The 'OG' Manatee Snorkel Tour with In-Water Guide/Photographer
Crystal River, USA
The 'OG' Manatee Snorkel Tour with In-Water Guide/Photographer
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Crystal River, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Get to know central Florida’s endangered manatees on this swimming and snorkeling tour at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, well known as the home of the manatee. Use of a mask, snorkel gear and wetsuit, plus beverages, are included—bring your own swimsuit and towel. Photos above and below the water are taken throughout the tour and can be purchased after, if desired.
- See Florida's marine wildlife in its natural environment
- Take a cruise along the Crystal River, home of the manatee
- A fun half-day activity for the entire family
- Receive personalized attention on a small-group tour
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
What To Expect
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 2,606 reviews
Cassie_H, Apr 2026
It's a great experience. Captain Lucy was absolutely amazing in finding the right spot. Would recommend to anyone looking for a fun time .
Melissa_B, Mar 2026
The crew was fantastic and made sure we had a great time & saw the most amount of manatees. JJ & Natalie were also passionate about care & conservation of the manatees & made sure everyone was respectful of these beautiful creatures.
Kyle_L, Mar 2026
An incredible experience everyone in our party listed as the best part of our trip to Florida. Piper (#TheManateeWhisperer) was an amazing guide who ensured everyone on the boat had a great experience. My wife does not particularly love snorkeling, and Piper made sure to spend time with her up front getting her acclimated to the water and gear, and checking in on her and encouraging her throughout the time she was in the water. We spent close to an hour in the water with the manatees and never once felt rushed- ultimately, we all tapped out rather than being told our time was up. Would absolutely do this again and highly recommend it to anyone within a days drive.
Amanda_N, Mar 2026
Piper was an amazing tour guide we had so much fun the captain was amazing as well. We got to see lots of manatees
Kristina_W, Mar 2026
Shiela and Mo were truly amazing guides. Not only were they respectful to the other tour boats times with the in water Manatee experience, but they were knowledgeable and provided the best tour experience we have had. Of course swimming with the Manatees was on my bucket list and was truly amazing! Best day ever.
Patrick_D, Feb 2026
Took us on a very short bus ride (<5 minutes), Took us on a short boat ride (<15 minutes)
The staff were knowledgeable and easy to talk with. They gave clear instructions for when we enter the water and good expectations on what to expect. They made the experience even better. I would definitely book with this company again!
Linda_A, Feb 2026
It was amazing and an experience you will never forget! Our guide was Piper. She was funny, knowledgeable, and caring. We were surrounded by manatees.
Robert_S, Feb 2026
Very disappointed Only got to see one manatee on top of that. The guide didn’t get any pictures of us did not wait for us at all. The captain of the boat had to tell her hey how about you wait for the people in the back to come up I was hoping way more than what we got . I say that I would probably try a different company water was very murky.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Hi Robert. I'm very sorry to hear of your disappointment. Please reach out to me directly at 352-564-8687 and ask for Vickie. We strive to be a 5 star company and I would love the opportunity to reconcile your complaints and concerns
justchicagoholly, Feb 2026
bring wram clothes for return ride... better have it and not need it . This was really fun and we'll worth it. You WILL see manatees. 😁
John_B, Jan 2026
Great experience!!! Melissa and Mai Lea were a great captain and guide. Let them take pics so you can maximize your experience.
Erica_R, Jan 2026
Mike and Crystal made our first time swimming with manatees easy, fun and memorable. They provided a lot of information and we swam with over 7 manatees.
Bailey_M, Jan 2026
Lindsey and Emerson were fantastic. Lindsey was such an amazing guide. Go on a cold day so you can see the most manatees. Bring warm clothes for the boat ride back. Keep your socks on while you snorkel to stay warmer.
Jeanie_L, Dec 2025
Great value for this experience! I went snorkeling with manatees on Dec. 1 and we saw TONS that day! It also happened to be overcast which is a good thing. A few of the manatees were playful. My guide Maleah was attentive and also reassuring that I was behaving and positioned safely around the manatees. Truly loved it! If I'm back in the area, I would go again!
Rachel_A, Nov 2025
The kindest people! They were gracious to other boaters, manatees and the community! We got up close with manatees and felt at ease. Best tour ever.
