GET UP AND GO KAYAKING AT SHELL

Get Up and Go Kayaking

A Kid-Friendly Adventure to Learn and Play in Tampa Bay

by Laura Byrne

Get Up and Go Kayaking at Shell Key Preserve was recently named the #1 Overall Experience in the USA (#4 in the world) in the travel website 2021 Traveler’s Choice “Best of the Best” Things to Do Awards. And we know why...it is an INCREDIBLE experience to share with your kids. They now offer a new tour designed just for kids ages 9-12 and their families called Paddle Pals. Let’s get to know Amber Buzzi, co-owner of Get Up and Go Kayaking at Shell Key.

Mark and Penny Danielecki and Amber and Bryon Buzzi

Tell us why you decided as a family to get involved with Get Up and Go Kayaking?

Get Up and Go Kayaking was originally founded by my brother-in-law, Justin Buzzi. My husband and Justin were living in an apartment together in the Orlando area when Justin made his big leap. After seeing all the wonderful things Justin was able to accomplish and how much he enjoyed his work, I thought how wonderful would it be to combine all the things I love into one! Being a Girl Scout for more than 20 years and growing up in an outdoorsy family, we spent so much time boating and kayaking the bay area, and now as a physician assistant, I am a big proponent of exercise and outdoor activity for physical and mental wellbeing. So, when I brought up the prospect of bringing Get Up and Go Kayaking to Tampa Bay to my parents, we all became extremely excited to share all the things we love with our community and travelers visiting the Tampa Bay area.

What do you love most about your business and the service you provide to our community?

We LOVE our guides. They are all incredibly knowledgeable, kind, caring and passionate about what they do. They provide our guests with a view into the beautiful wildlife and ecosystems at Shell Key Preserve while sharing their knowledge and backgrounds in environmental and marine sciences. It is always great to hear from visitors that we were the best part of their vacation or when locals tell us they learned something new about Florida’s ecosystems!

What are some of your favorite fun facts about Shell Key Preserve? Favorite things to do around that area?

Since we started our tours in 2019, we’ve watched the inlet created by Hurricane Irma change and the sandbars and beaches grow and change. Every season brings new wildlife, like baby octopus or white pelicans. Last fall we even encountered bioluminescence out on our glow tours! My favorite thing to do around Shell Key Preserve is of course paddling; it takes all my stress and worries away when I am out on the water. But perhaps the next closest thing is walking along the beaches there and finding the most beautiful shells washed up on the beaches. There are seasons where we have hundreds of whole sand dollars wash up along shore!

Paddle Pals guide Hannah finds all sorts of treasures on pristine

Shell Key Preserve, such as this horseshoe crab molted shell. Our area is experiencing an unfortunate bloom of red tide. How has this impacted you and how can we use it as a teaching moment for our children?

Unfortunately, due to health and safety concerns from Red Tide, we had to temporarily pause our operations throughout July. We always prioritize the safety of our guests and staff and decided it would be wise to wait for the bloom to subside and for the cleanups to be underway before bringing everyone back out onto the water. We’re thrilled to be back up and running again and to see so much life in the preserve, from dolphins to egrets and so much more! Red tide is a naturally occurring algae that feeds on human-produced run-off and pollution in our waterways. This is truly a teaching moment for future generations to understand the consequences of human-generated chemicals and run-off into our local waterways. We must teach our children that humans can offset the delicate balance of our ecosystems. At Get Up and Go Kayaking, we are honored to educate our guests about the impacts humans have on the environment, show how ecosystems work together, and appreciate the natural beauty of Shell Key Preserve.

What inspired the Paddle Pals tours?

Our guide, Hannah, has developed Paddle Pals from the ground up. Hannah is an absolutely amazing guide with a degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration on Environmental education and a minor in Climate Change. When she approached our family with the idea of Paddle Pals, an educational parent-child clear kayaking adventure for kids ages 9-12, we saw that it was another way for us to keep educating our youth and providing more ways for families to connect with each other and the outdoors.

PADDLE PALS BASICS:

Learn more: GetUpandGoKayaking.com Cost: $149 for tandem kayak for one adult and one child (tips are also appreciated) Tour Length: 3 hours

Scan the QR code to learn more about Paddle Pals and see what it’s like to go on this tour.

Paddling through the mangroves on a clear kayak is the perfect way to see sea birds, fish, dolphins and manatees as well as tiny crabs and snails. These water trees protect our shorelines from hurricanes, their super strong roots taking the brunt of the waves as storms crash ashore.