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
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Tommy_M
We had an awesome experience. They book small groups so we were able to see so many manatees and not be overcrowded. Stef and Josh were so knowledgeable and really cared about giving us a great experience. Stef took tons of pictures for us. We will definitely be using them any time we do this again!
Reviews
5.0
based on 1,840 reviews
Jennifer_S, Mar 2026
Josh and Cornell were great and I highly highly recommend this locally owned and operated tour! Super chill, small group tour with tons of educational moments and best of all we got to spend time with the coolest sea creatures! We were pretty lucky for the end of March and saw 4 or 5 manatees nomming away like little vacuum cleaners.The water was a bit murky, but not that bad. They were very up front about conditions/likelihood of seeing some sea loafs 2 days before we headed out, which was nice of them. The trip over to the spring was also very pretty 😍
Megan_E, Mar 2026
So much fun! Pete and Abby were so knowledgeable, personable and fun to be around. They made sure we had a 10/10 experience and we did! We got SO much time with the manatees - not the quick 20 minute pit stop to check the box like it feels like some tours are. It was so cool to see the manatees doin’ their thing. Plus there were only 6 people on the boat total, so you didn’t feel like you had to compete with someone to see a manatee. The small group was so nice. Definitely would do again!
Elizabeth_N, Mar 2026
The best experience I could ask for! Small group with an amazing crew and captain. The close encounters with the manatees were magical. This was a bucket list excursion and I am more than satisfied. Highly recommend.
Jennifer_M, Mar 2026
Relax and enjoy. The Manatees are precious amazing creatures. You respect them and your experience will be unforgettable.
Ryan_A, Mar 2026
Josh and Cornell were amazing guides! The experience was a dream come true. Josh was very knowledgeable about the manatees and their ecosystem.
Jennifer_F, Mar 2026
Can’t say enough positive things. Josh and Derick (Go Local) treated us like family and provided a wonderful experience. They went above beyond. We swam with manatees, saw a clear water spring and learned lots of interesting things about the area and about their experiences growing up. We also saw alligators (to be clear- not anywhere near where we were swimming) when Josh and Derrick took us around the area on the boat. The hot chocolate was wonderful and having all of the pictures included made it extra special because we could just enjoy the experience while Derick took all of the pictures.
Xiyan_Z, Mar 2026
It was a great experience! Communication was clear on parking, what to bring, and what to expect. We were with Josh and Cornell, and they were both great! Helped us learn about the manatees and the importance of conservation in the area. We saw the lovely manatees and got lots of great pics.
Angela_B, Mar 2026
GoLocal was a fantastic company run by hometown guys. They knew the area, they were quick to find manatee and get us up close. The group size (just 6 of us) was perfect - anything bigger would be crowded and overwhelming. There were other tour groups that had 12 people, which was too many. Derrick and Peter were friendly, knowledgeable and really seem to care about the manatee. Great experience for all of us, even my 76 year old dad. Highly recommend!
Gloria_H, Mar 2026
This was an awesome small group tour with a locally owned company. Went to a great area to swim with the manatees.
Tommy_M, Mar 2026
We had an awesome experience. They book small groups so we were able to see so many manatees and not be overcrowded. Stef and Josh were so knowledgeable and really cared about giving us a great experience. Stef took tons of pictures for us. We will definitely be using them any time we do this again!
Joan_K, Mar 2026
We were fitted with wet suits and swam with the manatees. When we were done they had hot chocolate for us to warm up and a private changing area to get out of our wetsuits and bathing suits. The 2 guides were friendly and knowledgeable and encouraging. Can’t recommend this more highly!!!!
Jody_R, Mar 2026
What a great time we had out on Crystal River today. Fantastic boat and crew. Very helpful, knowledgeable, and truly committed to our group having a wonder experience. With a small group tour, plenty of room on the boat and no “cattle car” experience. The tour was both educational and enjoyable. We were taught proper techniques for navigating around/with the manatees to ensure we both had a pleasant interaction. We got in the water and observed the manatees for quite some time up close and personal. After our swim, we were greeted back on the boat with a big cup of hot chocolate. We motored around a bit and got a nice tour of Kings Bay. My family had an awesome time and we will certainly be back. A small group tour is the only way to go.
Mike_S, Mar 2026
Pete and Stephanie were awesome guides. Swimming to see the manatees is way better than kayaking. Would definitely recommend this!
