Crystal River, Manatee Swim Group Tour

explorida

Explore one of the only places on Earth where you can get up close and personal with manatees. Snorkel right next to these gentle giants on this three-hour tour in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge.

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge

❮ ❯

See more photos

Voted one of the top 10 World’s “Bucket List” Experiences in 2022, swimming with manatees is something you cannot miss while in Florida. Citrus County is revered as the manatee capital of the world, and swimming with manatees in their natural habitat is a privilege. Coming face to face with a thousand pound gentle giant is an experience unlike any other in the world!

During your introduction to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission's "Manatee Manners" video, you'll learn all about manatees and how to behave around them. This ensures that you have a super time snorkeling with these gentle giants while not disturbing any other their natural behaviors.

After sliding into wetsuits, your guide will take you on a 5-minute van ride to the dock where you will be greeted by your Master Captain. As you hop aboard a safe, comfortable, and clean US Coast Guard certified vessel, you will to embark on your journey into the Kings Bay refuge waters. Offering information on ecology, history and some silly anecdotes about our area, your crew will offer the best manatee eco-tour in Crystal River, FL.

Your captain and guide are very skilled in locating manatees even in the most challenging conditions. When it's time to ease into the water, your guide will give you a snorkel lesson and help get you comfortable in the water. They will be your personal photographer and assistant every step of the way, making your manatee tour safe and memorable.

The amount of time you will spend snorkeling in the water with manatees varies greatly as these are wild animals and their behaviour changes by the day and even the hour. If they are not found in the springs areas, you will typically have time to swim into one of the springs after the manatee portion of your tour.

At the end of the tour, your guide will bring you back to the shop where you can view their pictures and videos and decide if you'd like to purchase them.