After meeting your kayaking guide and the rest of the group (usually no more than eight participants) at a central location on Marco Island, you’ll be driven to the launch site, which varies depending on nightly weather conditions. Hop in your tandem kayak (all kayaks used are doubles, unless there is an odd number of guests, in which case one single kayak will be used), and push off, feeling your body start to relax as you float on the water.

Follow your naturalist guide, paddling leisurely around the shore of Marco Island, one of the largest barrier islands in Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands chain.

If you’re on the sunset tour, watch the sky glow with shades of orange and pink, reflecting on the water, and keep your eyes open for local wildlife both in and out of the water, like dolphins, turtles, manatees, ospreys, egrets and pelicans. The tour starts about an hour before sunset, so you’ll have that long to explore in your kayak before the main event.

If you’re on the moonlight tour, the time of the month will determine what you see. During the full moon and the nights surrounding it, you’ll have the bright moonlight to help guide you through the water. During the days around the new moon, you may be lucky enough to see the bioluminescence, a marine phenomenon where light is emitted by small living organisms under the water.

After 1.5 to two hours on the water, head back to shore.