Jennifer_L, Mar 2026
Such a great tour with our local guides. The thing I appreciated the most was the proactive communication to set expectations as we were traveling after the season was over. They worked hard to find a manatee and make sure we had a great tour. Definitely recommend.
Paul_O, Mar 2026
Use Go Local to see the Manatees. Locally owned and staffed. We swam with Manatees while other groups did not. Great friendly knowledgeable staff.
Jason_G, Mar 2026
We had a wonderful trip!
The guide, Stephanie was knowledgeable and friendly.
The captain Aiden was great and kept us all safe and got us to the manatees
Both were very friendly and helpful, local to the area and very engaging.
Loren_H, Mar 2026
We had a great time. It was good to get text messages prior to the trip describing the anticipated conditions for our outing. Aidan and Stephanie were outstanding guides for the trip. We highly recommend the local company for your swim with the manatees.
John_J, Mar 2026
This trip couldn't have gone better. The guides were incredibly engaging and had good senses of humor. They helped us really get the most of an off season visit. The water was murky and the time slot was lowest odds but guess what? Not only did we find manatees but we GOT TO SEE A BABY! It really was surreal and magical. I would for sure be going back here again but next time during peak season. Seriously dedicated to their trade!
Nick_C, Mar 2026
Amazing swim with manatees. The captain and guide were both attentive and kind. We found a spot where other groups weren’t while others were stuck in big groups of people we had a semi private tour. Beautiful and highly recommend.
Melissa_R, Mar 2026
Great experience! We really enjoyed swimming with the manatee. Our tour guide was great and pointed out things along the way.
Sara_C, Mar 2026
We had an amazing tour with Walter and Lindsey! They knew exactly where to go to find the manatees so we were able to get close enough to swim right alongside them. We even got to see a mama and her baby, which was hands down the coolest experience. I highly recommend Go Local for your manatee tour — we would give them 10 stars if we could!
Tracy_K, Mar 2026
The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. He noticed right away that I was struggling with snorkeling and gave me a different mask. Felt like hanging out with friends
Adam_P, Mar 2026
Great experience and great guides. Provided equipment worked great and it was so cool seeing Mantatees up close
Kimberly_A, Mar 2026
If your goal is to get up close with manatees in their natural habitat, then this is your adventure! Everything is provided for you and they go out of their way to help you have a wonderful experience! I got to check this off my bucket list AND do it with my 8 year old granddaughter! I will return with my other grandkids next time.
Catherine_L, Mar 2026
Perfect, real-life manatee experience. You are literally taken to areas they live and motor around until you find them.
It is an observation in their natural habitat not an aquarium or preserve.
They are beyond magical to experience up close and personal.
Dylan and Cornell were our hosts — they were fantastic from everything related to gear, educating us on the manatees and the Crystal River area.
The water was a bit chilly when I first got in — but with the wetsuit it was not an issue at all. The experience does require snorkeling, wetsuit seasonally, and floating on a pool noodle. If you would like to be able to stand at any point, I suggest water shoes as well.
As outlined they provide photos and videos so no need to bring your own.
Sandy_w, Mar 2026
We loved this experience! Highly recommend it. The small boat capacity and laid back atmosphere were perfect. We saw so many manatees and really enjoyed talking with the local guides. Important to note is this tour is run by locals who grew up in crystal river and have respect for the wildlife/area.
Darcy_R, Feb 2026
Walter Made the experience great from bringing us to a place where we had only our group swimming up close with the manatees and a hot beverage after getting out of the cold water. Very enjoyable experience.
Loren_R, Feb 2026
We saw manatees in clear water but only two and a large crowd. We went to another place where there were many manatees and hardly anyone else there but the water was murkier
sunburntx2, Feb 2026
Excellent excursion! Captain Peter and his mate (sorry, I don’t remember his name) took great care of us. They were friendly, polite and informative. They assisted us with the wetsuits and snorkel gear, making sure of a good fit. The pre-instruction was very helpful. Once in the water, the mate made sure to guide us to the manatees. I can’t wait to see the pictures that he took. We saw many many manatees! Having a place to put dry clothes on and drink some hot chocolate when we got out of the water was much appreciated! 10 of 10!
Kelly_J, Feb 2026
Great captain and crew and amazing experience. Would highly recommend this company. So much fun to swim w manatees.
From $90.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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