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
525 NW 7th Ave
Northwest 7th Avenue
You will find us on the water at Paddletail Waterfront Lodge in a 2 story white building
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(57 Ratings)
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Charles_b
Apr 4, 2026
Terrific tour! For the family - Beautiful ride and plenty of wildlife to see and the captain was friendly and knowledgeable. Would do it again!
Review provided by Viator
Chrissy_s
Apr 4, 2026
Great afternoon trip. - Capt Glen was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. He enjoyed the experience as much as we did. The stories were half the fun. We saw several manatees, turtles and ospreys (dad’s and babies).
Review provided by Viator
D2345rmlisad
Mar 31, 2026
Captain Phil - Great boat ride!!! Captain Phil was great! Highly recommend!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pat_b
Mar 27, 2026
Boat Excursion - The boat captain was knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. We saw manatees, many types of birds, turtles, and gators. Also learned history of the area.
Review provided by Viator
G3578financyp
Mar 27, 2026
out on the bay!! - fair price, great experience, easy access, informative boat captains!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
M2533yimarke
Mar 19, 2026
Great cruise! - Excellent!! Capt. Phil was informative, knowledgeable and entertaining! Definitely recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Monty_g
Mar 15, 2026
Great experience - There are always manatees to see, if your guide knows where to look. Very knowledgeable, personable guide. We learned a lot, even though we’ve done this before. We were at another manatee tour the day before and saw zero manatees.
Review provided by Viator
Cathy_s
Mar 3, 2026
Great and reasonably priced manatee experience - We saw dozens of manatees! Captain was so knowledgeable. Comfortable number of passengers. Safe fun!
Review provided by Viator
Y3879vmcarlg
Feb 26, 2026
Captain Philip is excellent - Captain Phillip is an excellent Master Captain explaining everything well with dedication and excitement. Me and my family saw about 20 manatees! I am honestly shocked with the amount of fun me and my family had!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R1778iddaniellem
Mar 18, 2026
Ask the Captain Philip about Elvis! - Friendly Captain with a ton of entertaining local stories. Of course the bay ride was beautiful with some nice sightings. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $35
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).