Most Popular 3hr Manatee Swim Tour + In-Water Guide!
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Crystal River, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Swim with manatees on this nature-focused Crystal River tour. Appreciate these majestic animals in their natural habitat, under the watchful eye of an in-the-water guide who strives to ensure safe and respectful interactions between human and manatee at all times. Tours include snorkeling gear at no additional cost, and professional underwater photos are available for purchase after the tour.
- Snorkel near manatees in their natural habitat under the safety of a guide
- Small groups for an intimate experience—no more than 12 people
- Multiple departure times available to book for convenience
- Free onsite parking for those who are driving to this tour
What's Included
- All snorkeling gear - Mask, snorkel, and wetsuit.
- In-Water Guide & Photographer
- Small Groups
- Scenic boat ride
- Professional licensed and drug tested captains and guides.
- Full service tour facility with gift shop.
- Commitment to provide you with a 5 star exprience of a lifetime.
- Free Parking
- Gratuities for captains and guides.
- Bathing suit and towel.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Fun 2 Dive - Swim with Manatees135 NE 3rd St, Crystal River, FL 34429, USA
Please check in at our tour facility located at 135 NE 3rd St. Crystal River, FL 34429. It is best to arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled tour time to check in and get settled. Parking is open on either side of the building.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Fun 2 Dive Manatee Tours
2
Crystal River
3
Three Sisters Springs
4
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Pricing is the same for children and adults, all persons going on tour must have a ticket regrdless of age.
- Children 3 years old and up are welcome with paid ticket.
- Children under the age of 3 are welcome on private trips ONLY (call for private trip pricing)
- Wetsuits available in sizes from 3 toddler to adult 4X.
- All manatee tours are 3 hours in duration.
- Photo packages of your manatee experience available for purchase after your tour.
- Not recommended for travelers with weak knees. Must use boat ladder.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Teresa_H
This trip was great from start to finish. Eli was very personable and made sure we knew exactly what to expect before we even started. The wetsuits were a great fit and although we had brought our own snorkel equipment Eli bought extra along just in case. Derek our captain was also very amiable and they both made us feel very safe. Eli went out of his way to ensure that our interaction with the manatee was as good as possible and he often guided us to the best spot so we could have good interaction. He was also full of facts and information about manatees and the local area and could always answer our questions. A really great experience with two lovely people. We would definitely do this trip again.
Reviews
4.9
based on 3,032 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Jacob_J, Jul 2026
It honestly wasn’t what we were expecting. Previous trips have let you interact with manatees, but on this occasion you couldn’t even touch them. The guide was nice but didn’t really guide us just left us be. We only swam with them for about 20 minutes out of a 3 hour trip and didn’t look for any more just went to a different spot to swim.
Danielle_F, Jul 2026
This was such a unique and fun experience! You need to be quiet and not make a lot of movements in the water, so having a 3yr old made that difficult. She eventually stayed on the boat. They were having trouble finding manatees, but the guides were persistent, and when they did find them they did their best to make sure we didn't miss out. I will definitely do this again
Sarah_G, Jul 2026
There was a slight delay from the rain but once we got out there, riding in the boat searching for a manatee was so peaceful. And once we found it it was a fun experience and truly unforgettable
Beste_G, Jul 2026
We had an absolutely unforgettable experience swimming with the manatees! From start to finish, everything was incredibly well organized, and we felt safe, informed, and genuinely cared for.
Captain Justin was fantastic—friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole trip enjoyable from the moment we got on the boat. Our guide, Storm, was truly exceptional. He guided us so patiently and professionally in the water, making sure we had the best possible encounters while always respecting the manatees. His knowledge, enthusiasm, and calm guidance made us feel comfortable and confident, especially as first-time snorkelers.
This was such a unique and magical experience, and it wouldn’t have been the same without Justin and Storm. They clearly care about both their guests and the manatees, and it shows in everything they do. We can’t thank them enough for making it such a memorable adventure. Highly, highly recommend!
