Taking your kayak out in the bioluminescent bay at night is a mesmerizing experience in itself, and Cocoa Beach is one of the best places to see this. But what makes this even more epic is you are paddling right next door to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, two of the most legendary rocket launch sites in history.
At Florida-Adventurer, we launch a variety of tours – tandem kayak, clear kayak, group rafting – from a site located just north of Merritt Island, which has been the starting point for the most iconic space missions ever.
Time Your Bioluminescence Kayaking Tour with a Launch Event
If you are as nerdy about space exploration as us, you know that most Apollo missions were launched from Complex 39A or 39B at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Of course, the first space shuttle STS-1 also took flight from here on April 12, 1981. The same pad blasted SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy on its first test flight into the vastness (the one where they sent along a Tesla Roadster playing David Bowie’s Space Oddity) on February 6, 2018.
For those who live in or around Titusville, you may have seen the regular launches of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets from SLC-41 by United Launch Alliance (ULA). Blue Origin is developing its New Glenn rocket to launch from nearby LC-36.
Some of these rockets carry satellites, others carry supplies for the International Space Station, and some are even paving the way for future missions to Mars. The same launch pads used today sent astronauts to the Moon over 50 years ago. Basically, the most sophisticated spacecraft today are lifting off from the very spot where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin began their journey!
Sure, you could watch a launch from a crowded viewing area on land, but why do that when you could be floating peacefully on the water, miles away from all the noise and traffic? The best part is, night launches pair perfectly with our bioluminescent kayak tours.
If you have booked a bioluminescence Cocoa Beach kayak tour with us, you’ll be out there, water glowing at your fingertips, and then — BOOM — a rocket cuts through the night sky like a bolt of lightning. It’s surreal, humbling, and a little bit mind-blowing.
If you time your trip right, you can book a manatee kayak tour during the golden hours of sunset, explore the glowing waters once night falls, and then wrap up the night by watching a launch from the best seat in the house (your kayak!)
More Cooler Things To See During Bioluminescent Kayaking Merritt Island
Did you know Kennedy Space Center is home to over 4,000 alligators? No wonder since KSC is situated inside the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest wildlife preserves in Florida. In fact, so many gators are seen sunbathing around the runway and along the center’s many ponds, we locals refer to KSC as the “gator tanning facility”!
The refuge houses over 1,500 species of plants and animals, including some you might not expect to find in Florida. Ever seen a bobcat in the wild? Keep your eyes peeled along the shoreline and you might just spot one silently watching from the brush. Wild boars, armadillos, and river otters all call this place home.
You are also likely to paddle right past the massive West Indian manatees. These slow-moving giants are usually found lounging near warm water outflows in January and February. And unlike the gators, they have zero interest in anything except munching on seagrass and floating lazily.
But the main reason why our bioluminescent kayaking Orlando tours are so popular is because the moment your paddle touches the water, a neon blue glow bursts to life in response to every movement. The “mullets on fire” is quite fun to watch; no, not the hairstyle but actual mullet fish. These guys leap out of the water, and when they do it in bioluminescent conditions, they leave behind trails that look like shooting stars. Schools of fish darting beneath your clear kayak bioluminescent tour create an electric-blue shimmer all around you.
Sometimes, the wake of a passing dolphin also sparkles like something straight out of a dream. There are stingrays here too, their graceful outlines radiating an eerie blue as they stir up the bioluminescence.
If this doesn’t make you feel like you are paddleboarding through a real-life Pandora from Avatar, we don’t know what will.
On particularly clear moonless nights, the 90-minute-long trip becomes even more fairy-tale like. Look up, and you will see the Milky Way stretching across the sky in stunning clarity, completely free of city lights. Add in the occasional rocket climbing into the cosmos, and you have got, arguably, the most breathtaking nightscape in Florida.
Choose Your Bioluminescence Florida Tour & Book Now
Whether you choose a bioluminescence night kayaking tour, a sunset paddle, or a daytime manatee & dolphin kayak tour, you will have an unobstructed, front-row seat to watch a rocket ignite and thunder into space with Florida-Adventurer. Our tour launch sites allow you to see it all, from countdown to liftoff.
If catching a live space liftoff is on your bucket list, make sure to verify launch timings on the Kennedy Space Center Visitor or website. Local news outlets and the SpaceLaunchNow app also provide up-to-date schedules and weather alerts so you can plan the manatee kayak tour near you around a live event. Some launches happen in the early evening, others are later at night, so plan accordingly.
Each of our 90-minute guided tours includes everything you will need: kayak, paddles, life jacket, and a knowledgeable guide. All you have to do is show up and enjoy! You can choose from single, tandem, or clear-bottom kayaks, and as long as they are 5 years or older, your kids can join in too.
Spots fill up fast so hurry up. If you have a question, give us a call at 321-735-9400 or drop us an email at [email protected].
