Tidewater Tours, Cedar Key

The experienced guides at Tidewater Tours lead visitors throughout the Cedar Keys and Suwannee National Wildlife Refuges, giving them an up-close view of the tidal marsh eco-system and area wildlife. Their Suwannee River Tour explores the swampy environment of the famed waterway—immortalized in Florida's state song—and the Coastal Marsh tour takes passengers along a route that other boats rarely travel so they can spot migratory shorebirds with the help of Captain J. Michael O'Dell, a National Audubon Society member. And the Island Tour adventures to the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge islands, where dolphins, birds, and sea turtles can sometimes be seen, depending on the season and whether the animals are on their lunch breaks.

The captains helm the Megan June, whose shallow draft allows it to go where other boats can't, and the Princess Annie, a handicap-accessible vessel that can hold up to 34 passengers. And those who'd like to go off on their own explorations can rent a pontoon or skiff boat.