It is possible to participate in Florida Keys eco tours for half a day or a full day—or for your entire vacation. A great deal of the attractions of the islands is water. More than 70 percent of Monroe County is water, and much of its land area is made up of portions of the vast wilderness of the Everglades. There are even Key West eco tours, which depart from the most bustling and vibrant town in the islands. An eco tour in Key West could include a seaplane ride to pristine Dry Tortugas National Park for a day of snorkeling in the uninhabited islands of the Tortugas and Marquesas.

Key West eco tours can also show you a day under canvas, sailing in an authentic historic schooner or any number of smaller sailing vessels. You can also book an eco tour in Key West that takes you out on dolphin swims with wild dolphins, not the trained ones kept in captivity. While you are not allowed to initiate contact with the dolphins, you'll find they come quite close to you. And this is a truly authentic wild experience.

A Big Pine Key eco tour is apt to take you kayaking in the remote waters of the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is composed primarily of mangrove islands and wetlands, with a few sandy beaches that are important nesting grounds for endangered sea turtles. This huge marine wildlife refuge is also a nesting, roosting, and wading habitat for more than 250 species of birds. Running the entire length of the Keys is the only coral barrier reef, which actually comprises about 6,000 reefs, in the continental United States. An eco tour in Key Largo can help you explore these reefs by snorkeling and diving in John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park, the country's first underwater park.

Florida Keys Map

You can even enjoy Florida Keys eco tours without having to be in a particular destination. Even though Islamorada bills itself as the sportfishing capital of the world, the fishing is great everywhere. In addition, backcountry kayaking is available in Marathon Key as well as Big Pine Key and Key West.