Biscayne National Park — Attraction in Cutler Bay

Biscayne NP made for a very unique experience in the National Parks- it's the first I've snorkeled in! The park is 95% water, make sure to plan accordingly by booking a boat, snorkel, or dive tour. If you do spend some time on land, bring bug spray and spray before you get out of the car. My group of 5 was eaten alive in the few minutes we weren't directly on the water or indoors.

Our snorkel tour group departed just outside the visitor center after donning our wetsuits and gathering goggles, flippers, and snorkels. This process was managed well by the staff distributing gear and the bathrooms were clean and well-stocked. My only complaint about this process is that there weren't any lockers available to store personal belongings, so everything we were carrying came on the boat with us, which was kind of a hassle. The staff were on a tight schedule, which didn't allow for anyone to run back to the car to drop off belongings.

The boat was much smaller than I expected it to be and was really more of a raft than a boat. I am terrified of the ocean and the boat being a raft rattled my nerves a little bit. I don't recall seeing pictures on the booking website of the boat.

There were a total of 17 passengers on our tour, plus the captain Andrew and naturalist/guide Juan. Andrew effectively communicated boat and snorkeling procedures before departing. Juan spent the time the boat was moving chatting with individuals informing us of the park and its unique and unknown-to-us features, and a bit of time speaking to the group as a whole when in no-wake zones. Juan was very informative, personable, kind, and comical.

Our snorkel tour spanned from 1:30-5pm, cost $109/person (plus the option to rent snorkeling gear, which totaled $150/person for our group), and included snorkeling at the reef and the Mandalay shipwreck. We saw a wide variety of marine life at the shipwreck including various fish species, lobster, squid, eel, and even a nurse shark. The captain chooses the course of the tour based on the day's weather and water conditions. We saw one lighthouse on our way back...

We had the most wonderful experience on the sail, paddle, snorkel and island visit trip today! Upon arrival at Biscayne National Park we found the Welcome center to be easy to find, clean and staff was very friendly! We brought our own snorkeling gear so we can’t speak to renting equipment. They did provide snorkel life jackets and regular life jackets for the paddle sports. Our Captain Mo was amazing! She engaged the kids the whole time with fun facts about local animals and geography and what to expect every step along the way! She also taught the Boys some things about sailing And let them help hoist the sails and such! They loved it! She was wonderful to hang out with! The boat was beautiful and the ride out to Elliot Key was smooth. I usually have to wear bands for motion sickness but did not need them with this trip! We packed a cooler with lunch and enjoyed this on the boat. Snorkeling was very nice! The water temperature was perfect. The tide was low so I wasn’t so comfortable close to the edge of the key (which is where most of the fish were hiding) because the water was only about 3 feet deep- but we still saw porcupine fish (like a puffer), barracuda and many other schools and other fish. Along our journey out to the key we saw Manatee and dolphin! It was a wonderful and informative visit to a National Park!...

Biscayne National Park is a sight to see, they have a lot of information about the history and the ecosystem that surrounds the shore and the park. They also have a museum on the second floor so if you're curious to learn more about the history of Biscayne National Park, or want to buy something from the bookstore, it's all there.

I went on the paddle board tour trip that was scheduled for 1:00 pm for a 3 hour tour to the keys, and the Captain of our trip, Spencer, was professional and excellent throughout the whole tour. Ellie, another park staff came along on our trip not only helped us feel safe and secured, but she also gave insightful information and the history of how the park came to be, and what the keys are now in the present day.

While on the paddle board trip, I was fortunate to see some of the aging and untouched nature that was near the keys, especially the mangroves that grow thicker and stronger everyday, not to mention how clear the waters were, and how shallow the sea level is. Got to see some wildlife too, including some jellyfishes, birds, fish, turtles, a manatee, and a small hammerhead shark!

I have yet to try the other tours they have to offer, but the paddle board tour was amazing, I'd recommend that if you're ever curious to cruise through the keys. It is something...