This daily two-hour excursion is the best value around. We leave from 499 Ramp Road in Cocoa Beach. Each 6 - 15-mile tour is unique as we have no set route or presentation, but take into consideration the weather, animals' locations, and passengers' wishes. My wife grandchild and I went on a ride on the River from Cocoa Beach.
It was a lot of fun, and the couple that runs the tour where is very helpful and very friendly. I highly recommend this trip. Wildside Tours LLC is a nature boat business providing a variety of different excursions in the beautiful Thousand Islands Nature Preserve of Cocoa Beach and the Banana River Lagoon.
It was a lot of fun, and the couple that runs the tour where is very helpful and very friendly. I highly recommend this trip. Wildside Tours LLC is a nature boat business providing a variety of different excursions in the beautiful Thousand Islands Nature Preserve of Cocoa Beach and the Banana River Lagoon.
Reviews (28)
Staci Bowyer
Dec 31, 2021
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Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
We had an amazing time on the Banana River with Captain Shawn and Captain Speedie, we seen 3 dolphins that swam along side the boat for about 30 minutes, 2 manatee, lots of birds, Tom Hanks house. This was the highlight of our vacation. I would highly recommend.
We had an amazing time on the Banana River with Captain Shawn and Captain Speedie, we seen 3 dolphins that swam along side the boat for about 30 minutes, 2 manatee, lots of birds, Tom Hanks house. This was the highlight of our vacation. I would highly recommend.
Nathan Vogel
Dec 17, 2021
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Cathy Roberts
Dec 03, 2021
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Ashley Jones
Nov 15, 2021
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Wanda Nolen
Oct 11, 2021
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Marcio Castillo
Oct 03, 2021
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Tamara Eckstadt
Aug 19, 2021
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Rachel F.
Jul 31, 2021
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A gentle little boat ride for kids/senior citizens down the banana river.
Had tickets for a tour on 7-30-21. Adults are $35 and kids are $25. They allow outside food and drinks and also they provide complimentary soda and water.
The boat has a big canopy for shade, tall railings, and cushioned seats. There is an emergency bathroom on board. The boat was very clean. No masks or social distancing.
The boat ride was 2 hours long and of course it was sweltering outside on a sunny Florida July day. We saw the tail of a manatee, two dolphins, a heron, a couple of snake birds, and an egret. They
Had tickets for a tour on 7-30-21. Adults are $35 and kids are $25. They allow outside food and drinks and also they provide complimentary soda and water.
The boat has a big canopy for shade, tall railings, and cushioned seats. There is an emergency bathroom on board. The boat was very clean. No masks or social distancing.
The boat ride was 2 hours long and of course it was sweltering outside on a sunny Florida July day. We saw the tail of a manatee, two dolphins, a heron, a couple of snake birds, and an egret. They
Tiffany M.
Jul 28, 2021
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This was such a wonderful 2 hours!!! Highly recommend it! Wasn't sure what we were getting into but childhood friends Captain Sean and Speedy our tour guide were so amazingly knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife! We saw mutiple dolphins numerous times and they were even swimming right along side our boat! Spotted a manatee and pelicans and a Great Blue Heron and here babies in her nest. Was truly a highlight of our vacation! Will definitely come back again
Mary Clanahan
Jul 20, 2021
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My husband and I were here for our honeymoon and booked a last minute tour. Speedy and Rusty were great! Very informative and entertaining! They were also great with the kids on board! Saw a momma and baby… dolphin, where the baby had just been born moments before we got there! So cool! Various birds, dolphins, and manatee were part of our tour!
Tracey Lackey
Jul 16, 2021
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Kevin Schoenherr
Jun 30, 2021
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Took the family on a tour, we had an amazing time. They interacted well with all the guests and kept everyone entertained while teaching the kids about the local wildlife. The dolphins put on a show for us. Highly recommend them and looking forward to our next visit to Cocoa Beach and another Wildside tour.
Ebeauty Jessica Nielsen Haworth
Jun 22, 2021
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Ralph P.
May 22, 2021
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J. Holbie Holbrook
May 14, 2021
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6/5 Stars, Amazing Guides, views and price - Wildside Tours does an amazing job of providing an intimate and up close experience of seeing some beautiful waterfront properties, local plants and wildlife. Speedy and Tonya were great tour guides, they were both knowledgeable of the local plants and animals as well as history of the area. My Girlfriend did not stop talking about how amazing it was to see a manatee eating for days. Tonya even let our 10-year old drive the boat when he started getted bored with the tour. This is a must for any nature lover visiting the cocoa beach area.
