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3-Hour Manatee Swim Tour With Water Guide and Photographer
Crystal River, USA
- 3 hours
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
What's Included
- Use of Snorkeling equipment
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 200 NE US Hwy 19, Crystal River, FL 34429, USA
You will come to 200 US Highway 19 to begin the process of your Manatee tour. We will get you suited up and ensure you watch a Manatee Safety video and from there we will transport you via van to our docks to board the boat for your tour.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
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Featured review
Michelle_U
Guides were very friendly and determined to give us a great experience. We started tour going to the 3 Sisters Springs were we did get a good view of 3 manatee. It got very crowded with the other tours so we headed out to try to find some with no crowds. We lucked out and found a mother and baby. We got a good safe look at them with no crowds, just our small group. Great experience. Totally recommend this business for your tour.
Reviews
5.0
116 reviews
Bonnie_S, Apr 2024
Both the Captain and Leah were fun, professional, and friendly. Our whole family had a wonderful time. Everyone felt safe in the water, and Leah made sure she took amazing photos. We would not hesitate to recommend this tour to anyone, and would love to do it again!.
Yulia_G, Apr 2024
Unforgettable experience with memories for the rest of your life… The captain Todd and guide Leah are very knowledgeable and professional, the team is very flexible and patient, the equipment is very clean. Also, the small group (max of 6 on the boat) made the adventure more exciting and interesting than the other companies with the larger people on the boats. I highly recommend!
Katherine_C, Apr 2024
Amazing experience. Both Todd and Leah made the experience smooth and they are very knowledgeable. I highly recommend them
Daniela_J, Apr 2024
We knew what to expect in Crystal River and enjoyed our tour with captain Todd and guide Leah. Crystal River is not a wild life refuge in its natural state but a freshwater bay with numerous homes and boat docks next to each other.
We chose this tour operator as the description mentioned a small boat with only up to six snorkelers and for us this turned out to be a private tour for our family (2 adults, 2 kids).
We booked the first tour of the day at 6.45 am and that was good because most kayakers were not on the water yet. As it was outside of winter season (April 10th), very high tide and rather warm during the night before, we had a hard time finding manatees. Todd and Leah took us along Hunter Springs Park first and then to Three Sisters Springs (to swim in, no motorized vessels are permitted in there) and showed us the crystal clear water within this protected area as well as a small manatee with a transmitter. The manatee had been rescued as an orphaned baby and the release was not working well as it did not leave the springs and there was no food / sea weed within the springs for it to feed on. The volunteer in the area who was keeping an eye on that manatee told us, they'd be planning to rescue it from starving within the next days if it does not start to leave the spring and feed soon. Leah made sure we all kept an extra distance to avoid further stress for the animal and we appreciated this.
As the whole area was damaged by flooding through hurricane Idalia as well as a tornado a few weeks later in 2023, the sea weed supply for the manatees was affected and a sea weed restauration project is in progress. Due to this fact together with the rising temperatures, there are currently not many residential manatees left within the Crystal River area but most of them are out in the gulf to feed. Furthermore, the visibility in the bay is not as good as it used to be, because of the lack of filtering through the sea weed.
Our guides did their best to find another manatee for us and found a pregnant manatee sleeping in one of the inlets and we were able to snorkel right next to the manatee and watch it surfacing to take a breath every few minutes. At that time we were lucky enough to be the only ones there and did not have to "share" this manatee sighting with other snorkelers or kayakers.
After being back on the boat the kids enjoyed some hot chocolate as well as the heated and enclosed boat. We did not find or search for another manatee as the time booked was already up. However, during the whole boat trip we saw a dolphin, a turtle, several birds and even a small alligator within the Crystal River area from the boat and of course several fish while snorkeling.
We enjoyed talking to Todd and Leah and they shared some interesting stories and experiences from their previous tours. We would have loved to buy the nice pictures Leah took, however decided an additional 40 USD to be too expensive for us.
If we ever return to the area, we'd love to snorkel with manatees again and we'd probably chose the same company again if available.
Sarah_H, Mar 2024
Captain Al and Elizabeth, our water guide, were fabulous. They were energetic and fun, committed to helping us find manatees. What a cool experience. I also loved supporting a family business that was kind and personal. The small group (max of 6 on the boat) made the experience much better than the other companies with the larger boats we saw out and about.
I highly recommend!
Lacey_S, Mar 2024
Amazing experience the boat captain and the swim instructor were amazing. Made this the best experience ever. Leah and TJ were perfect.
Roger_G, Mar 2024
"Crystal River" not what we expected. Thought it would be a wild life refuge with clear spring waters. Its a typical Florida freshwater inlet with homes and boat docks densely built to the water's edge. There is a public beach and hundreds of kayakers, and the number of "adventure" providers is over the top. Area was damaged by hurricane last year, adversely affecting the food supply for the manatee. Day was overcast, with thunderstorm moving in couple hours later. Hence visibility in the muddy water was limited, and the manatees were very few and far between. I'll give credit: our guides did their best to find the mating pair in 2 feet of water, and other single manatee we got in the water with, along with the dozen other tours with their 60-80 snorkelers. Their equipment is good. Hence the 3 stars. I think the whole "Swim with the Manatees in Crystal River" is oversold as an adventure. I suspect it was awesome years ago when It was still pretty pristine. They should somehow put a cap on the number of operators. The 3 hour drive to arrive at 10 a.m. did not help, given the overall experience.
Tricia_G, Mar 2024
Our guide was nice, informative and led us right to a great place to visit. We ended up seeing a baby up close while mom slept. A very cool experience.
Kitty_B, Mar 2024
Kids swimming with Manatees. Friendly Captain and first Mate. Boat was clean and comfortable. They didn’t give up and found Manatees!
Michelle_U, Mar 2024
Guides were very friendly and determined to give us a great experience. We started tour going to the 3 Sisters Springs were we did get a good view of 3 manatee. It got very crowded with the other tours so we headed out to try to find some with no crowds. We lucked out and found a mother and baby. We got a good safe look at them with no crowds, just our small group. Great experience. Totally recommend this business for your tour.
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