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Small Group Manatee Swim Tour With In Water Guide

Name: Small Group Manatee Swim Tour With In Water Guide
Brand: Nature's Discovery
SKU: 326045P1
Price: 79.95 USD
Rating: 5.0 (548 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceCrystal River, USA

Small Group Manatee Snorkeling Adventure

3 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Snorkel with manatees in Kings Bay on this guided, family-friendly tour. Everything is taken care of for you, including a wetsuit, snorkeling gear, in-water guide and a boat with a maximum of six spots for guests. Find the manatees, then jump overboard and observe these creatures in their native habitat while your seasoned, in-water guides captures photos of your experience so you can focus on having fun.

Get in the water to see manatees in their natural habitat
Wetsuit and snorkel gear are provided for your convenience
A small group means more attention from your guide

What's Included

Use of Snorkeling equipment
Wetsuits
Bottled water
In-Water Tour Guide

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Nature's Discovery - Manatee Swim Tours
32 SE US Hwy 19, Crystal River, FL 34429, USA
Meet us at our shop location fifteen minutes ahead of your tour time to get checked in and suited up with wetsuits!

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
Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
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

SavannaRae_P

Our group of 4 went out with Evan and Hina. It was incredible. All the gear you could ever want or need is provided but you’re not required to use it if you prefer not to. We had a ton of questions about manatees and the area in general and they were able to answer all of them in great detail. We are definitely coming back and won’t even consider booking with anyone else.

Reviews

5.0

548 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 548 reviews

Amazing tour guides

Jennifer_R, Apr 2024

Grace and Dylan were excellent tour guides. You can truly see how much they love their job. We had so much fun swimming with the manatees. We saw a mom &calf and even a dolphin

Manatees up close and personal!

SusanS_M, Apr 2024

Really enjoyed spending quality time observing manatees up close! Guides were informative and very concerned for the welfare of the Manatees! Wish the water had been clearer! You can actually hear them crunching the seagrass.

Good tour. SO cold!

April_B, Mar 2024

This was a fun tour, but SO cold! Other tour companies provide cocoa when you get in and now I understand why. But this was also a small group tour, so I guess if you want cocoa you can go with big group. Water was so stirred up, we had a hard time seeing and couldn't stay in water long enough to see more because it was so cold. But guide was in the water with us whole time making sure we can see them!

Great employees and lots of fun!

Erica_H, Mar 2024

My family enjoyed the manatee swim tour very much. Grace and Evan were wonderful! It was a fantastic experience.

Low water visibility all year

Torben_M, Mar 2024

The organization was fine and all. But the big let down is that this is a visual experience. And when you depart they tell you that the in water visibility is very low. Maybe one or two feet. Hence you can only see these animals when you are in touch distance and only a small part of the animal. I know that as an operator you cannot control these things. But the visibility is not just a bad day. They say it has been like this for months and will stay like this for years.. So just so you know what you are up for

Amazing experience

Tee_C, Mar 2024

This excursion was a trip highlight. The staff were all welcoming and helpful. We got suited up and shuttled to the boat in good time. Once out on the water it wasn't long before the staff located a manatee. We all enjoyed our time watching it graze and surface for air. Then we took a side trip to the springs and happened to see a small alligator hiding out in the shade. The staff were very knowledgeable about the area and the manatee. The whole experience was so much fun. If you enjoy nature, this is the trip for you.

Manatees, Manatees, Manatees. WOW. ‼️

Linda_W, Mar 2024

Wow within minutes of the tour we were in the water swimming with the manatees. The best tour guides they really know the area and clearly enjoy what they do. A family of 6 that will definitely do this again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟🌟

Great experience with Nature's Discovery

Scott_S, Feb 2024

Great experience with Nature's Discovery. Going out on the 7:00am tour, our guides were able to locate four manatee's keeping warm by a spring in a back corner, which we had all to ourselves. Hina was an excellent guide, making sure each one of us was positioned perfectly so when a manatee came up for air, we were face to face with them. Carlos made sure we didn't get too cold with a steady supply of hot chocolate and tea. If you're planning on a manatee tour, this group is definitely recommended.

