Biscayne National Park Institute at Coconut Grove

"Had a great experience on our 3.5-hr boat ride from Coconut Grove to Boca Chita, with stops at Stiltsville and Sand Key along the way. Great, knowledgeable guide and smooth sailing. That plus a beautiful day and destination made for a great trip for our 2 boys, 10 & 12, and their parents"

"I really wanted to go snorkeling at the shipwreck and so I booked the all day snorkeling tour. I will say that it was around 65 degrees and many people on the boat were really really cold. I had a full wetsuit that's 3mm neoprene with a hood, gloves and boots and I felt perfect. My husband had a shorty one with gloves and boots and was also fine. All the other people were really cold even with the wetsuits. I don't know if it's because they didn't have the gloves and the boots or something else. There were two boats and while one left to go to the shipwreck ours did not. I really loved seeing the mangroves and especially the coral reef and we got to get off on the island of Boca chica and see stiltsville so overall I think it was awesome. I just wish there was a way to book the visit to the shipwreck specifically. Our captain Christy was great and I'm so glad she was there to explain so much about the park and surrounding areas. One of the best experiences I've had on this trip so far! I know that sometimes it's not safe to go to the ship wreck, but the other boat we were with on the same tour went and we didn't because people on our boat were too cold/didn't feel confident swimming."

"We had such a great time on both of our tours with Biscayne national park institute. our first trip of the day was paddle boarding with Marty and we had a BLAST. he was so knowledgeable and easy to talk to. our second trip was a sunset tour with emily and captain jeff, and it was a must see!!! Def would recommend taking a tour if you’re in the area, it’s absolutely gorgeous!!!"

"The Snorkel & Paddle Eco Adventure was the perfect taste of Biscayne in a single day! We opted to go with the Biscayne Institute (and, separately, their sister organization the Everglades Institute) because of the interesting experiences they offered, the fact that they donate money back into the parks, and the great reviews. They did not disappoint!! We started our day at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center near Homestead. We got the chance to do the boardwalk and to check out the bulk of the visitor center. A few resident iguanas were hanging out in the trees. After checking in at the Biscayne Institute office upstairs, we got a briefing + situated with rentals (we got a shorty wetsuit & flippers). We met our captain, Stefanie, and fellow guests (5 of us total) and hopped aboard! The ride took about 30min to get to the pass by Boca Chita Key and another 10min to get to our snorkel spot. The snorkeling was solid. The water was a bit chilly (65 degrees F), but the coral patches, the reef life and the blue water was gorgeous. Didn’t see anything big, but we saw plenty of fish, some interesting flatworms and sea snails, and a barracuda. The whole snorkeling portion took around 45min. Afterwards, we cruised back to Boca Chita Key for a lunch hour. We ate our lunch on the beach, checking out Ospreys, a Broad Winged Hawk and a few herons. We took a post-lunch walk on the 1/4 mile hiking trail covering the southern rim of the island. After lunch, we cruised along Elliot Key enroute to Jones Lagoon. We spotted some dolphins in the distance as we drove by. We docked in the mangroves while our captain unloaded the paddleboards. The paddleboarding was the best part of the whole experience. The waters in the mangroves were calm and clear. You could see a bunch of different species of fish in the waters, different species of birds nestled in the trees, and it was quiet except for the odd sounds of birds squawking in the distance. The paddleboarding was leisurely at times and adventuresome at others. We paddled through narrow mangrove channels, which was fun & cool in it’s own right. At one point, we ended up in a big lagoon where we got to approach a wading bird rookery in the center of the lagoon. We saw a few species of heron, anhinga, and the famed Roseatte Spoonbill! They were absolutely gorgeous flying through the air. After navigating through mangrove channels and tunnels, we wound up back at the boat. The ride back took around 35-40min, while Captain Stefanie talked more about the park history + local fauna. I thought it was an absolutely perfect way to experience Biscayne—a dive in the water to check out the coral reefs, a walk along one of the keys, and an adventure through the mangroves. And the Biscayne Institute & Captain Stefanie did an incredible job catering the experience. Run don’t walk if you’re thinking about a day in Biscayne!"

"The Jones Lagoon Eco-Adventure-Paddle tour, out of Dante Fascell Visitor Center in Homestead, FL, was a lot of fun! Spencer was a great guide and very knowledgeable! I could not have picked a better day to do the tour! I saw a few lemon sharks, jellyfish, sponge and some beautiful fish! Would definitely do this again!"