Fun Fact: The original glass bottom boat was invented at world famous Silver Springs in 1870. Long before becoming a state park, Silver Springs was Florida’s oldest commercial tourist attraction. Tour Details: Guided glass bottom boats cruise up and down the Silver River and explore its network of feeder springs
Tickets: Consult the state park website for up-to- date ticket information or reservations.
What to Expect on the Water: On a glass bottom boat ride, you encounter a captivating underwater world just below your feet. Clear, blue-toned water makes it easy to see swaying ribbons of green eelgrass sheltering glistening fish. Please remember to lift your gaze from the floor of the boat every now and then. Don’t miss seeing rare wild orchids and delicate white spider lilies—two of the area’s prettiest aquatic flowers. The Silver River’s banks are lined with sweet gum, bald cypress, and magnolia trees. Chubby manatees, bumpy green gators, and sunbathing turtles are sometimes spotted in and around the river. Birders should look for brown and white speckled limpkins wading in the shallows, foraging for snails. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Boat Tours and Mermaid Shows Location: Central West Florida in the town of Weeki Wachee Fun Fact: The lovely school of mermaids at Weeki Wachee have performed underwater for the past 60 years. Plan to watch a Little Mermaid show when you visit the park. This classic Sunshine State tourist attraction turned state park is also the confirmed site of the deepest freshwater cave system in the United States.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Glass Bottom Boat Tour, credit Florida State Parks
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Boat Tours Location: Southeast Florida in Key Largo
Fun Fact: John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is the first undersea park in the United States.
Tour Details: Guided outings include glass bottom boat tours and snorkeling tours, each lasting two and a half hours, with one and a half hours observation time on the reef. A wheelchair accessible craft is available for snorkeling tours. Guided scuba diving tours last four hours, with two-tank dives at two locations.
Tickets: Consult the state park website for up-to- date ticket information or reservations.
What to Expect on/in the Water: Get ready to view an undersea kaleidoscope of shifting colors and shapes. Pennekamp’s 70 square nautical miles are home to 600 species of luminous fish, 70 types of coral, and marine creatures like curious manatees and dagger-toothed crocodiles. On land, stop by the park’s visitor center to observe more mesmerizing sea life in large saltwater aquariums. Today’s a good day to climb aboard a Florida state park boat tour. Pick a park, make a plan, recruit your travel buddies, and experience the aquatic wonders of the Sunshine State. For more information about Florida State Park boat tours, or to purchase boat tour tickets, visit floridastateparks.org.
Tour Details: Qualified boat captains lead narrated nature tours down the Weeki Wachee River.
Tickets: Consult the state park website for up-to- date ticket information or reservations.
What to Expect on the Water: Look for gentle manatees and rascally river otters. Sightings of shorebirds like blue herons, egrets, white ibises, and lively kingfishers are likely. If it is your lucky day, a white-tailed deer or an occasional black bear might turn up on the banks of the Weeki Wachee.
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COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SPRING 2026 | 8
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