Master paddler and naturalist guide leading our most active tours. Decades of Everglades fieldwork. Specializes in turning hesitant first-time paddlers into people who want to come back.
"Most people see the Everglades from the highway. We get them into the actual ecosystem — under their own power, the way it was meant to be experienced."
Don has spent decades on Everglades waters. A master paddler, naturalist guide, and longtime fixture of the Chokoloskee paddling community, he leads our most active boat-assisted kayak tours.
His expertise: getting people who've never sat in a kayak before through mangrove tunnels, across tidal creeks, and onto remote shell beaches with the kind of confidence that turns nervous first-timers into people who want to come back.
Don is the lead guide on our Boat-Assisted Kayak Eco Tour — the combo tour where the skiff transports you to the launch point and you paddle the actual mangrove tunnel system. He also leads custom paddle expeditions for groups wanting deeper time in the wilderness.
The phrase that comes up most: "I had no idea I could do this." Don has a way of pacing the day so even hesitant beginners come off the water feeling like they've earned something — and seen something most visitors never will.
Family-owned, Florida Master Naturalist guides, max 6 guests. Book your boat tour today and see what the airboats miss.