Real Florida Kayaking Adventures

Imagine yourself drifting through the coastal estuary surrounded by sand dunes, beautiful birds, dolphins, manatees, and plenty of oxygen to fuel your imagination and spark your curiosity. Welcome to Ripple Effect Ecotours. This is our daily ritual. Nature provides the beauty and we provide the vehicle. We are a dedicated kayak touring company based in St. Augustine, Florida. We offer scheduled ecotours in many of the state parks in Northeast Florida including: Faver-Dykes State Park(Pellicer Creek), Anastasia State Park, Washington Oaks State Park and Gardens, and at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve(Guana River). All of these trips are two to three hours and no prior kayaking experience is necessary. We provide the finest and newest equipment that the kayaking industry produces, professional kayak/naturalist guides, and the opportunity to see Coastal Florida waters in their natural state. For the more ambitious paddlers, we can customize a private tour for your exact needs whether it be fitness, birding, or just a gathering among friends.

Hope to see you on the water soon,

Chris Kelley, President

Anastasia Sunset Tour: Come explore the coastal estuary adjacent to the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Anastasia State Park.

Salt Run, with it's close proximity to the St. Augustine Inlet, has an abundance of marine life including the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin. Blue Heron, White and Glossy Ibis, Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks and many other birds fly a short distance to Salt Run from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, which has the largest rookery in North Florida. Only a short distance from the historic district in St. Augustine, let us take a step back almost 500 years and enter the Oldest City via the original natural inlet, and then watch the sunset over the historic St. Augustine Lighthouse! Reservations required. Cost is $40 per person.

The Timucuan Indians of the Estuary- Monday, August 4th from 9:30am to 12:30pm

Indians of the Estuary
A Paddle Back in History

Paddle back in time and discover the life ways of the Timucuan Indians and their relationship to the land that they loved. Explore with a professional naturalist and enjoy stories about the Timucuans and the important role the Matanzas Estuary played in their everyday lives. Participants will begin the tour with a visit to a Timucuan Shell Mound at Washington Oaks Garden State Park, where they will have the opportunity to view and learn about authentic Timucuan tools and artifacts from the state park's collection.
After exploring the Shell Mound participants will begin the kayaking segment with some basic paddling instructions, and then proceed to explore the estuary in search of flora and fauna that was significant to native survival. The guide will also share information on Timucuan methods of fishing and transportation.
Along our journey we will stop and enjoy a catered lunch at an island refuge and visit a Timucuan encampment to learn more about Timucuan clothing, shelter, hunting and fishing techniques, tools, weapons and the native foods that helped sustain them. During this program we will paddle stable double kayaks that allow us to be less intrusive to the environment. No kayak experience needed!