Florida Keys Backcountry Eco Tour from Big Pine Key

The mangrove islands here are nesting grounds for birds most visitors never see.

A 2-hour private boat tour from Big Pine Key through the mangrove backcountry and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, with a live English-speaking guide. You cruise through shallow waters to look for marine life—dolphins, turtles, rays, starfish—and birdlife including Ibis, Great White Herons, Egrets and Pelicans, then pass the historic Bahia Honda Bridge while learning the story of Flagler's Railway.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Florida Keys backcountry by boat

• Explore mangroves by private boat
• Look for marine life and birdlife
• Cruise past No Name Key and smaller islands
• Explore Great White Heron Wildlife Refuge
• See Bahia Honda Bridge and hear railway story

The Experience

You board a private boat at Big Pine Key and head into the backcountry waters of the Florida Keys. The guide takes you slow through mangrove islands—No Name Key, Crawl Key, Little Pine Key, the Water Keys—where the shallow water and dense trees create habitat most of the Keys' visitors never reach. This is not a high-speed run; the pace is built around spotting, so you have time to watch for movement in the water and listen for calls in the trees.

The Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge is the nesting ground for birds that depend on these mangroves. You'll see Ibis, Great White Herons, Egrets and Pelicans—some of them visible only from the water at this time of year. The marine life moves through the same channels: dolphins, sea turtles, rays and sharks all hunt in the shallow "skinny water" where the boat can go but larger vessels cannot. The guide knows where to look and when to cut the engine so you can see without spooking what's there.

The tour passes the Bahia Honda Bridge, one of the most photographed spans in the Keys, and the guide tells the history of Flagler's Railway—the 1912 engineering feat that connected the islands before the highway replaced it. The whole trip runs 2 hours, which is long enough to move through several islands and short enough to fit into an afternoon without eating the rest of your day.

What’s included

• Private boat transportation.
• live English-speaking guide.
• 2-hour tour through mangrove islands and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Keys Boat Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're staying in the middle or lower Keys without a car and want to see wildlife and nesting birds that only the backcountry waters reach—the private boat and included guide mean you don't need your own vessel or local knowledge to get there.

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Top questions

What kind of wildlife might I see on the Florida Keys backcountry tour?

The tour looks for dolphins, sea turtles, rays, starfish and sharks in the shallow waters, and birds including Great White Herons, Ibis, Egrets and Pelicans nesting in the mangroves of the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge.

How does the boat move through the mangroves?

The private boat goes slow through the shallow "skinny water" between the mangrove islands so the guide can spot marine life and birds without disturbing them; the shallow draft lets you reach areas larger boats cannot access.

What is the Bahia Honda Bridge and why does the guide mention it?

The Bahia Honda Bridge is a historic span built as part of Flagler's Railway in 1912, which connected the Keys before the highway was built; the tour passes it and the guide explains its story and engineering.

Do I need to arrange my own transportation to Big Pine Key?

Private transportation is included with the tour, so you don't arrange separate transport to the boat; confirm your pickup point and time when you book.

Is this tour suitable if I have mobility concerns or health conditions?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels; however, it is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health, and infants must sit on an adult's lap during the boat ride.