Bioluminescence Kayaking Tours in Cocoa Beach
Summer is the peak bioluminescence kayaking season in Florida. If you want the best possible experience, contact us, and we will help you select a night for your bioluminescent kayak tour.
Bioluminescence Kayaking Season
The peak of bioluminescence kayaking tour season occurs in Florida’s warmer summer season throughout Cocoa Beach, including the Thousand Islands and Canaveral National Seashore.
The 7 Steps of a Bioluminescence Tour
- Once we have all gathered at the location of your bioluminescence tour, your guide will fit you with life jackets and go over the details of your trip.
- It’s a good idea to wear bug spray to avoid being harassed by mosquitos.
- We will launch into the water just after sunset. Immediately, guests usually encounter manatees and wild birds in the cove before they have ventured out into the Indian River Lagoon.
- As the sky darkens, you can begin to see the glow in the water from the paddle, kayak movement, and the movement of fish and other marine life. As we paddle closer to the shore, it is usually completely dark at this time. We begin to take in the magic of bioluminescence. Every movement, from manatee, fish, stingrays produces an almost supernatural glow of aquamarine light. As one of our guests said recently, “it’s a truly amazing experience, like watching fireworks underwater”.
- The bioluminescent kayaking tour is usually 1.5 to 2 hours. Adventure Kayak will provide you will water, a short lesson on kayaking for beginners, and everything you need to have the best experience possible.
- This tour is great for couples as well as families and small and large groups alike. Large groups often experience even more bio as there is more movement going on in the tour.
- You can read more reviews by searching for us on Google or Trip Advisor.
Best Bioluminescence Florida Dates in 2025 and 2026
Bioluminescence is best experienced during the darkest nights of the month, which occur around the new moon. Below are the ideal dates for bioluminescence tours in Florida during 2025 and 2026.
Best Bioluminescence Dates in 2025
- May: 22nd – 27th
- June: 20th – 25th
- July: 19th – 24th
- August: 17th – 22nd
- September: 15th – 20th
- October: 14th – 19th
Best Bioluminescence Dates in 2026
- May: 8th – 13th
- June: 6th – 11th
- July: 6th – 11th
- August: 4th – 9th
- September: 2nd – 7th
- October: 2nd – 7th
About Bioluminescent Activity in May and October
Some years, bioluminescence begins earlier and ends later, or it may begin earlier and end earlier, or begin later and end later. This means you should call ahead if you want to know if bioluminescent activity is favorable in May or October. However, if you are planning ahead, we highly recommend choosing a date in June, July, August, or September, which are the most active months.
Kayak During the Bioluminescence & Comb Jelly Season
Bioluminescent kayaking tours are available from June through September for Dinoflagellates, “Dino” Bio: when the Indian River Lagoon waters are the warmest. It is located near Orlando and offers kayaking tours that explore the natural bioluminescence of Florida shortly after sunset when there is no full moon.
If you missed the “Dino” bio season, join a comb jelly tour in the fall and winter, or ask us about moonlight paddles offered year-round. Check out Justine Schluntz’s blog on comb jellies from Mexico!
Comb jelly kayak tours are available from mid-October through March. Comb jellies have tentacles just like jellyfish, but theirs are ‘sticky’ instead of ‘stinging’! Comb jellies are NOT jellyfish, but rather thought of as “the spiders of the sea.” Roughly 4 inches in size, Comb Jellies are bioluminescent and safe to touch.
Bioluminescent Kayaking Tours – A Spectacular Adventure
Embark on a spectacular bioluminescence kayaking adventure, and you will slowly begin to see the swirls from your paddles producing a light blue glow in the water that is caused by bioluminescence, living lights in the water. As it gets dark, you will see almost everything in the water, from schools of darting fish to West Indian Manatees and Atlantic Bottle-nose dolphins.
Even the flow of water over the seagrass generates a ghostly bioluminescent radiance! Every movement produces a beautiful blue-green glowing light. As you paddle, you will experience the brilliant wave pattern that forms as the kayaks slice through the water. If you stroke your hand through the water, your skin will be covered with a green flashing glitter. Bioluminescent kayaking is a true one-of-a-kind, ‘must-see’ experience!
Bioluminescent Florida Calendar
The warm summer months, when the sky is dark because the moon is new, are the best time for a bioluminescence kayak tour in Florida. Although nights with a full moon offer their beauty, they are not the best time for a bioluminescent kayaking adventure.
If you want us to help you choose the best possible night for your kayak tour, feel free to contact us.
Bioluminescence Kayaking Tour Review
We took the bioluminesce tour and had an awesome time! The guides were great! Very knowledgeable about the lagoon and the area in general. I didn’t get any pictures because I was too busy playing with the water and the jellies. We’ll definitely come back for a mangrove tour next time we’re in town.