Crystal River Wildlife Tour: Manatee and More

Discover manatees and diverse wildlife on a cozy, covered boat tour in Crystal River. Stay dry and enjoy the refuge’s natural beauty. Book now!

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Crystal River - Explore the habitat of the manatee in Crystal River from the comfort of our outstanding tour boat. This vessel is covered, heated, and cozy, ensuring your comfort as you take in the sights of the wildlife sanctuary. You might spot our renowned manatees along with various other wildlife like river otters, turtles, ospreys, and more. Please note, this is not a swimming tour.
What's Included
  • Parking fees
Additional Information

Discover the essence of manatee territory in Crystal River while remaining cozy and dry on our outstanding tour boat. This sheltered vessel provides a serene way to appreciate the splendor of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge.
Delight in close-up views of Florida’s rich wildlife, with opportunities to see the renowned manatees, as well as river…

Location
704 NW 6th St
Northwest 6th Street
You will find Captain Mike's behind the Paddletail lodge in a blue building with our sign posted in the front yard.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(22 Ratings)
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Rebecca_h
Jul 28, 2025
Best water tour ever the Crystal River - We were lucky enough to get Captain Glenn, who is very knowledgeable of the manatees and history around the area. We actually got to see a manatee mother and child. We had an awesome time and really enjoyed his company. He did not get annoyed with our many questions. We had so much fun.
Review provided by Viator
Judy_r
Jun 13, 2025
Excellent guide - Able to find manatees even in off season (6/12). Captain grew up here and was a wealth of info. A snorkeling boat joined our water area and made it even better. Captains apparently work together! Great tour and not as expensive. New equipment very clean
Review provided by Viator
Peggy_k
Apr 25, 2025
Loved the way they were... - Loved the way they were ready for us just by name. The Captain was super nice. Lots of stories about the area and what we were looking at.
Review provided by Viator
Cindy_d
Mar 20, 2025
Best boat tour in Florida - My mom and I have a fabulous time. Captian Glenn was absolutely wonderful. He was able to answer questions in great detail. I would definitely refer him! Thank you Captian Glenn
Review provided by Viator
Barbara_r
Mar 15, 2025
Great experience!!! - Great river tour with knowledgeable and engaging tour guides. Wonderful time seeing manatees and also dolphins feeding off mullets.
Review provided by Viator
Randy_m
Mar 14, 2025
Manatee Watching Cruise - We had a great guide that had tons of knowledge about the area and wildlife. Saw some manatees of course, but the water is murky in the bay, so hard to really make out any of the features of the manatee. Either way, a very nice ride for us packed with useful information about the area.
Review provided by Viator
Allan_o
Mar 9, 2025
Our guide, Morgan, was... - Our guide, Morgan, was amazing. She was very knowledgeable, very friendly and did an outstanding job of showing us around and telling about the manatees.
Review provided by Viator
Darlene_h
Jan 3, 2025
Great time with friends - Captain Mike was great!!! Wish we seen more manatees though. Over all great time. Will recomend to others.
Review provided by Viator
Paul
Oct 24, 2024
Great trip - Great afternoon out in the bay. Manatees were spotted within the first 10 minutes. Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic Captain. Lovely clean boat. All all everything we wanted
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mikki_s
Jun 29, 2024
Oh yea! Captain Glen knew his stuff! - Captain Glen was amazing! He knew all the other captains on the bay. So informative. We seen a few dolphins ,manatees ,turtles and the most awesome birds. He knew so much interesting history about the area. Ask him about bird island it’s a cool story. I am definitely returning and doing more adventures with Captain Glen. He took us to all the cool little hidden spots. We were the only ones on the tour that afternoon so it felt very personal and we had an amazing time. Definitely worth it!
Review provided by Viator
From $35
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).