See the gentle giants of the sea in their natural habitat on this tour. Climb aboard the covered boat and set out along the Florida waterways to spot some wildlife. Alligators, dolphins and all sorts of birds are known to frequent the areas, have your camera ready! The manatees sometimes come right up to the boat for an extra special experience.

Covered boat protects you from the elements in all weather
High tech sunglasses are provided to all passengers
Choose between morning or afternoon small group tours
Learn about the animals and ecosystems of the area

What's Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges
Local guide
Polarized sunglasses and polarized phone camera lenses
Free parking across the street from firehouse.

Gratuities
Food and drinks
Reschedule and late arrival fees
20% Gratuity not included in price

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Port of the Islands Marina
525 Newport Dr, Naples, FL 34114, USA
Departure Point: Port of the Islands Marina Address: 525 Newport Drive Dock D, Naples Florida 34114

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Port of the Islands Marina

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Manatee Sightseeing & Wildlife Adventures

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Wheelchair accessible
Dress code is casual
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required

Near public transportation
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 42 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.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Marcia_D

Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and made us feel comfortable right away. It was a beautiful experience being on the water and seeing the wildlife. The stop at the beach was wonderful as well!

Reviews

4.5

2,337 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 2,337 reviews

Fab time!

ElaineM_L, Apr 2024

We four friends from high school had a great time! Capt Murphy was friendly, funny and laid back. Great information and knowledge of the area and the critters we were looking for. A must do!

Amazing wildlife tour.

Lily_C, Apr 2024

We had captain Joe as our tour guide. Very sweet, welcoming and informative. Provided polarized sunglasses so we can see the wildlife better. Answered any questions we had.

Amazing experience

Alison_F, Apr 2024

Had a wonderful experience with Capt Shannon, who was so knowledgable about wildlife and the area. We saw 5 alligators and a manatee and baby, so it was a real treat. This is a small boat experience so as a party of 5 we were the only guests which made it so personal and we were able to ask lots of questions. Thank you, Capt Shannon!

Seeing the manatee was...

Kathy_K, Apr 2024

Seeing the manatee was wonderful and the alligator in the wild. Also, the captain was very informative.

Great experience manatee watching

ADRIAN_T, Apr 2024

Great experience; manatees, alligators and bald eagles 🦅 our boat guide was Captain Murphy who was knowledgeable and genuinely interested in manatee behaviour and knew where to find them.

Manatee sighting

Marjorie_S, Apr 2024

I did enjoy that we saw a manatee up close. It was a lot of waiting around though before we saw it. I thought we’d go out of the harbor and see more wildlife than we did.

Not what I thought, not worth the money

Debrae_F, Apr 2024

I would not recommend this tour at all.. I thought we would be in nature and see alot more variety of animals, we were actually in a neighborhood where houses were all right up to the water, it was terrible. We saw two manatees, one with scars on its back from the private boats that line the water completely. So sad.. and not “eco” in the least. Certainly not worth the money. The guide was nice, but , also, the other couple on the boat with us, used a racial slur and made us very uncomfortable. I will be looking for a tour with an actual wildlife experience , this is definitely not it.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Good morning, we are happy you did indeed see manatees and alligators, most likely birds as well. I am sorry we were unable to get them close to the boat. But, this is all wildlife you did see, which is what is advertised on our marketing material. In addition, the captain teaches about the local wildlife and ecosystem. We go where the wildlife naturally is, which for the manatees happens to be in the canals of the waterfront community during the colder months. As for “stressing out” the manatees, we do not do this. We use a trolling motor which is approved by the Florida Wildlife Commission as a safe way to view manatees up close. The animals are not stressed and do not “run away.” Finally, you’re also paying for a nice boat ride and to see the mangroves of the Everglades. This along with the experience given by the captain is what sets this tour apart from just walking along somewhere where you don’t have help in finding the wildlife or are not taught about it. As you can see by the amount of 5 star reviews, our tour does live up to our marketing, we are sorry you disagree.

Do it at least once

Ralph_P, Apr 2024

Great experience. Great guide. Views are incredible. Do it at least once. Go during high tide if you can.

Not much to see

Angela_C, Apr 2024

The boat ride was nice and tour guy knowledgeable, but very disappointed. Barely saw one manatee under brown water. Advertisement is misleading.

Fun and educational

Stacy_J, Apr 2024

Captain Storm was a great guide! Fun and educational for the whole family even our 5lb chihuahua enjoyed this lovely tour. We found 2 manatees and an alligator not something we see in Kansas City. The mangroves were amazing too! Don't miss the experience.

Fun and educational

Amanda_H, Apr 2024

Paul was an excellent captain!! He is so knowledgeable with the history of the area as well as all the wildlife! We got to see a manatee family! Got up close with some gators and saw so many different birds!! We enjoyed the experience so much!

Scenic Florida boat ride

Susan_H, Mar 2024

This was an interesting and beautiful boat ride along a canal and marinas. We saw mangroves and alligators. We also followed along with a manatee as it swam and came up to breathe 3 times. Captain Peter shared his knowledge of the animals and stories about the area.

Saw it all!!

David_R, Mar 2024

Great time!! Check in was a breeze. The Ship store had all the essentials. Boat was covered which was nice. Casey was a great guide. Saw manatees and alligators up close!! Would do it again!

Fantastic trip with lots of wildlife

Heidi_A, Mar 2024

Captain Wes made the trip memorable with encounters of lots of different wildlife including an alligator fight, which he filmed and sent to us. We also saw a manatee being rescued.

Wildlife tour with no wildlife

Jennifer_H, Mar 2024

On the trip we did not see any manatees and only 3 alligators. The guide said the water was extremely high and the wildlife had not been easy to find. We did enjoy looking at homes and boats however.

Ok tour

Amanda_M, Mar 2024

The captain of the boat was fantastic, very knowledgeable, fun and friendly. Sadlly we only saw a dark shadow of a manatee under the water. We know it’s not guaranteed but it’s disappointing all the same. The wildlife part of the tour was better as we saw alligators

Poor

Suzanne_R, Mar 2024

terrible I know our 18 month old did not like the life vest cried the whole time after 10 minutes asked to return to dock within eye shot captain refused no animals seen spent the whole time trying to calm the child so others could enjoy there cruise

Great day watching the Manatee

Theresa_S, Mar 2024

Loved seeing the Manatee up close. Captain Paul was very informative and pleasant! Very exciting to see a bullhead shark as well!

Not impressed

Lisa_H, Mar 2024

I felt like for the price, we would have seen more than one manatee. Captain kept looking at his phone to regurgitate facts. It was a lot of money for a boat ride

Captain Murphy was...

Lissette_R, Mar 2024

Captain Murphy was fantastic!! He was very knowledgeable and made the experience great. We got to see Manatees and alligators.

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