Swim with Manatees - Crystal River, Florida

James C.

Our trip was great. I don't recall our guides name, but it was Captain something. Awesome dude, super knowledgeable and informative about not only the manatees but the other wildlife and area. Though the recent hurricanes made it difficult to see anything in the river our guide busted his butt to get us near the manatees.
We got to see some turtles, bunch of birds, and even spotted a good sized gator.

If you're in Crystal River area, ya gotta do this tour, it's absolutely amazing and unforgettable.

Nyimas Y. I. A.

Do the snorkeling with manatees! You won’t regret it. The 4 of us went on Dec 30, 2024. Captain Parker and Janice were the best! Cpt Parker’s humor was leaving us smiles the entire time and Janice’s photography skills captured it all. Get the photo package too, you’ll be glad you did! As the mom, I’m usually the one taking the photos but I’m glad Janice was doing it for me so I can have a more immersive experience visiting the manatees at their home. We saw sooo many, including a mama and her baby, and one playful one with belly ups and wanting to be close enough for me to touch. Cpt Parker and Janice gave us some really good environmental and conservation information and education about the manatees and wanted us to let y’all know to come visit. Great times, no regrets, and we want to return!

Alex N.

We went on a very cold day (the day it snowed in Jacksonville 2025). Saw an abundance of manatees whom were super friendly and gentle. Had a great tour guide in Homossasa Springs. Highly recommend! Great experience!

Jenn A.

We had an amazing experience. Captain Chris was fantastic. He was fun, knowledgeable and patient. Such a surreal experience to be up close with a manatee.

ROBERT M.

This was a bucket list item for me, after 30 minutes in the water we swam with 6 different Manatees. This was early in the migration season, so there weren't hundreds of them. The water isn't crystal clear as seen in many ads on the internet. But this was a great experience, the captain was a great help spotting the Manatees and very knowledgable. Our boat only had 5 of us, we were told that they don't take more than 6 at a time. This was a great day adventure.

Ricki M.

Booking was easy. The shop is located in the big shopping center, it's not the other one with sea life on the windows off by itself nearby. The door was unlocked around 7:30 so everyone could check-in and wait for the briefing at 0745. We walked through the mini museum that provided education about the aquatic plants and wildlife native to the area, as well as invasive species. A safety brief was given and a 10 minute video was shown. From there, everyone changed into wetsuits and divided into groups with our own instructors, our group's was Jessica. It was a short bus ride to the boat, where Kevin took us out in the water to try and find manatees. It was pretty busy for being the first trip of the day, with other boats, kayakers and people in the water. We quickly found a mama and her baby and spent about an hour with them. We were greeted by two other manatees in that time that happened to swim by our small group of 4. After our time in the water we were bussed back to the shop and got there around 1030. Prices for souvenirs in the shop were reasonable. Overall, everyone was very friendly and I would absolutely recommend this adventure to others. Just be aware that you're not in the water for 3 hours, from start to finish is 3 hours.

Edward S.

Fantastic!! Hire the photographer she was great. Crossed the swim with manatees off my bucket list. Captain was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Oconee C. T. 1.

Our Boy Scout Troop had an incredible experience with the many Captains of Swim with Manatees. We had 24 participants spread over 4 boats. The entire experience was absolutely magical. Everyone on our trip saw several Manatees. The captains were kind, knowledgeable, polite, friendly, and incredibly well organized. They answered all of our questions up-front and we had everything we needed to organize our trip. During the boat ride, the captains gave us some insightful background information about the manatees and the river at Homosassa. I highly recommend paying for the photography package. Even with a large group, the photographer was able to get pictures of everyone as well as the manatees. We will absolutely be back next year and can't recommend this trip enough!