Classic Crystal River Manatee Swim Tour with Free Photos
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Crystal River, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- Use of Snorkeling Equipment and Wetsuits ($25 value!)
- Bottled waterHot chocolate on cold days
- In-water guides
- Small Groups
- Free Underwater Photo Package! (Up to $50 value!)
- Gratuity for captain and guide
- Towels and bathing suits
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 32 SE US Hwy 19, Crystal River, FL 34429, USA
Meet at our shop 15 minutes before your scheduled 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
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Wetsuits fit from Child 2 to Adult 6x
- THIS EXPERIENCE CAN ONLY ACCOMODATE 12 PERSONS MAX!
- Not recommended for travelers with weak knees: guests must use boat ladder
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Kumi_S
Caleb and Jake were great tour guides. Super informative about the area and the manatees. I highly recommend doing this tour with them. We had the amazing opportunity to swim with a mama and her calf. We even had extra time to check out one of the ner by springs. It was so beautiful.
Reviews
5.0
based on 241 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Mary_H, Jul 2026
Guides were great and we saw manatees! My only star deduction is because the wetsuits were ill fitting and worn (especially for the kids) so half our crew couldn’t stay in the water because they were too cold. We scuba dive, so the importance of maintaining body temperature is key to a positive experience. Highly recommend more kids sizes and getting rid of old worn suits.
Jill_F, Jul 2026
It was a blast. Our tour guide was extremely friendly and funny! She made sure we were hands on and got the best experience.
Amy_E, Jul 2026
A wonderful experience top to bottom! Christalynn & Henry were excellent guides! They were extremely knowledgeable and were quick to find sone manatees to swim with! Would definitely recommend!
Jenny_H, Jun 2026
Our captain took us to places he knew manatees were and stopped along the way to see dolphins. Once we swam for quite some time with the manatees, he took us to a natural spring where we got to explore that area freely and took some neat photos in the spring.
Jennelle_A, Jun 2026
We absolutely loved this tour! Jake was our captain and Hudson was in the water with us and taking pictures. Both were very fun to be around and knowledgeable to the area. We had 4 adults and 4 kiddos and everyone had a blast! They found several manatees, including a baby and mama, and got us up close while respecting the wildlife and ensuring we didn’t bother them. They’re such amazing creatures 🫶🏻 We were even able to see dolphins playing and catching fish as a bonus! 10/10 recommend this tour and these 2 as a team for your adventure. They gave local food recommendations and were spot on. We would definitely do this again!
Nicole_L, Jun 2026
Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Would definitely recommend or even go again! It’s a must do!!
Richard_S, May 2026
Captain Henry and guide Hudson were amazing. Unbelievable lifetime experience. You can definitely tell that this tour service is locally owned and operated.
Robin_D, Apr 2026
Reid and Evan were great hosts and were very knowledgeable about the trip. Even though manatee season was technically over, we still saw a few of them and were able to get up close. We also had the chance to swim in a spring at the end of the trip. Great trip! Would do it again!
Angela_J, Apr 2026
This was a fantastic experience! Right from the shop to the water we had a great day and saw plenty of Manatees and also a beautiful little baby manatee. We travelled from Australia and would highly recommend this company to do the tour! Thanks so much for an incredible day.
Bruce_W, Apr 2026
Great time, saw lots of manatee. Water was a little murky. Two mamas with babies. Great staff! Great trip!
Joanna_J, Apr 2026
Meeting manatees face to face is unforgettable. These animals are so much larger than we thought. Swimming next to them and learning so much from our in water guide Hudson, about the animals and the bay we were snorkeling in. The pictures we received as part of the tour are going to keep this experience a beloved memory for my family. This is a local business that cares about the animals and the bay. We would do this excursion again!
Louise_M, Apr 2026
This experience was absolutely fantastic. We got up close with a number of manatees. The water was very murky but this didn't spoil the experience, we still got up close to them, in their natural habitat. Reid the tour guide was excellent and jake, the captain, was extremely knowledgeable and very funny! We will definitely return!!
Anonymous, Apr 2026
A great privately owned company. The small group allowed for more individual attention. The whole crew was friendly and very knowledgeable. They were very aware of keeping the Manatees safe while giving us an amazing experience. Would definatly use this business again.
