Glow Boats Kayaking

09/02/2026

One of my favorite signs of a healthy estuary… baby sharks!

With the arrival of warmer summer waters, juvenile sharks begin patrolling the shallow grass flats and sandy shallows around Anna Maria Island and Bradenton. These young sharks are using the protected inshore waters as a nursery, where they can feed on small fish, shrimp, crabs, and other prey while staying safer from larger predators.

Many species, including bonnethead sharks and blacktip sharks, spend their early years in these calm coastal habitats. Seeing them is actually a positive sign—it means our seagrass beds and estuaries are supporting a healthy food web and thriving marine ecosystem.

These little predators are incredibly important to maintaining balance in our waters, and despite their fearsome reputation, they are generally shy and far more interested in chasing baitfish than anything else.

How cool is it that some of the Gulf Coast’s most fascinating residents are growing up right here in our backyard?

📍Anna Maria Island, Florida
🛶 Exploring the shallow coastal waters one paddle at a time with Glow Boats Kayaking.

FloridaNature HealthyEcosystem MarineLife EstuaryLife ShallowWater LoveFL ClearKayak GlowBoatsKayaking GuidedAndLighted

08/17/2026

Something BIG is following my kayak… 👀

Turns out, it was just a very curious young Florida manatee. 💚

This little guy stayed alongside my kayak for nearly a full minute, repeatedly coming close to investigate. Manatees don’t see particularly well, but they have highly sensitive whiskers, called vibrissae, that help them gather information about their surroundings.

Encounters like this are one of the reasons I love exploring the coastal waters between Bradenton and Anna Maria Island by kayak. You’re moving slowly and quietly through the same habitat used by manatees, dolphins, stingrays, fish and countless other species.

Of course, these are wild animals, so we can never promise what we’ll see on a Glow Boats Kayaking tour. Some days are quiet, and other days you get a curious manatee who decides to follow your kayak. 😂

Either way, there’s something pretty special about experiencing this part of Florida from the water.

📍 Anna Maria Island / Bradenton, Florida
🛶 Guided clear kayak eco tours with Glow Boats Kayaking


Save the Manatee Club VISIT FLORIDA Glow Boats Kayaking

08/13/2026

08/13/2026

There’s a different side of Anna Maria Island that you can only experience from the water.

Quiet mangrove shorelines, shallow seagrass beds, incredible Florida sunsets and the marine life that happens to cross our path along the way.

Our guided clear kayak tours explore the coastal waters around Anna Maria Island during the day, at sunset and after dark—when our illuminated kayaks give you a completely different view of the water below.

No two paddles are ever quite the same. The wildlife is wild, the sunsets are real, and what we find along the way is never staged. 💙

Just another beautiful evening kayaking Anna Maria Island, Florida.

08/11/2026

😂🐬 That laugh says it all!
When the locals come over to say hi, it’s impossible to contain the excitement. 💙

Just another day paddling with the locals near Anna Maria Island

08/11/2026

There’s a whole different side of Anna Maria Island waiting just beyond the shoreline. 🐬🌿

Our daytime clear kayak eco tours are all about slowing down, exploring the mangroves and seeing what happens to cross our path along the way.

Depending on the day, that might be dolphins, manatees, rays, fish, seabirds and all kinds of other local marine life. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed — and that’s part of what makes them so special when they happen. 💙

Every paddle is a little different, and you never quite know who might show up to say hello.

Clear kayaks. Shallow coastal waters. Mangroves. Wildlife. And a pretty incredible way to experience the wild side of Anna Maria Island.