3 Hour Small Group All Inclusive Manatee Swim with free Photo pkg
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Crystal River, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience the unique thrills that come with getting up close and personal with Crystal River's manatees. This small-group tour offers an educational, exciting, and eco-friendly adventure run by locals dedicated to protecting wildlife. Step away from everyday life into these protected Florida waters to create lasting memories, immortalized in your included photo and video package.
- Don’t worry about packing kit, everything you need is provided for ease
- Discover manatees in their natural habitat: An experience most Florida visitors miss
- Bottled water provided for your refreshment
- Enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of a small-group tour
What's Included
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- wetsuits
- Bottled water
- defog
- photo and video package.
- Gratuities
- Parking (Pete's pier charges a 10 dollar parking fee)
- towels
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 1 SW 1st Pl, Crystal River, FL 34429, USA
When you arrive at Pete's Pier Marina, we'll meet you at the gift shop located in the parking lot of the pier. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. We'll also be contacting you the day before your departure with meeting instructions. We can't wait for your awesome manatee tour!
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- No professional cameras or photographers with out prior consent from operator.
- Not recommended for travelers who are not comfortable at least floating in the water
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 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
Cynthia_J
We loved this manatee tour! Our guides were fun and we learned a lot about the native fauna in the local springs. They did a great job of finding the coolest manatee named Triangle. What a good sweet boy! He kept us entertained. I highly recommend this tour.
Reviews
5.0
based on 1,977 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Jan_B, Jul 2026
This experience was the best way to see manatees. The guides knew where to go and we loved the photos they took of our underwater activity. Highly recommend!
HEATHER_G, Jul 2026
This is the second time I have taken the Go Local tour in Crystal River. The tour is always different depending on the manatees and the tides. There wasn’t much to see regarding manatees since the visibility in the water was so poor, but the trip to the spring and the history tour of the bay more than made up for the manatee scarcity. My grandkids really enjoyed our guides Derek and Eric. We also have fun pictures from the trip. I will definitely take this tour more times with different family members
michael_w, Jul 2026
This was a top notch tour! From the swim guide to the captain everybody made us feel like priority #1! We enjoyed every minute of our tour. We can't wait to come back and do this again!
Rick_K, Jul 2026
The team were fun. They looked after us well. They were very knowledgeable and it was fun learning. We would highly recommend this tour!
Amanda_D, Jul 2026
This was a fantastic adventure! Tommy and Derrick were our guides and they were so knowledgeable and great! Since we took this tour outside of “manatee season” Tommy was clutch and found us the only manatee in the area to swim with (all the other tours then followed. When it was overrun with adventure poachers we moved on and toured around to the three sisters and then to see a couple of gators. Derrick was our in water guide and he was fantastic with the 10 and 5 year old that we had with us. That really made the experience wonderful because the kids were comfortable and safe. All in, we are very much looking forward to coming back when the season is right and will not book with any other company than GoLocal!
Clark_H, Jul 2026
Went on tour in July so only saw one manatee but it was up close. We also went to three sister springs which was amazing. Would recommend going to see manatees in the winter time you will see many more.
We have great time!
Dan_R, Jul 2026
Great day - the tour guides/hosts, Stephanie and Tommy, were very friendly, knowledgeable and likeable.
They really helped make the experience one to remember, 5-stars and highly recommended 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Sarah_N, Jul 2026
The tour was amazing and having locals guide us was the best part. Tommy and Bailey knew the area well as well as the history of the area. Having a small group of 6 gave it a very personal experience and made it very comfortable. We will definitely take the tour again the next time we are in Crystal River.
Cinnamon_W, Jul 2026
Absolutely perfect day with Stephanie and captain Tommy! We saw several manatee and even a few gators in a different area we asked to go to . Three sisters spring was cherry on top!! You cannot do better than this LOCAL tour group , was thinking of kayaks SO glad we choose to get in water instead
Sara_N, Jul 2026
Wonderful, bucket list experience! We went into this knowing it wasn’t manatee season, but just hoping to get lucky. We were not disappointed, as they found us one to swim with right away. We were able to spend ample time with him, as this company keeps their groups small as to not overwhelm the manatee. Then after we had our time swimming along side him, they took us to the springs to snorkel. What a magical day! Their local knowledge and hospitality made all the difference. We will return in the winter for sure and would absolutely book through them.
Marissa_S, Jul 2026
Be patient and have a blast. They provide goggle and wet suit if u want it. Tommy and Stefani are amazing and very knowledgeable about the area and all the animals.
Kaylee_C, Jun 2026
We had an amazing manatee tour in Crystal River! Tommy and Bailey went above and beyond to make sure our family had the best possible experience. They took their time with us, kept us out longer than expected, and found a secluded spot where we were able to get up close and personal with the manatees in a peaceful, unforgettable setting.
Our kids absolutely loved it, and so did we. Tommy and Bailey were knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely cared about making the tour special. This was one of the highlights of our trip, and we would highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Crystal River!
KSpell26, Jun 2026
Peter and Stephanie were awesome! They made sure we got to see and swim with manatees. I love the photo package included. They were very patient with our 5 year old and ver knowledgeable about the area. Overall it was a great experience. Would definitely stay local and go out with them again!
Katie_A, Jun 2026
This was hands-down one of the best tours we’ve been on. Tommy and Jessica positioned us perfectly to get close to the manatees and gave clear, easy-to-follow instructions so we could see them up close. We changed into wetsuits right on the boat so we could hit the water quickly and beat the other tour groups out to the manatees.
