Experience the unique thrills that come with a photo package on this 3-hour small group tour, where you can get up close and personal with Crystal River's manatees. This manatee tour offers an educational, exciting, and eco-friendly adventure run by locals dedicated to protecting wildlife. Step away from everyday life into these protected waters of Florida—make lasting memories free of any human footprint, gathered responsibly for your unforgettable experience.

Snorkel equipment and wetsuits are provided so you don't have to worry
Discover manatees in their natural habitat
Bottled water provided for your refreshment
Convenient central meeting point that's easy-to-find

What's Included

Use of Snorkeling equipment
wetsuits
Bottled water
defog
photo and video package.

Gratuities
Parking (Pete's pier charges a 5 dollar parking fee)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

1 SW 1st Pl, Crystal River, FL 34429, USA
When you arrive at Pete's Pier Marina, we'll meet you at the bait shop located at the end of the pier. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. We'll also be contacting you the day before your departure to ensure everything is good to go. Can't wait for your awesome manatee tour!

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Not recommended for travelers who are not comfortable at least floating in the water
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

Featured review

Jared_K

Crew did a great job! Very chill and easy experience. Water conditions were to be expected overall amazing experience

Reviews

5.0

599 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 599 reviews

Loved this experience

Heather_B, Apr 2024

Had a great time for mine and husbands anniversary trip. Would recommend to everyone I know! 10/10 experience

Unforgettable Manatee Encounter with Exceptional Guides

Ashley_S, Apr 2024

We recently embarked on a manatee tour, and it was nothing short of spectacular! Despite the challenges posed by murky water conditions, our adept tour guides swiftly located the manatees and expertly navigated us to the perfect viewing spots. Their ability to spot these gentle giants so quickly was impressive and ensured that we didn't miss out on any sightings. The highlight of our adventure was seeing a wide variety of manatees, including an adorable mother and her baby. The guides provided fascinating insights into the manatees' behaviors and habitats, enriching our experience with their deep knowledge and genuine passion for marine wildlife. What stood out most was the guides' compassion and respect for the manatees, emphasizing the importance of observing these beautiful creatures without disturbing their natural environment. This respectful approach not only made us feel like responsible tourists but also deepened our appreciation for wildlife conservation. I highly recommend this tour for anyone eager to witness manatees up close in their natural habitat. The combination of skilled guides, remarkable sightings, and educational enrichment makes this experience truly memorable. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with nature and learn about the fascinating world of manatees!

Great time!

Kathryn_S, Apr 2024

So much fun! We had Lauren & Peter & they were amazing. Very knowledgeable about the local culture & had all kinds of fun facts. We saw SO many manatees and were up close and personal with them. It was truly amazing. They had plenty of recommendations of where to eat after.

Top experience!

Cinzia_P, Apr 2024

Top experience! Really amazing! The captain loves manatee and nature: bring you in the fantastic world of manatee!

Absolutely best guides and amazing tour

Susan_W, Apr 2024

He had the absolutely best time we got to swim with lots of manatees four of them or five of them and the guides were amazing and I'm looking forward to seeing all the amazing photos that the photographer took of us thank you guys for an amazing tour can't wait to come back next year

Best manatee guides and boat!

Christy_k, Apr 2024

Really loved the boat ride and the tour guides! So knowledgeable and friendly, and knew the right spots to find the manatees. Even though water was cloudy, had a great time snorkeling with a mom and baby manatee!

Amazing experience!!

Gustavo_L, Apr 2024

Was a wonderful experience, all the team was great!! Well done guys!! We enjoyed it so much!! Thank you!

Fantastic Tour - Will Go Again From Indiana

Robert_H, Apr 2024

My wife and I had been planning a March Florida trip from Indiana for some time. The Manatee swim was one of the excursions I was looking forward to the most and it did not disappoint. Peter was very knowledgeable about the Manatees as well as the history of the area. Derick was our guide and photographer and did a great job. While researching the various tours, we decided that, first, we wanted as small of a group as possible. Second, and just as important, I decided that I wanted to go with a local company. It was a great decision and we had a great time. I will for sure do this again on our next trip to Florida with Golocal. My only complaint is that I couldn't get a T-shirt!!!! Thanks Peter and Derick for a wonderful experience.