Manatee experience

Jena_R, Feb 2024

Fantastic time manatees very interactive. Grace and Jake Were helpful patient and professional. Would recommend

Lifetime memory

majjacman, Feb 2024

The number of Manatees was mind blowing. Hina was most informative and educational. She made the experience very enjoyable and memorable! Our family had this event on the list for years and we were so pleased with the opportunity of swimming with these marvelous creatures. Save the Manatees!

Fun fun fun

MIKE_B, Feb 2024

Great guide and boat captain. Nice. Polite young men. Knew where to go to find the Manatees Jayden and captain Carlos were great

Great Team!

Lori_S, Jan 2024

Our guide, Grace and captain Carlos were fantastic! They knew right where to take us - spots that were less crowded. We immediately saw manatees and they were super knowledgeable. The hot cocoa helped with the cold water! When we return to swim with the manatees, we will be using them again. Thank you!

Awesome, 6 stars

Darlene_C, Dec 2023

Amazing. I would give this 6 stars if I could. This is our favorite tour that we have been on and we have been on many. We all got wetsuits that fit, quick boat ride to the spot. Water was cold but that was quickly forgotten because …. There were so many manatees. We lucked out because there was a recent storm but even if there were only a couple they are such cool animals. We saw a baby nursing its mother and lots more. Very highly recommended and Grace was great, so calm and helpful, letting us know where the best places to see the manatees. Carlos, the boat driver was also very friendly and kept my mother company when she wanted to come out of the water a little early. We will do this tour again next year when we visit. Also I loved how we were in such a small group, especially after seeing the size of some of the other groups

Great experience. Well worth the investment.

Jennifer_T, Dec 2023

Carlos and Hina were great for our private manatee tour. We learned a lot about manatees and had great up close interactions. Highly recommend.

A very enjoyable, relaxing and, at times, fascinating and even magical experience

Jill_D, Dec 2023

As an amateur underwater photographer (ref: YouTube… OBHSfoIk channel) an excursion to film the manatees of Crystal River FL, was always high on my wanna-do list. Expecting crowds, I opted to pay more for the small group tour (6 or less) provided by Natures Discovery Tours and I’m glad I did since my wife and I were the only ones booked for this particular date/time thus having the whole boat, guide, and snorkel spot to ourselves. (On this same day, some areas of the Kings Bay tributary’s were loaded with full boats all crammed into small areas watching the manatees en masse, and this was supposed to be the slow time, so, again, if you prefer quality over quantity small groups is the way to go.) Natures Discoverys’ operation was very well organized (5 stars): You report to the shop at the allotted time and they set you up with wet suits (at 72 degs the water is a bit chilly in Dec) mask, snorkel and pool noodle (no fins). Then a 5 minute van ride brings you to the boat and out you go into Kings Bay. After a very slow (no wake) 10-minute boat ride we were into manatees about 50 feet from shore in about 4 ft of water. With our guide leading the way we climb into the water, lean on our noodles and put our face in the water to watch these relatively dormant behemoths lay on the bottom; sometimes alone, sometimes with other adults and sometimes accompanied by their calf’s. During the high season in Crystal River (Dec-Mar) the adult manatees are primarily concerned with staving off the very real threat of death by hypothermia (which is why they migrate into the warmer bay from the Gulf) and so appear to almost hibernate on the bottom, only coming up periodically for a breath of air. Some of the calfs, were more energetic and were occasionally willing to interact with us, and on my trip, that’s where the magic occurred. NOTE: when I say “playing”, I’m not talking about the fast moving energetic swirling around like a dolphin. It was slooooow, barely perceptible movements that eventually resulted in a close encounter whereby the “little gal” would reach out and hold and rub my hand and snuggle up against my arm or press her nose into my mask. This went on for almost 30 minutes and was one of the most enjoyable water experiences I have ever had, and I’ve had many. The key to interacting with these docile animals is minimal movement; let them come to you, make no sudden movements, no splashing, no kicking, just drift slowly with them. That 30 minutes was well worth the price of admission and the extra charge for being in a small group. The Natures Discovery tour team (Hina the in-water guide and Jake the boat driver) were great. Friendly, knowledgeable, engaged (5 stars). I highly recommend going with them. SO, why 4 stars overall and not 5: In a word, EXPECTATIONS. ALL the ads, from every operator, depicted this excursion as occurring in crystal clear water with many energetic friendly manatees. In reality, the visibility was often quite poor, dark green and dim on this day. Apparently a hurricane last year wiped out all the sea grass in Kings Bay which was the primary filtering system for this body of water. In addition, when a manatee rises off the bottom to get a breath it stirs up a lot of silt which significantly reduces the visibility further. Of course tour operators have no influence over conditions and Natures Discovery DID inform us of the visibility shortcomings in advance so I have no beef with them but that crystal clear water with continual close contact did place my expectations a bit higher than was achieved. Apparently, manatees are in Crystal River all year but during the summer there are far less than there are in late fall through early spring. We booked for early December which is considered a good time for manatees and a better time to avoid crowds. Our guide mentioned that from Christmas through February things get really crowded with tourists, so plan accordingly. ANYBODY who is comfortable swimming in a placid lake can do this tour including young kids and seniors. The physical demands are minimal (climbing a ladder back into the boat is the most demanding activity). I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TRIP FOR ANYBODY WHO LOVES TO INTERACT WITH WILD ANIMALS IN THEIR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