Magdalena_O, Jul 2026
Great time , great people ! Totally worth going ! We loved the experience with those wonderful creatures, definitely worth going
Becky_R, Jul 2026
Our tour guide, Eli, was amazing! He used his drone and found manatees nearly right away. The manatees were so awesome! They would even swim right under us! It was definitely worth the detour!!
Kathy_m, Jun 2026
We came the end of june, and the manatees were scarce, but our crew had a drone, and we were able to scout and find two manatees, a male and a female, and the male was chasing the female. We were able to follow them until they(manatees) decided to take a nap. Then we got to get in the water with them for some close ups. It was wonderful! I would love to do this again. Our captain was Monty and out guide was Eli, they were terrific! Very friendly and fun young men.
Steve_S, Jun 2026
Great experience! Up and close with manatees in the water. Knowledgeable boat captain and guide made sure we maximized our chances of seeing the manatees. Guide took great pictures. Fairly crowded with other groups at times, so the boat captain tried going to other places less congested. Went in June so there were less manatees to view and water visibility was low, however that was not the company’s fault, just timing and conditions. Would definitely come back again in winter time with this same company, Fun2Dive.
Brian_M, Jun 2026
We had a great trip with Fun2Dive. Everyone on the team was super helpful and friendly.
Neal was an AMAZING guide.
Mary_H, Jun 2026
They thought it was wonderful! We would totally do it again. Our captain and guide were awesome!!!!!
Joanne_S, Jun 2026
The staff and captain were very friendly. If your plan is to see manatee up close and personal you will be disappointed.
There are several boats from several “swim with the Manatee” companies with 8, 10 up to a dozen people on each boat all vying to get a chance to get close to a manatee.
Waters are murky, a direct result of the sheer number of people in the water.
It seems a bit cruel to hover over and molest these beautiful creatures.
Georgia_G, Jun 2026
Wonderful experience! Shana Banana and captain Tammy (Justin) were wonderful. We went early in the morning and had to shimmy into our wetsuits. We went during late June so I was worried we may not see manatees, but Shana and Tammy are local experts. We found multiple and got to see them swim right under us!
Ash_Y, Jun 2026
Had a great time with our guide, definitely coming back in the winter to see the aggregation!! 100% recommend this!
William_S, Jun 2026
Shanna and Captain Tammy (Justin) were fantastic! They made for a great day on the water swimming with manatees. Highly recommend Fun2Dive!
Anabertha_S, Jun 2026
Walking into the shop you are surrounded by everything manatee!!! Cool shirts, awesome stickers, beautiful ceramic manatee artwork, dry bags, sandals, and really sweet and friendly workers. We met Shelby she was very helpful and got us all the right size wet suits. Made sure we all got photos with the cute manatee sign. We took a quick shuttle bus to the water. Where we met derek who was very knowledgeable about the area and manatees. Although it was a challenge and at a point seemed hopeless that we were going to be able to get in the water with a manatee, we were ok, we learned a lot about kings bay and the cute little protected islands like banana island, it was such a gorgeous tour seeing all the houses on the water and the fun party that was happening at hunters springs. It was my youngest birthdays she was turning 9 and it was her birthday wish to swim with manatees, and so I remained positive that we would definitely at least see one and we saw three! One popped their head out long enough to say hi and then the two we saw in the canal area. And my daughter got to be face to face with a a manatee and she said he sneezed in her face. That was the the greatest present ever. One manatee floated right underneath me and that was such a special honor to be so close to one of natures most beautiful creatures. Derek was beyond sweet and he didn’t need to be but he was very apologetic. He explained how the manatee season is November to March and if you come at around 7am on a January morning how it’s trying to maneuver around crowds of manatees. Now the kids are excited and are talking about how they would love to come back for winter break. It would be a dream to come back and experience that. Derek was so respectful and calm and I loved witnessing the captain to captain etiquette it was so sweet.
Shelby, Shelby was very knowledgeable, extremely patient and so kind. The kids loved her, and so did we. She was very professional and she was just the perfect guide. She made sure everyone got to see the manatee. We definitely want to come back and we pray hope and wish we get Shelby and Derek again. Shelby was 100% the absolute greatest guide!!! Thank you so much for such a special tour and experience!!!! Shelby we can’t thank you enough!!!!!!
