Wildlife + Nature Ideas
You don’t have to go far to see amazing wildlife in South Florida, but it sure helps to look in the right place at the right time. We’re here to help improve your chances!
Our charters are all about exploring together. There’s no set script and our itineraries are very flexible, so we can easily stop for swimming, snorkeling, nature walks, sandbar time or whatever you like. Check out these popular trips!
Explore Wildlife + Nature
Year-Round
These trips are a fun way to see and learn about a wide variety of local wildlife. Very family friendly, we’ll dial in the right mix of adventure and nature science to suit your group’s interests and ages.
Depending on your route, we may see bottlenose or spotted dolphins, manatees, sharks, sea turtles, alligators, flying fish, manta, eagle and other rays, plus a variety of soaring, diving and wading birds.
“A great family experience!”
We recommend about 3 hours for this trip. We never know exactly what we’ll see, but we’ll do our best to find all the creatures we can and help you learn about the habitats and ecosystems that support them too!
Sea Turtles
April thru September
Each year thousands of sea turtles gather just off of Palm Beach to meet, greet and make baby turtles. The females come ashore to lay their eggs at night on the beach, in nests that take hours to dig and then cover with sand. Our nesting season begins in early spring with leatherback turtles, followed by loggerheads and then greens through early fall.
Nesting here occurs all season-long, not just a few nights like elsewhere in the world. This means nests are constantly incubating throughout the season to produce millions of turtle hatchlings. This allows for two different turtle trips:
Early morning = best chance to spot hatchlings and late-nesting mamas
Late afternoon = best chance for turtles to approach us by water
“Loved seeing so many turtles, thank you for such an awesome experience! ”
We recommend about 3 hours for these trips. Whether you choose morning or evening, you’ll learn how to identify different turtle species as well as how to safely share the water and watch for turtles while boating. We’ll also share some pretty cool local sea turtle rehabilitation, conservation and research efforts. Join us to see these regal creatures in their ocean home!
Loxahatchee River
Year Round and Most Enjoyable from November thru April
The Loxahatchee is one of only two Florida rivers designated Wild and Scenic, and on this trip you’ll see why! We’ll start on the lower river near Jupiter Lighthouse and zip upstream. As the river narrows, we’ll slow down and wind our way into Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Along the way we’ll talk about the history and unique ecology of the river and the surrounding land, and what makes the Lox so different.
Once inside the state park the river transforms. Miles of twisting, forested shorelines will take you back in time hundreds of years, before Florida was settled. Further upriver, the channel narrows to less than 50 feet, with cypress trees lining the banks and hiding the sky overhead. Truly a spectacular way to spend half a day (or more) in nature!
“Loved the balance of wind blowing our hats off downriver, then just sitting quietly in nature upriver - it’s like a trip back in time!”
This trip runs about 3 hours, including a restroom break at the state park. For those who’d like to explore more, we can also arrange for paddling and lunch in the park, as well as a visit to the park’s interpretative center. In summer we recommend early-morning or late-afternoon trips due to daytime heat.
Coastal Birding!
Year Round
South Florida’s location and climate means many birding trips are a grab-bag of different species: osprey and brown pelicans, frigates, northern gannets, cormorants, annhinga, ruddy turnstones, killdeer, multiple species of gulls, terns, herons and egrets, pipers, plovers, stilts, roseate spoonbills, swallow tail kites, oyster catchers, belted kingfishers, black skimmers and more!
“Wonderful experience, we really appreciate your patience in customizing a birding trip just for us!”
We’re always happy to run a general trip. But please keep in mind that birding trips are also customizable. So if you’re looking for a favorite species, want to explore a specific waterway, or even take a run offshore for some pelagics, just let us know. We'll get back to you with some planning ideas right away!
Species-Specific Trips
Palm Beach + South Florida are blessed with dazzling biodiversity. And while we’re confident you’ll be pleased with our knowledge base, we’re not experts in everything. If you’d like to focus on a specific species - bottlenose dolphins, manta rays, manatees, or one of the hundreds of species of birds, fish, reptiles or invertebrates that share our little corner of the world, just let us know.
We regularly work with wildlife researchers, scientists and ecologists throughout the area. And we’d be happy to find the right expert to help lead your charter. Expert-led charters may include scientific research surveys, allowing you to help scientists “do science” - truly a memorable experience!