An Amazing, Intimate Experience with Manatees

Carson_B, Oct 2023

This has been on my bucket list for years and we are so glad we finally did it! Jake and Hina are friendly and knowledgable guides. We found a group of 3 manatees and were able to spend about 30 minutes with them before they swam off. It was such an incredible thing and definitely a great activity for the whole family, as the manatees are very gentle and non-aggressive. You float on pool noodles while looking at them so it's very do-able for people of all ages. I also loved that they only book small groups because it made for a really relaxed and pleasant experience. We even got lucky and were the only two people on our tour! We did the 10am tour, Make sure to bring sunscreen and snacks for the 3 hour trip!

Can’t wait to go back

edotson, Aug 2023

From the start Hina was welcoming at their shop, we arrived early and they were accommodating and we were able to get off to start early. After jumping in our wet suits in their changing room it was a quick van ride to the marina where Evan met us at the van and we headed to the boat. They knew exactly where to go and wand a short boat ride we were in the water and over a manatee. Since it’s there summer they can be hard to find but they knew just where to go. They provided a noodle to help float. We spent quite a bit of time floating over a sleeping manatee that came up every so often for air and we were able to get an up close view and awesome pictures. My 8,9 and 16 year old all had a blast. We are planning to be back in Florida in December during peak season and booking again as soon as I can. We passed by other boats full of people and were so glad we had the small group of six, and we had the pictures before we even left the shop, plus the kids did some shopping in their shop.

Amazing experience!

Kristy_M, Jul 2023

We had a wonderful time. We got to see and snorkel with multiple manatees including a calf. The tour guides were excellent and adjusted the experience with what was best for our group. After snorkeling with manatees they took us to see the springs and gave us a wildlife tour. And the photos came out amazing! Such cool souvenirs to take home. The process of getting the photos was very easy and efficient, and I wish more places did it that way. 10/10 would recommend!

Mellow as a Manatee

Greg_L, Jul 2023

Shane and Jake went above and beyond to guarantee the optimum manatee experience, especially given unpredictable conditions. Loved the small size of our group and the way they got to know us and customized our trip. Great guys, great vibes!

Amazing small group tour with free photos! Don’t hesitate- book it!

Nicole_S, Jul 2023

The tour was amazing! We loved that it was really a small group- just the 4 of us. The guides- Evan and Shane were super knowledgeable and shared interesting facts about manatees and the Crystal River Springs. We chose this tour over other ones because of the small group and the free photos! Shane took fabulous pictures on the GoPro and we left with a thumb drive full of amazing photos! But, the star of the tour was the super playful baby manatee that entertained us for over an hour. He was like a puppy, so playful and silly! After swimming with the manatees we went for a swim in the springs and rode around in the boat for an eco tour. Shane and Evan were able to tailor our tour to what we wanted to do! Swimming with the manatees was on my bucket list and this tour far exceeded my expectations (which isn’t easy to do- lol)!