Crystal River

Top Crystal River activities

Top Crystal River landmarks

Crystal River trip ideas

Private 'OG' Manatee Snorkel Tour with Guide for up to 10 people

Name: Private 'OG' Manatee Snorkel Tour with Guide for up to 10 people
Brand: River Ventures
SKU: 7336P3
Price: 657.92 USD
Rating: 5.0 (423 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceCrystal River, USA

Likely to Sell Out

From $657.92

per group (up to 10)

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

3 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Likely to Sell Out

Crystal River, Florida

Manatee Swim Tour with In Water Photographer

1,866

from $69.95

Likely to Sell Out

Crystal River, Florida

Exclusive Small Group VIP Heated Manatee Snorkel Tour

753

from $101.38

Likely to Sell Out

Crystal River, Florida

7 Hour Private Scalloping Package in Mangrove Point

from $800.00

Per group

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Get to know central Florida’s endangered manatees on this private, 3-hour tour and boat cruise. Swim and snorkel with these gentle giants at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, located in King’s Bay in the town of Crystal River — well known as the home of the manatee. Photos above and below the water will be taken throughout the tour and can be purchased later, if desired. Use of a mask, snorkel gear and wet suit, plus fees and beverages are included.

See Florida wildlife in their natural environment
Take a cruise along the Crystal River, home of the manatee
Swim and snorkel with gentle manatees
Private guide for a more personalized experience
Fun for an entire group or family

What's Included

Private tour
Professional guide
All gear included
Bottled Water provided
Introductory/instructional video offered in English, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish

Gratuities
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
DVD (available to purchase)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

River Ventures
498 SE Kings Bay Dr, Crystal River, FL 34429, USA
River Ventures Manatee Tour and Education Center, please arrive 15 minutes early.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

River Ventures

Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Price reflects 1 to 10 people
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Not wheelchair accessible

Most travelers can participate
Post COVID-19 Policy- We are mindful to thoroughly clean water vehicles between visitors.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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

Featured review

Donna_I

Learned so much. Great guide, Dave, and captain, JJ. Beautiful day for an outing on the water. I’d definitely recommend the excursion

Reviews

5.0

423 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 423 reviews

Manatee trip

Berdell_W, Mar 2024

The captain and mate (Micheal and Dani) were great we loved them, I would have rated this 5 stars if maybe we were warned ahead of time that we were going to be in very murky water and not really see much of the manatees. It was a fun day but we only really saw one maybe two and there were a lot of other tours in the same area and we only could spend a limited time with the one we saw. I have done the tour before and it was in the winter in the springs. That is the way to go, don't go anytime past February or you likely won't see many manatee and because the weather is warmer there are lots more people on the water and the manatee leave the springs to go out to the gulf and other areas. So they are hard to find and it is kind of a bummer. Dani was the best part of the trip, she was informative and really helped us at least get around the one maybe two manatee we did see.

Great Experience

Paul_A, Aug 2023

Kelly and Sara were excellent so informative and helpful. We had a great trip as a family, unfortunately the visibility was very limited at times. Kelly took us to a spring for much better views Overall a great experience.

Highlight of the season

Donna_I, Apr 2023

Learned so much. Great guide, Dave, and captain, JJ. Beautiful day for an outing on the water. I’d definitely recommend the excursion

Great trip with our...

Cathy_C, Mar 2023

Great trip with our family! Amazing captain and tour guide! Highly recommend! Saw manatees and learned A lot!

Floaty Potato success!

Jennifer_G, Mar 2023

Dave, Kelly, and Bri were the best crew we could have hoped for. Very knowledgeable and knew right where to find the floaty potatoes!

The captain (Tanner) was...

Charlotte_G, Mar 2023

The captain (Tanner) was in constant communication with other captains to try and find the best spot. We were able to see a manatee with her calf. Incredible experience. Faith, our guide, was knowledgeable and attentive. We were traveling with our 7 and 5 year old boys, and they were able to get the most of this experience due to our guide.

Amazing experience for the family

Julie_B, Aug 2022

Excellent experience and worth every penny. Capt Shellie and Ryan took great care of our family ensuring we were able to see manatees and enjoy the afternoon. We learned a ton too! Loved it and would give them 10 stars if we could.

Fab Tour!

