Manatee Swim Tour with In Water Photographer
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Crystal River, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
At Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, you’ll find a truly unique experience: swimming with manatees. It’s the only spot in the world where you can hang with the gentle giants in their natural habitat, though you’ll want a guide to make sure you—and the manatees—have the best experience possible. With this tour, you’ll hop aboard a certified vessel with your in-water guide, snorkeling through the “Manatee Capital of the World.”
- Travel through Kings Bay via US Coast Guard-certified vessel
- Your guide doubles as your in-water photographer
- Wetsuit and snorkel gear provided
- With a maximum of 10 travelers, you'll get a more personalized experience
What's Included
- Wetsuit
- Snorkel Gear
- Bottled water
- In-Water Gude/Photographer
- Safe USCG Certified Boats
- Float Noodles Provided
- Photos and videos available for an additional fee at the end of your tour.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 545 N Citrus Ave, Crystal River, FL 34428, USA
The Explorida Adventure Center is the first Building on the left when turning west on to N. Citrus Avenue from Highway 19.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Explorida - Manatee Swim Tours
3 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge & Visitor Center (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Level One Snorkel Experience Recommended
- Infants are still considered to take up a seat on a USCG Inspected Vessel. You must pay full price for an infant.
- Children Under The Age Of 3 & Pets/Service Animals Are Only Permitted On Private Tours
- This is a wildlife encounter, and due to the unpredictability of Mother Nature, conditions vary daily. If you have any questions, feel free to call
- In order to maintain operational efficiency, we require a minimum of three guests per boat to operate. Guests may purchase additional tickets if the capacity is not met, which will be reimbursed if another group joins.
- Trip Advisor is a third party booking system designed to reserve tours with Explorida Adventure Center. Visit our website for more information and to connect with Explorida directly.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 11 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
Alexandria_D
Was so so fun!! Adam and captain John were so so sweet and knowledgeable. Got to see a baby and a mother manatee. Would definitely recommend and come again. Everyone that works for this company are great.
Reviews
5.0
based on 2,362 reviews
Bryce_P, Apr 2026
Great time! Found plenty of manatees! Staff were very informative, friendly and helpful. The photos were great and inexpensive.
Lana, Mar 2026
This was a great trip and experience! Even though the water was a little murky and the manatees were harder to find due to it being the end of manatee season and it being a warm day. Our boat driver, Chris and guide, Madeline did everything they could to make sure all the guests experienced the excitement of seeing and swimming with the manatees! Madeline was so patient, calm and attentive to all of the participants! We will definitely be back!!
Heidi_W, Mar 2026
Highly recommended, very casual relaxing.AmazingExperience can't leave how close you get to the manatees.Also, you just bring everything on the boat with you.No lockers, they give you a wetsuit to wear.All is great
FABIOLA_B, Mar 2026
I chose this tour because it was advertised as a Spanish-speaking experience for seven people. However, the entire tour was conducted only in English, with no translation provided. This was misleading and very disappointing.
The tour itself felt disorganized, and the guide did not demonstrate strong leadership or structure with the group. There were too many people in the water at the same time, and I was concerned about the lack of proper control and protection for the manatees.
I contacted the company privately to share my concerns but did not receive a response. Unfortunately, this experience did not meet the expectations set by their advertisement.
Katie_S, Feb 2026
Ben and Chris were so helpful and could answer questions. We found many manatee and enjoyed the trip tremendously
Renee_L, Feb 2026
It was out of this world! Being from the Midwest this was such a great experience being able to swim with the manatees.
Nitchapatr_S, Jan 2026
Once in a lifetime experience, I traveled solo for this trip and was a little nervous given that I had little experience with snorkeling but everything went well. All the equipment was provided for and the wet suit and pool noodle really help with buoyancy.
The water was crystal clear, and it was a warmer day relatively for Florida winter but we still see quite a few manatees some swiming by, some sleeping or munching on eel grass.
Faith, our in-water guide and photographer was amazing. She was knowledgeable and taking good care of us.
I would definitely recommend this tour to my friends and family.
Woody_S, Jan 2026
Fantastic experience - 5 Star. Capt Chris and Guide Topher were a fantastic team and we enjoyed a full hour on a beautiful day with 30+ Manatees
Erin_L, Jan 2026
So much fun!!! Great boat captain and great guide. Such an amazing experience to swim around with the Manatees
Justin_R, Jan 2026
Ben and Capt. Gavin were amazing. What an experience! Definitely go when it's cold! The manatee are so friendly.