Jennifer_S, Jun 2026
This was such a wonderful adventure for our whole family. Justin(tammy) and Shannon were absolutley fantastic as captain and guide. Even our 5 year old daughter kept up and swam the whole time. Thank you thank you
David_T, Jun 2026
Great experience. Our guide Shannon and captain Alex were great. They did a great job for us to get to swim with a manatee. Since it was summer we really had to go look for the manatees. Already planning to come back in winter when the manatees gather in the springs by the hundreds
Nona_R, Jun 2026
Nice company. Great service. But not the time of year to see manatees. Too much alga bloom. Water so cloudy that visibility is about one foot. Still, the water was refreshing even if the 2 manatees were a mere dark image swimming by.
Valerie_C, Jun 2026
It was awesome. We learned a lot and got to be near the manatee. Even though we couldn’t touch the manatee it was a great experience
Cecilia_D, Jun 2026
Neal & Brody were great! They are both extremely knowledgeable and the manatees are gental giants. Definitely booking again during the winter! Thanks guys!
Jeff_W, Jun 2026
Very professional and knowledgeable staff. We went out of season and still managed to see 2 manatees. Will go back in winter.
Jason_A, Jun 2026
Great boat weather, great captain and first mate. As promised we saw manatees. Captain Derek was very informative. Our first mate was on top of everything. Great job Caitlin! Our 9 year olds loved learning about them.
Kimberly_L, Jun 2026
The experience is amazing. Truely a blessing being allowed to be so close to Gods creation. You normally wouldn’t be able to share a manatee’s personal space and observe the manatee being a manatee. Our captain Chaz and our guide Aubrey taught us so much. Their customer service was top notch. Highly recommend!!!
Tina_M, Jun 2026
Aubrey was a wonderful guide! She understand the manatee. Behavior and was able to get us up close. She also took wonderful photos. It was an amazing experience.
Jennifer_J, Jun 2026
This was fantastic and they were great with my 9 yr old granddaughter! So patient. I think her name was Ashley. Anyway all guides I heard were wonderful!
Stacy_W, Jun 2026
Shelby and Justin were great! Very informative and made sure everyone got to see the manatees! Would definitely recommend doing this tour
Todd_F, Jun 2026
Shelby and Chazz were fantastic on our manatee excursion. Both of them had a ton of knowledge and were super helpful with the kids. 100 percent worth it!
Carrie_F, May 2026
THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, A COMPLETE DREAM COME TRUE. We were a group of 5 ppl who didnt know each other and had captain Ryan and our guide Storm . We each got to have the manatee go DIRECTLY underneath us about 4 times, while we stayed super still. The manatee even hip checked me 😂😂😂 200/10 I WOULD AND WILL ABSOLUTELY DO THIS AGAIN 😍thank you for the trip of a lifetime
Abigail_C, May 2026
We came during the off-season but were lucky enough to see two manatees! We had Storm and Alex as our guides, and you could truly tell how much they care about the manatees and making sure guests respected their space and didn’t overwhelm them. Overall, this was such a unique and fun experience, and I highly recommend it! We’re already planning to do this every time we come to Florida.
Justin_T, May 2026
Our captain (Brody) and guide (Neal) were exceptional and charismatic. If you do this experience, you’ll have a blast. I only give this 4/5 stars because we spent significantly more time in the boat then we did the water with the animals. While we both certainly knew this was out of the guides’ control, advertising differently by season may be something to consider so it feels the experience/pictures match what’s being provided. Congratulations to Neal for getting his Captains license! Keep up the great work, yall.
From $76.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Most Popular 3hr Manatee Swim Tour + In-Water Guide!
3,032
3 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$76.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Boat Rentals
- Water Equipment Rentals
- Self-guided Tours
- On the Water
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Crystal River
- Self-guided Tours - Gainesville
- Boat Rentals - Clearwater
- Water Equipment Rentals - Clearwater
- Self-guided Tours - Clearwater
- Boat Rentals - Tampa
- Water Equipment Rentals - Tampa
- Self-guided Tours - Tampa
Attractions in Crystal River, USA
More attractions near Crystal River, USA