Michelle_K, Jun 2022

We had a fab private tour with Ryan! The captain of the boat was so helpful with our 4 year old. The river was much smaller than we anticipated and the manatees much larger! The experience itself was absolutely incredible! Really wonderful! We had briefing, equipment and transportation. Only improvement and it’s not a criticism - Ryan took loads of photos of the manatees but my advice for him would be to check out Instagram and see what sort of images people are looking for. I was hoping for a great shot of me and manatee, my son and a manatee but there was lots of manatee shots I could have got off the internet. Really wanted that one awesome shot!

Wonderful!

Lauri_H, May 2022

Captain Irish Dave and Marissa made our trip absolutely perfect!!! We had kids who were very hesitant to get in the water but they were so kind and patient and Marissa made every effort to make them feel safe in the water with the manatee. Captain Irish Dave was so encouraging to us and gave us the best experience that everyone could enjoy. I would highly recommend both guides if you have a large family or group.

Perfect - best day of our holiday

pinktess, May 2022

Just the best day. Seriously amazing and a privilege to be with such beautiful creatures. We were a party of 9 from 3yrs to 66yrs everyone jumped in and loved it. The guides were awesome too x

Snorkeling with the floaty potatoes

Brittany_H, Apr 2022

My friend and I traveled all the way from Michigan and this was at the top of our to do list and we were not dissapointed! We got to see lots of manatees enjoying life, lots of fish, and an alligator. We got to swim privately with 2 different manatees for some time, which was such an amazing experience and they really are super adorable close up! Our guide Sara was awesome, she was knowledgeable and friendly and made finding manatees and staying next to them look so easy. And our boat driver Gavin was really nice too and hooked us up with some manatee mochas (hot chocolate and coffee) which was really great after being in some chilly water. He also had a captain in training who was cool and had some animal facts to share herself. I highly recommend checking them out and seeing some chunky sirens.

Great experience

Kristin_F, Mar 2022

We were hoping to see a manatee or two but ended up seeing and interacting with many manatees! Lindsey and Kelly were very knowledgeable and fun. Great experience for our family

Bachelorette trip!

Jessica_H, Feb 2022

Went for my friend’s bachelorette trip and had a blast! Saw more manatees than we thought and our guide Sarah and boat captain Mike we’re phenomenal! The were so knowledgeable and so friendly! 10/10 would do again and recommend to a friend!

Choose this Company for your Manatee Experience!!

Hannah_S, Jan 2022

Kelly from River Ventures was an amazing guide. Our son, who is a disable adult, needed more attention and care so we paid for a private tour. Kelly never missed a beat and was there making everything possible for him so he had an authentic and special day floating with the creatures he loves. We cannot say thank you enough to this professionally run, well organized, and wonderfully staffed company. If you want to have an experience with the manatees, choose River Ventures!

Our guide Sarah and...

Troy_B, Dec 2021

Our guide Sarah and Captain Chip were fantastic! We did the private tour and were glad we did. Just the 4 of us with Sarah in the water with 3 huge Manatees and a baby. They came up to us and rolled around like puppy dogs, even looked us in the eyes face to face within inches many times. Couldn't have dreamt of a better experience with those creatures and our crew. This company cares about the Manatees, our environment, and their customers!

Unforgettable experience

Jayne_S, Dec 2021

Skye was so knowledgeable about the aquatic life, and so kind to me. It was my first time snorkeling and she was an excellent teacher and SO very patient to me. I had a wonderful experience that I will never forget.

Amazing Experience

Debra_P, Dec 2021

Liz was an amazing tour guide. We had 3 kids—ages 6,4 &2. She was so great with them it really made for a family experience we will never forget. We happened upon the perfect weather and saw many manatees.

Very helpful staff

Mary_H, Dec 2021

The staff helped each family member, from youngest to oldest out into the water so no one was left out due to inability to swim or being afraid. It was ideal for my family because we all got to float with the manatee, and I wasn't the one that had to take each kid, but I was able to float and snorkel without worrying about the kids..

Absolutely fabulous time...

scimoore, Oct 2021

Absolutely fabulous time spent with the manatees, and Trish and Wade!. Highly recommend requesting them as your tour guide! We were a family of 10, 70 year old to 7 year old. Perfect activity for all!

So!Much!Fun!

Katie_V, Jul 2021

So! Much! Fun! Lindsey M. and Capt. Peter are the best. They make a great team and were easily able to find manatees for us to enjoy. The manatees were happy to see us, too! Great experience! I do recommend doing a VIP/private tour. That is what we did. There is a lot more room on the boat and more space to enjoy the manatees. The manatees seem to enjoy it more as well.