CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENT

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850.245.2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us

EXPLORE BISCAYNE BAY AQUATIC PRESERVES

~Water tours offer a unique perspective~

Biscayne Bay Aquatice Preserves Skipper Catamaran

WHAT:          Kayak Tours and Catamaran Cruises at Biscayne Bay
                      Aquatic Preserves 
                      Registration is required by calling 305-795-3485, fees apply 
                      Light refreshments provided at each event

WHO:            Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves 

WHEN:          Saturday, May 30, 2015, 6:30 – 9:30 a.m. (Sunrise Kayak to Bird Key) 
                      Saturday, June 6, 2015, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Sunrise Kayak
                      at Deering Estate) 
                      Sunday, June 28, 2015, 4 – 8 p.m. (Sunset Eco-cultural Cruise) 

WHERE:        Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves Office
                      1277 NE 79th Street Causeway 
                      Miami, FL 33138

MIAMI, Fla. – Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves is offering three outdoor experiences to allow guests an opportunity to see the beauty of the aquatic preserves up close.

The three-hour Sunrise Kayak to Bird Key will take paddlers through a seagrass basin to explore a bird rookery. Snorkeling is optional with guests’ own equipment. Guests on this excursion may see checkered puffers, seahorses and bottlenose dolphins. The cost is $60 per adult and $40 for students with valid ID.

The Sunrise Kayak at Deering Estate gives paddlers the opportunity to explore and enjoy a seven-acre bird rookery and plentiful seagrass bed. On this three-hour kayaking excursion, guests may see manatees, stingrays and numerous bird species. Snorkeling is optional with guests’ own equipment, but there are no stops at which to tie-off the kayak. Cost is $60 per adult and $40 for students with valid ID.

The Sunset Eco-cultural Cruise allows participants to experience Bird Key, one of the few bird nesting islands in northern Biscayne Bay, via a 45-foot catamaran at sunset. The nesting island is home to pelicans, cormorants, ibis, herons and frigate birds, among others. This four-hour cruise will also feature tours of an archeological site and the Bill Baggs Cape Florida Lighthouse. Cost is $60 per adult, $25 per child and $40 for students with valid ID. 

For more information, contact Laura Eldredge at 305-795-3485 or Laura.Edlredge@dep.state.fl.us.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Coastal Office (FCO) is responsible for oversight of the state’s 41 Aquatic Preserves, three National Estuarine Research Reserves, the Coral Reef Conservation Program and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It is the mission of FCO to conserve and restore Florida’s coastal resources for the benefit of people and the environment. For more information, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/. 

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