Sea potatoes

Jared_K, Apr 2024

Crew did a great job! Very chill and easy experience. Water conditions were to be expected overall amazing experience

Manatee action!

Tysha_T, Apr 2024

The trip was supposed to be 3 hours. We were on manatees in less than 15 minutes. In the water swimming with a manatee in less than 30 minutes. Wound up swimming over to a spring where the water was extremely clear. Swam back to the boat and cruised around some more and found another manatee. Not too much longer and another manatee came along. Really cool experience with really good guides.

Fab trip. You won’t regret it!

ALisa_O, Apr 2024

We had such a good time with the guys on the boat! They warned us about murky water conditions, but we chose not to take the refund and I’m so glad we did. We ended up seeing 4 individuals in different water conditions, the last one being in pretty clear water. Be aware, it’s cold when you get out of the water, but they close up the canopy on the boat and it warms up. It was a fantastic trip. Highly recommend. FYI. There was a youngster there who kept swimming over the manatees and trying to touch them. You will get a warning if you do this. It’s NOT cool. It is also NOT COOL to put your feet down and walk in the shallows. You will kick up more muck and then no one gets to see. Don’t be that guy/girl.

Thank You for the experience!!! 😀😀

Mae_O, Apr 2024

Great Experience!!! Will recommend this to friends!!! First time to saw manatees and they are really like a big baby!!! 🥰 Our tour guide was kind and knowledgeable.

Swim of a lifetime

Ibis_M, Apr 2024

Both Walter and Nick are amazing!! They put us manatee several times. What an exhilarating experience! Just Wow, what an amazing time!! Thank you so much!!

Best tour guides ever

Amanda_T, Apr 2024

They were locally owned and natives; they knew all the good spots to take us. They learned our names and helped all to be able to be watching in the right direction. They were also friendly and very knowledgeable. We had the best time ever.

2 moms with their 8 year old daughters

allison_e, Apr 2024

This was a mother/daughter trip for us. Walter and Derek were wonderful and helped our 8 year olds have the best experience. The pictures we received were absolutely perfect. You need to book this tour!

such an amazing experience!

Maura_W, Apr 2024

Derek and Walter were the best tour guides! Derek said he had been swimming in these waters since he was 5 and knows the manatees like the back of his hand. He was so great at showing us exactly what to look for. The water wasn't as clear as it could have been, which made it a bit of a challenge to see, but was still totally worth it in my opinion. One thing I loved is that this company limits their tour sizes to just 6 people. I can't imagine a group any larger (which many companies do.) Just having 6 people trying to see one moving manatee was a struggle. I'm glad we came at the end of the season so that there was more space in the water to find one to interact with. One of the gentle giants swam up and touched me and it was amazing. Walter and Derek really care about the health of the manatees, and truly want to swim with them without disturbing them and want to educate their tours. They take the time to learn our names and have conversations with us. We can ask any question we want. Both guides extremely friendly. We got our pictures for frees the next day!! Most other companies charge for the photos. Derek, our photographer, has a large picture of his displayed at the Orlando airport - these guys know their stuff! I'd love to come back and do it again and stay in the water longer!

Best manatee experience!

Jill_B, Apr 2024

Walter and Derek were fun and knowledgeable about manatees! It was the best experience having small group ( they only take 6 at a time). They were great at finding them and even helping us experience them up close and one came up next to me and it was wonderful! Peter was great at communicating! Fantastic day don’t miss this booking!

Guides were fantastic....

Keith_M, Apr 2024

Guides were fantastic. Very cool experience with the manatees. Water was murky but we were 1-2 feet from the manatees.

What an experience!

Lisa_F, Apr 2024

Excellent crew who made you feel a part of the team! Up close encounters were breath taking- even a baby! Highly recommend!

Perfect

Marco_G, Apr 2024

Very nice tour. Perfect guides. Nice to see the manatees in their real area. We would do it again. Explanations are very good and the guides are very friendly.

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