Julia_M, Jan 2026
Informative trip, amazing staff, felt well looked after. Interaction with these gentle giants was epic. Highly recommend this trip.
Lindsey_H, Jan 2026
Captain GQ and Ben. Made great experience even better. Loved how respectful of the manatee habitat this company is.
Tom_D, Dec 2025
Explorida is very close to the manatees, ~10 min at idle. The water was murky at first. But as I got nearer to the springs, it cleared up. Well worth the $$. The picture package is only $35 for all downloads.
The only negative is that Google Maps initially directed me to the wrong outfitter. If Viator had given me the business's name, it would have been no problem.
Cynthia_B, Nov 2025
I had a great time on this excursion. The guide, Faith, was extremely friendly & helpful. She took extra time to assist everyone on the trip. The boat captain, Donna, was also very helpful showing us where to swim to see the Manatees. I ended up seeing several Manatees & a couple of babies.
Arunee_P, Nov 2025
Our tour is at 7:15 AM. There are only 3 people so I feel like having a private tour. They serve hot tea and hot chocolate. Faith who is our guide show us video what to do when we are in the water. She make sure the wet suits is fitting us.Captain Tyler and Faith took us to the right spot. We saw dolphins on the way. Captain Tyler let us watch it for a while. At the spot, Manatee came to us when we floated. Faith took a lot of nice pictures. We can purchase at the end with reasonable price. In fact it cheaper than I thought. They gave us all digital pictures that she took. I am happy with the tour. The water is clear and nice.
SARAH_B, Oct 2025
There were 4 of us (me, husband, sister, and brother-in-law). This was our first time snorkeling and my husband was having issues (afraid he would disturb the manatees), Captain John helped my husband with the snorkeling anxiety and he even got to experience springs the rest of the group did not experience.
Our guide Meg took us to several spots to watch the manatees, including Three Sisters Spring. We had a great time and highly recommend Captain John and Meg.
Charles_B, Sep 2025
Captain John and snorkel guide were awesome. Lots of fun, knowledgeable and friendly! Great experience for the family.
Julie_E, Aug 2025
You have to experience this once in your life!! It’s amazing!! The guides and captain are very friendly knowledgeable and amazing also!!
Jim_M, Jul 2025
Can’t believe that two manatees appeared on both of sides of me! Another time, one came right up next to me to breath and gave me a brief stare. Fantastic captain and guide. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Visibility wasn’t great so I was happy that we got to see swim in the spring and see some fish too
mrsjessesmom, May 2025
The guides Faith and John were amazing!! They did everything to insure we saw manatees!!! John also took us to see alligators and turtles.
Judith_J, May 2025
amazing. the staff was knowledgeable, professional and organized. Everyone on the boat saw multiple manatees . we even saw dolphins as well .
Alexandria_D, Apr 2025
Was so so fun!! Adam and captain John were so so sweet and knowledgeable. Got to see a baby and a mother manatee. Would definitely recommend and come again. Everyone that works for this company are great.
Karl_K, Apr 2025
Everyone was super excited to share their manatee experiences. Facilities and the boat were pristine. Captain and guide knowledgeable, very safety oriented, for passengers and manatees, and fun. We were up close and personal with several manatees. Definitely a bucket list item.
crystlreyes, Mar 2025
Get ready to have a great experience! Staff is very helpful and make sure you have the best time possible
Denise_S, Feb 2025
Captain Rhonda and guide Faith were exceptional. We saw almost a dozen manatees and the trip was totally awesome. I will definitely return with friends for this excursion. Going to do their scallop diving tour this summer.
Nikki_U, Feb 2025
It was first time swimming with the manatees and the tour guides were awesome. Very friendly and made you feel comfortable getting in the water.
Bridgette_W, Feb 2025
John and Topher were amazing guides. It was so amazing to see the manatees and swim with them. I would highly recommend this.
Sean_H, Dec 2024
Great time, saw about 20 different manatees while swimming. Our snorkel guide Faith was extremely helpful in finding the best spots and also keeping us safe. I will definitely do this again with Explorida
elizabeth_s, Oct 2024
Just being in the water with the manatee in their natural environment. The staff were great in finding a manatee and letting us hang out with it for a little while before riding on.
Swati_U, Sep 2024
The water was clear & cool & it was so lowlkey we learned a lot & was so peaceful to watch the manatees. Its definitely a fun thing to do that you cannot miss. Also everyone is so friendly!
From $74.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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