Edward_V, Apr 2026
Overall Great Experience. Would recommend. Trent and Hudson and the Capt were awesome. Very knowledgeable.
Caitlin_R, Apr 2026
We loved Hudson (& his two trainees) and the boat captain! Great facility to get ready at (as well as the boat to accommodate us!). They were very kind and helpful with my four children! Which are major bonus points.
Courtney_T, Apr 2026
We had a great time. I liked how wetsuits were provided. Kaya and Captain Jake were awesome. They really knew what they were doing and were able to find us some manatees even though it was after their usual season (we went the beginning of April). They let us stay in the water with the manatees for as long as we wanted and helped guide us to where they were multiple times.
Krunal_S, Apr 2026
We learned that Manatees hangout in clear waters during the winter months of Dec through Feb. March and April is when they get hungry and go to murky waters. I think nobody should go for manatee viewing (Snorkeling) in April because those murky waters are nasty as heck. Manatee poop floating everywhere along with other waste. We couldn’t see anything farther than few inches due to the nasty water. Not to mention we accidentally swallowed the water while snorkeling. The pics of manatee in crystal clear water is 100% marketing gimmick in March and April.
Erin_H, Apr 2026
This was one of the best experiences and our tour guide Jaden was wonderful at getting my little one right at the manatee in the water. Our captain Evan was wonderful at tracking where the manatees were located to make the experience completely worth it! Core memory was made and highly recommend!
Dianne_P, Mar 2026
Hudson and Evan did a great job. Unfortunately there weren’t as many Manatee as I had hoped to see. Visibility was murky
Raymond_V, Mar 2026
The guides explain everything you need to know and stay with you the whole experience
We were able to see lots of manatee are the only disappointment we had is the pitches that were taken did not include any of our family
Candace_B, Mar 2026
It is a very fun experience!! Hudson and Ryan were awesome and extremely informative! Very patient with the kiddos and made sure we got to see manatees!!
Christan_B, Mar 2026
Evan, Kaya and Steve were awesome! Got us right to the manatees helped us keep a safe distance while still engaging. It was the best experience!
Maria_T, Mar 2026
Great guides, not too big of a group, was able to put us on manatees right away! Great fun!! A must do!
Ashley_K, Feb 2026
Make sure to bring towels and flip flops or water shoes. Jaden and Jake were absolutely amazing. We had 4 in our group and then a family of 6 with us. It was nice to not have tons of people. Jaden was pleasant, knowledgeable and made the whole experience enjoyable. Jake the captain made sure everything and everyone was safe, and comfortable during the ride. I would recommend this experience to family, friends and strangers. From the moment we arrived to the moment we were finished, the process was simple and care free. Highly, highly recommend Nature's Discovery.
Rachel_B, Feb 2026
The water is far murkier than it appears in the pics. Because of the water opacity, the free pics of you with the manatees and getting pics yourself turned out to be pretty much useless. But you get CLOSE, within inches, of at least one manatee! That experience alone is worth the price and the people running it, Steven and Evan, the Manatee Whisperer were great and made sure everyone got a chance to get close to a manatee. I would definitely recommend this experience to a friend, because you can't do this anywhere else.
phmaisenbacher, Feb 2026
John and Hudson made sure we had a successful manatee experience
The office where we began was clean and had a great gift shop
Brittany_J, Feb 2026
Everything was so fun! Tour guides were great and the photos were included in the ticket price. We got up close to many manatees!
Heather_K, Feb 2026
Mya and Evan were amazing tour guides and we had the best morning ever. This was a wonderful experience led by wonderful people. I highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to meet the enchanting water potatoes that inhabit the area!
Nikki_F, Jan 2026
We had a great time with Jaydyn and Cap John. Everything was on time and Jaydyn made sure he found a great spot for all of us to see manatee. The experience was unforgettable and we will be back with more family.
Cindy_R, Jan 2026
It was Awesome!!! Great Guide (Jaden), Great Captain, very organized, family friendly, no rush, very relaxing, saw lots and lots of Manatee 😊
Highly Recommend!!
From $76.95
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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