Private 'OG' Manatee Snorkel Tour with Guide for up to 10 people
Crystal River, USA
Private 'OG' Manatee Snorkel Tour with Guide for up to 10 people
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Crystal River, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
While plenty of people come to Florida to see manatees, few get the chance to snorkel in the waters where these majestic creatures live. This private boat tour invites you to swim and snorkel near the gentle giants at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. For lasting memories, photos above and below the water are taken throughout the tour and can be purchased afterward, if desired.
- See Florida wildlife in its natural environment
- All equipment provided for a hassle-free experience
- Swim and snorkel in an area where manatees live
- A private tour ensures plenty of attention from your tour leader
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
Itinerary
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 612 reviews
Berdell_W, Mar 2024
The captain and mate (Micheal and Dani) were great we loved them, I would have rated this 5 stars if maybe we were warned ahead of time that we were going to be in very murky water and not really see much of the manatees. It was a fun day but we only really saw one maybe two and there were a lot of other tours in the same area and we only could spend a limited time with the one we saw. I have done the tour before and it was in the winter in the springs. That is the way to go, don't go anytime past February or you likely won't see many manatee and because the weather is warmer there are lots more people on the water and the manatee leave the springs to go out to the gulf and other areas. So they are hard to find and it is kind of a bummer. Dani was the best part of the trip, she was informative and really helped us at least get around the one maybe two manatee we did see.
Paul_A, Aug 2023
Kelly and Sara were excellent so informative and helpful. We had a great trip as a family, unfortunately the visibility was very limited at times. Kelly took us to a spring for much better views
Overall a great experience.
Donna_I, Apr 2023
Learned so much. Great guide, Dave, and captain, JJ. Beautiful day for an outing on the water. I’d definitely recommend the excursion
Cathy_C, Mar 2023
Great trip with our family! Amazing captain and tour guide! Highly recommend! Saw manatees and learned A lot!
Jennifer_G, Mar 2023
Dave, Kelly, and Bri were the best crew we could have hoped for. Very knowledgeable and knew right where to find the floaty potatoes!
Charlotte_G, Mar 2023
The captain (Tanner) was in constant communication with other captains to try and find the best spot. We were able to see a manatee with her calf. Incredible experience. Faith, our guide, was knowledgeable and attentive. We were traveling with our 7 and 5 year old boys, and they were able to get the most of this experience due to our guide.
Julie_B, Aug 2022
Excellent experience and worth every penny. Capt Shellie and Ryan took great care of our family ensuring we were able to see manatees and enjoy the afternoon. We learned a ton too! Loved it and would give them 10 stars if we could.
Michelle_K, Jun 2022
We had a fab private tour with Ryan!
The captain of the boat was so helpful with our 4 year old.
The river was much smaller than we anticipated and the manatees much larger!
The experience itself was absolutely incredible! Really wonderful! We had briefing, equipment and transportation.
Only improvement and it’s not a criticism -
Ryan took loads of photos of the manatees but my advice for him would be to check out Instagram and see what sort of images people are looking for. I was hoping for a great shot of me and manatee, my son and a manatee but there was lots of manatee shots I could have got off the internet. Really wanted that one awesome shot!
Lauri_H, May 2022
Captain Irish Dave and Marissa made our trip absolutely perfect!!! We had kids who were very hesitant to get in the water but they were so kind and patient and Marissa made every effort to make them feel safe in the water with the manatee. Captain Irish Dave was so encouraging to us and gave us the best experience that everyone could enjoy. I would highly recommend both guides if you have a large family or group.
pinktess, May 2022
Just the best day. Seriously amazing and a privilege to be with such beautiful creatures. We were a party of 9 from 3yrs to 66yrs everyone jumped in and loved it. The guides were awesome too x
Brittany_H, Apr 2022
My friend and I traveled all the way from Michigan and this was at the top of our to do list and we were not dissapointed! We got to see lots of manatees enjoying life, lots of fish, and an alligator. We got to swim privately with 2 different manatees for some time, which was such an amazing experience and they really are super adorable close up! Our guide Sara was awesome, she was knowledgeable and friendly and made finding manatees and staying next to them look so easy. And our boat driver Gavin was really nice too and hooked us up with some manatee mochas (hot chocolate and coffee) which was really great after being in some chilly water. He also had a captain in training who was cool and had some animal facts to share herself. I highly recommend checking them out and seeing some chunky sirens.
Kristin_F, Mar 2022
We were hoping to see a manatee or two but ended up seeing and interacting with many manatees! Lindsey and Kelly were very knowledgeable and fun. Great experience for our family
Jessica_H, Feb 2022
Went for my friend’s bachelorette trip and had a blast! Saw more manatees than we thought and our guide Sarah and boat captain Mike we’re phenomenal! The were so knowledgeable and so friendly! 10/10 would do again and recommend to a friend!
Hannah_S, Jan 2022
Kelly from River Ventures was an amazing guide. Our son, who is a disable adult, needed more attention and care so we paid for a private tour. Kelly never missed a beat and was there making everything possible for him so he had an authentic and special day floating with the creatures he loves. We cannot say thank you enough to this professionally run, well organized, and wonderfully staffed company. If you want to have an experience with the manatees, choose River Ventures!
Troy_B, Dec 2021
Our guide Sarah and Captain Chip were fantastic! We did the private tour and were glad we did. Just the 4 of us with Sarah in the water with 3 huge Manatees and a baby. They came up to us and rolled around like puppy dogs, even looked us in the eyes face to face within inches many times. Couldn't have dreamt of a better experience with those creatures and our crew. This company cares about the Manatees, our environment, and their customers!
Jayne_S, Dec 2021
Skye was so knowledgeable about the aquatic life, and so kind to me. It was my first time snorkeling and she was an excellent teacher and SO very patient to me. I had a wonderful experience that I will never forget.
Debra_P, Dec 2021
Liz was an amazing tour guide. We had 3 kids—ages 6,4 &2. She was so great with them it really made for a family experience we will never forget. We happened upon the perfect weather and saw many manatees.
Mary_H, Dec 2021
The staff helped each family member, from youngest to oldest out into the water so no one was left out due to inability to swim or being afraid. It was ideal for my family because we all got to float with the manatee, and I wasn't the one that had to take each kid, but I was able to float and snorkel without worrying about the kids..
scimoore, Oct 2021
Absolutely fabulous time spent with the manatees, and Trish and Wade!. Highly recommend requesting them as your tour guide! We were a family of 10, 70 year old to 7 year old. Perfect activity for all!
Katie_V, Jul 2021
So! Much! Fun! Lindsey M. and Capt. Peter are the best. They make a great team and were easily able to find manatees for us to enjoy. The manatees were happy to see us, too! Great experience! I do recommend doing a VIP/private tour. That is what we did. There is a lot more room on the boat and more space to enjoy the manatees. The manatees seem to enjoy it more as well.
Clarence B, Feb 2018
The people and booking process were awesome. The only issue was due to the warm temperatures there ware not many Manatee's and only 2 people of our group of 8 got to see them in them water. However the boat operators were great and went out of their way to make sure we enjoyed the trip.
Alene K, Aug 2017
One of the best experiences we have ever had. Love, love, love swimming with the manatees!
Barbara M, Jan 2017
We went into this tour not really knowing what to expect, and we were pleasantly surprise to see so many manatees! Our boat captain and guide were very informative and friendly to those of us in the water, as well as those who remained as observers on the boat. They were also very considerate of other tour groups in the water. The manatees were so curious and interacted with us in the water. We would highly recommend this tour.
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