Guided by Nature
Founded in 2007, Ripple Effect began with owner Chris Kelley and two part-time guides working as professional outfitters offering kayak tours in the St. Augustine and north Flagler County area in the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM-NERR). From the beginning, Ripple Effect’s mission has been to provide a low-impact, entertaining, and educational eco tour experience, to increase public awareness of all that nature has to offer in the region, and to provide environmental education which encourages personal safety, respect, and sustainability for these natural areas.
In 2011, Ripple Effect moved their headquarters from what was essentially Chris’s truck to an office at the Town of Marineland Marina. There, Ripple Effect has grown to offer walking nature tours and jet boat tours in addition to the kayak trips and now employs full-time professional guides. As part of the GTM-NERR community, they have fostered partnerships with their Marineland neighbors, including the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory, the Florida Master Naturalist Program, Marineland Dolphin Adventure, Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, and Faver-Dykes State Park.
The Area
Discover all the St. Augustine, FL, area has to offer
Discover all the St. Augustine, FL, area has to offer! The St. Augustine and Northeast Florida region offers a wealth of nature to explore, history to discover, and unique recreational opportunities. Once you’ve toured the old city, leave the trolley trains and storefronts behind and discover the natural side of Florida, virtually unchanged since the days of the earliest visitors. With our variety of ecotour opportunities, you can personally experience the beauty and natural wonders that have attracted explorers, writers, and adventurers for centuries. Whether you are a resident of St. Johns County or simply vacationing in the area, you’ll find that discovering the wonder and pristine beauty here is the experience of a lifetime.