Benjamin Bade
Apr 19, 2021
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John V.
Mar 28, 2021
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This was an excellent tour for our family ages 55 to 9 years old.
Speedy and Jeanette are both so knowledgeable about the birds, plants and fish on the Banana River.
They are excellent with children and share their knowledge as they show their tour guests manatees, dolphins, birds and fish.
We had an excellent time and highly recommend to everyone of all ages.
Speedy and Jeanette are both so knowledgeable about the birds, plants and fish on the Banana River.
They are excellent with children and share their knowledge as they show their tour guests manatees, dolphins, birds and fish.
We had an excellent time and highly recommend to everyone of all ages.
Rob C.
Jul 04, 2019
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Colton C.
Jun 29, 2019
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GREAT experience. It's $35/person with some well-trained staff of the birds, fish, plants, and everything Cocoa Beach, FL!
The owner (?) called us 24 hrs beforehand warning us of possible storms and informed us that they'd refund and/or reschedule!
We ended up being able to go the next morning, they cut the tour early due to lightening and the staff STILL offered us a refund! That was very nice.
However, we didn't see gators, crocodiles, or manatees but they did educate us a loooot on the many different birds and fish we saw. 100% recommend!
The owner (?) called us 24 hrs beforehand warning us of possible storms and informed us that they'd refund and/or reschedule!
We ended up being able to go the next morning, they cut the tour early due to lightening and the staff STILL offered us a refund! That was very nice.
However, we didn't see gators, crocodiles, or manatees but they did educate us a loooot on the many different birds and fish we saw. 100% recommend!
Maryann K.
Jun 24, 2019
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This tour is a must! Rusty and Pete are great fun and very knowledgeable about the entire area and wildlife. The boat is clean, comfortable and entirely shaded. The pair are extremely wonderful with all the kids, all ages. We have a 5 year old and a 13 year old. Both loved the trip around the lagoon and got to drive the boat! Wonderful family activity. We say several dolphins but i videoed them.
Rich B.
Apr 26, 2019
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We had a great time! It's a beautiful setting and the captain and his assistant go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. They try hard to show you everything there is to see while you're out. The boat is very comfortable and quiet. If we're ever back this way again we will definitely do that trip again
Eric C.
Apr 15, 2019
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Tayanna H.
Apr 07, 2019
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Hydee H.
Oct 25, 2018
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Speedy was very entertaining and both he and Tonya were very knowledgeable about the area. We were blessed to have an amazing show of dozens of dolphins being playful and putting on quite a show for us!
I do want to bring up an uncomfortable moment I had with Tonya. PLEASE keep the racist comments to yourself. We were chatting about Miami and she went on to let me know how the Cubans have literally ruined that city and the Puerto Ricans are ruining another city (that I cannot remember).
YOU ARE IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY dealing with a large number of people from all over the world. Those comments
I do want to bring up an uncomfortable moment I had with Tonya. PLEASE keep the racist comments to yourself. We were chatting about Miami and she went on to let me know how the Cubans have literally ruined that city and the Puerto Ricans are ruining another city (that I cannot remember).
YOU ARE IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY dealing with a large number of people from all over the world. Those comments
Space P.
Jul 10, 2018
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Billed as a Manatee Tour, but no sightings for our group after 2 hours on the water. No information about Manatees beyond they eat seagrass and we sometimes see them here...
We spent a lot of time chasing the river dolphins, which was entertaining. I understand wildlife isn't predictable, but we were definitely disappointed more effort wasn't spent looking for manatees. The guide focused most of his time entertaining the children on the boat, to the point of distraction for us.
We spent a lot of time chasing the river dolphins, which was entertaining. I understand wildlife isn't predictable, but we were definitely disappointed more effort wasn't spent looking for manatees. The guide focused most of his time entertaining the children on the boat, to the point of distraction for us.
Po N.
Dec 28, 2017
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Keeton C.
Oct 27, 2017
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Took this tour this afternoon and thought it was great. The ladies on the tour seemed very knowledgeable and pointed out all kinds of great stuff. The boat was nice, clean, and safe. They had drinks (sodas and water) that were complimentary and let the kids drive the boat. I think my wife found a Groupon that made it an extra good deal.
Kelly B.
Mar 27, 2017
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Tonya and Speedy were amazing guides. They were laid back and just as excited as we were to see wild life. They were knowledgeable about the wildlife which made everything interesting. We were able to have beer which was fun for adults. Also everyone was able to stand on the boat and move around without having to wear life jackets which made everything more comfortable. Will definitely go back.