Gina_W, Nov 2025
The guide and captain were great, very knowledgeable. We went in mid november and the manatees were just starting to come in from the cold sea so we found a few manatees right away. Very cool!
They were much better than the other tour I tried I homosassa springs years ago.
Phil_B, Nov 2025
Awesome experience, Nat & Capt. Rob was a blast to be with. They will make sure you see the manatees!!
Heather_F, Nov 2025
What a great time with Wade and Sheila! We got up close with two adults and a baby. Safe clearly explained the different sensations floating in a wetsuit which was invaluable information. Shelia was about to keep our whole group, 7 adults, together and active and one of the adult manatees came right up to her to play before he moved on to play with another person in our group. We all had a great time and my husband and I will definitely come back the next time we’re in town.
Barb_H, Nov 2025
It was an amazing experience swimming with the manatees in their natural habitat. We saw lots of manatee, big and small and were able to get very close to them. Our guide and Captain, Piper and Tanner, knew the best places to take the crew for manatee viewing. Highly recommend!
Katlyn_C, Nov 2025
Absolutely worth every penny! The entire 3 hour experience from start to finish was both fun and professional. Maleah and Captain Wade were very nice, knowledgeable people who truly love and respect these creatures. Within minutes of being in the springs, we found a mom/calf duo and spent so much time in the water than my fingers were pruning! Being so close to these gentle giants is a life changing experience.
Eli_S, Sep 2025
From the moment we walked into the shop yesterday everyone was so welcoming and kind and very professional. Then we met our guide Piper and she delivered all the important information along with making it very easy to understand. Then we got to the boat ramp and we met Tanner who was very good at his job working the boat in and out of difficult place to get us to where we could see the manatees. Piper and Tanner are both so knowledgeable about the living habits and how the manatees act around humans. Piper took some of the most amazing photos and was such an amazing guide in the water keeping everyone calm while the manatees were surfacing and telling us when to freeze and float which i personally felt more comfortable with her well communicated instructions. The whole experience was amazing you guys made two small town people from Missouri experience something that was once in a life time.
Sarah_B, Sep 2025
James was amazing 😻
Wade was so great
Very professional and personable
Felt really safe in the water 💦 first time for me
James is Extraordinary
His restaurant recommendations were perfect
Tammy_C, Sep 2025
Such a wonderful experience with a wonderful guide and captain! Don’t miss this opportunity to swim with God’s gentle manatees💕
Michael_G, Sep 2025
Great day excursion: professionally run operation; Underwater guide was superb at locating manatees and guiding participants for optimum interaction. Boat Captain. Added his experience with facts and stories.
Alex_C, Sep 2025
The wife and I had a blast! We were provided all the gear we needed to have a great day in the water! As soon as Captain Brian got us into the boat he started feeding us information about manatees! Within 10 minutes we spotted one and began to get in the water! Our guide in the water was also great! She kept us on the manatee for awhile before it decided to find food elsewhere. We then were able to observe a group of three the in bay where we floated and observed for awhile! Overall a great experience! Would definitely bring the kids back!
Carolann_G, Sep 2025
We had an amazing time swimming with the manatees! Our tour guide JJ was great and very informative, while keeping it fun! It was a wonderful experience and will totally go again!
Stephanie_T, Sep 2025
Natalie and Emerson were awesome guides. We found the manatee and got on our snorkel gear and got in the water. I will definitely be back in December when there are more in the area! Awesome day on the boat!!
Tamara_D, Aug 2025
We had a wonderful experience, our day was scheduled for a Friday, but the weather had other plans. So they let us reschedule for the next day. We saw three manatees and one of them was a baby. They interacted with us and we had the best time. Natalie and cpt Garrett were helpful and had great energy. I definitely recommend.
Stephanie_C, Aug 2025
It was great. Our driver and tour guide were amazing. They helped find the best locations to swim with manatees and guided us through the whole entire process. We will be coming back for sure. We recommend this to everyone. It was so much fun. The entire family had an amazing day. Thank you so much.
Stacey_P, Aug 2025
If you want a friendly service that believes in the conservation of Manatees, who take you in magical tours and are caring and kind then use River Ventures. So organised and professional....but mainly fun.
Mary_T, Aug 2025
This was a great activity & value for the money. It was why we chose this activity over all others because of how long the tour was. Great gift shop with very affordable items.
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