Jessica was incredibly knowledgeable — she answered every question we had about the manatees and the surrounding area with ease. You could tell she really loves what she does.
Overall, it was the best day! Highly recommend this tour if you want an unforgettable manatee experience.
Kris_D, Jun 2026
We had a great time. 5 manatees went into the springs just ahead of us and we were otherwise by ourselves. The guides were great at finding them and taking us to swim with them. They even got many great photos of everything. 7:00 am is the time to go in the summer.
Alison_E, Jun 2026
My family of four had a very fun experience with Misty and Derick. I would recommend this tour to any family looking to experience manatess and the three sisters springs.
Kenneth_J, Jun 2026
Our family had so much fun on this tour! Our guides were wonderful and knowledgeable! We highly recommend Go Local to anyone who wants to swim with the manatees!
Megan_S, Jun 2026
Amazing group of people, they were knowledgeable, professional, funny, and caring to our family and helping with the little kids. Absolute great guide and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They were safe and the equipment was in good condition. A strong recommendation for families and small groups. Not to mention they are all locals with amazing recommendations of the local area. I wish I could live on the boat it was so much fun.
Laurie_S, Jun 2026
Peter was our captain, and Josh our guide. Both were so knowledgeable about the Manatee and gave us a great history of this area. Peter led us to Three Sisters Springs, and Josh guided us in the water to four Manatee- a pregnant mother, a baby, another female and a frisky male. The water was so clear in the springs- just incredible! Also, I had never snorkeled before- I am 65 and a little scared of water , not a proficient swimmer-Josh and Peter were very patient in teaching me, and I cannot wait to snorkle again! My photos will show our fantastic time!
Tiffany_B, Jun 2026
Jessica and Pete were amazing tour guides. We found manatees twice. Jessica is so sweet and she guides you right to where you need to be to get the best experience. The manatee came up for air a foot in front of our faces. Thank you for a memory that will truly last a lifetime!
Jason_E, May 2026
Incredible experience and the guides were friendly and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour.
LeAnna_F, May 2026
Josh and Derrick were amazing!! Despite it being end of May and very hot out they worked hard to find us a couple of manatees and a baby! They made the whole afternoon entertaining! They are a local company and we will use them again!!!
James_V, May 2026
Excellent guides. Stephanie was knowledgeable and answered all our questions. We same so close to three manatees. After that we got to cruise around the bay and saw alligators and osprey nests.
Alice_G, May 2026
It was an awesome experience. We had really good time hanging out with many manatees. My husband got a little hug which is very rate from one of them!! Our guides took care of us very well too. We are not good swimmers so had to rely on Derrick. I hope I got his name right. I recommend this small group tour. We will be back for sure and use their service again!
Marcia_I, May 2026
We had Pete and Cornell as our captain and guide. They were very knowledgeable and safety conscious. We learned a lot about the manatees and will always use Go Local because it’s keeps the benefits in the community. We had the most wonderful day and made unforgettable memories. Thank you Pete and Cornell!
Marcia and Joanne
Teresa_T, May 2026
The experience was well explained. We were told in detail what to expect and how we should Interact with the manatee we encounter. Our guide and captain Pete embraced all the guests on board even one we had with us that had never been on a boat!!! Cornell was our water guide and photographer. We were in the water within minutes and snorkeling with the manatee. The experience was unmatched for me as far as the interaction. We than were taken to sister springs, a beautiful spring oasis 💜. We were able to snorkel in the beautiful CLEAR springs. Of course our trusted guide and photographer was right with us every float of the way. Back aboard the boat 2 manatee ( momma and baby)were seen and again we were given the opportunity to get back in the water. I chose to go and of course my trusted guide came along. This was a experience that I will continue to give me wonderful memories!! Also age is not a obstacle go enjoy yourself and let Pete and Cornell bring you on a adventure you won't forget 😉
Sherry_D, Apr 2026
Captain John and Derek were amazing! Our group was only 4 people, including us, and they did a fantastic job of not only finding manatees, but working with us to make us feel comfortable, and explaining everything to us before we even got in the water with the manatee. Snorkeling alongside the manatee was a bucket list item for me, and it was unbelievable.! I can’t wait to see the pictures that Derek took!! I would highly recommend Go Local to anyone as a tour guide. They are the last private, local born and raised manatee tour group out there, and their knowledge of the area shows it. You won’t regret choosing them!
Thomas_B, Apr 2026
The personal in GoLocal in Crystal River is fantastic! The manatees trip was great but even better with the crew from GoLocal.
Absolutely the best recommendation!!
Linda_D, Apr 2026
It's the only small local tour company left in Kings Bay. They were amazing!! Very knowledgeable about everything. They were fun and very good with the area and the animals around us. They gave me excellent tips with the wetsuit (I'm claustrophobic) and on how to snorkel and float around the manatees. I had never done any of this before. Getting in the water I was scared and starting to panic. They talked me through it all and helped me get settled in the water and be calm. After swimming with the manatees for an hour, everyone else had gotten out and I didn't want to get out of the water and leave the manatees!! On top of all this, there was a wonderful photographer in the water with us the whole time, taking great pictures and leading us to the manatees as they swam around the small area. Also, the pictures were all included in the very reasonable price.
Sheila_B, Apr 2026
Had a wonderful time with Tommy and Derek!! The captain and guide were very knowledgeable and friendly. 10 star experience! Thank you for a great time! Always book local!
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3 Hour Small Group All Inclusive Manatee Swim with free Photo pkg
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