directions. I have to go".
When someone makes a reservation they are sent an email with all the necessary information, (directions, what to bring, guide's cell phone number, timing of tour, etc.), that they need to attend the tour.
Our company's directions to the many places we launch from are excellent and 99.99% of our clients have no problem finding the right place. Also within the sent information is the guide's cell phone number, so if there are problems when we are en route, they can be discussed. Lauren called the office, an indication that she was not reading the information that she was given. Later, we saw that she had called the office again after the guide had left and never called the guide on the cell phone.
The guide was running late, due to traffic, so when the guide was able, she called the first person listed in the reservations (not Lauren) to let them know and spread the word. No hanging up on anyone. The guide was stopped for a traffic light, it turned green and she had to go. The guide got there about 10 minutes late. The other attendees met the guide at the correct location and at the end said that they really enjoyed the tour. Saw many birds, fish, sting rays and the amazing mangrove forest. It was a lovely day. The guide went out of her way to try to find dolphins and was successful! The group observed the dolphin for about 15 minutes. Everyone was delighted.
It is a real shame that Lauren did not go on the tour. But let herself get carried away by such a brief encounter on the phone and misunderstanding.
Lauren also wrote an email that sounds like blackmail. "If she did not receive a refund, she would write a bad review." But did not give us time to give her a refund.
It was Friday the 13th. Hmmmmm.
Written March 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nori Williams
12 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Out of the 2 guided kayaking tours we took while on our recent vacation in Florida, this one was my least favorite. The picnic in the kayak was fun but overall I found it boring and struggled to stay awake at the end as we headed back to the place we put in at. The guide was definitely the tree-hugger type...
Written March 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Review was made under the name General Noriega
No one by that name was on any of our tours.
We have no way of knowing what tour, if any, this person was on.
TripAdvisor makes no effort to verify if reviews are done by someone that was actually on a tour.
All of our tours are on the beautiful waterways of SW Florida. Launching from over 40 locations. We encounter many birds, such as herons, egrets, osprey, roseate spoonbills and many others. We also frequently see manatees, dolphins, alligators and other wildlife. Our guides are Certified Florida Master Naturalists that are able to answer questions about the birds and other wildlife and the environments that we are traveling in and some of the processes that make these areas so unique. Many of these things are discussed on the tours.
Since we are Master Naturalists, we are "tree-hugger" types. The main emphasis on our tours is to learn about the unique wildlife and environments in SW Florida.
Why anyone would come on a tour such as ours if they don't enjoy learning about such things is beyond me.
Our tours have been enjoyed by many over the past 20 years. And many are repeat customers. That speaks for itself. Not very many want to do a review.
Check out our Facebook Page and you can see pictures from many of our tours.
Basically, we have no way to respond to this review.
Written March 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Crystal C
3 contributions
Sep 2022
This was planned for my daughters and I on our family trip to ft myers. We had a lovely time on the water and thoroughly enjoyed our time! Definitely bring the sunscreen and a small cooler with drinks. The mangroves were beautiful and it was a nice calm water day. Unfortunately the manatees did not want to come out and play but we enjoyed seeing the plants and the serenity of the water. We did have to help unload the kayaks but I totally get that because you need to be strong enough to do the rowing and maneuver the equipment. I would definitely do this again. You are rowing for two hours or more and there are not a lot of breaks so you should be in decent shape.
Written September 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so glad that you enjoyed the tour.
The manatees did not show up today but we got to see many birds on the rookery island. Your daughter commented that it was the most birds that she had ever seen.
It was a warm day in South Florida, no surprise there. Important to stay hydrated and splash yourself with the water so you stay coolish.
Working together to get the kayaks into the water is explained during the reservation process and when you sign your waiver. We don't want anybody to be surprised.
We hope to see you the next time that you come to the Fort Myers area.
Written September 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.