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Private Manatee Snorkel Tour: Swim with Gentle Giants
5.0
502 Ratings
Crystal River
This exclusive snorkeling tour with manatees is only for 3 hours, but the experience it offers will stay with your team forever! Your personal USCG certified captain will set sail with your private team to discover the sanctuary and bring you face to face with these ‘quiet mammoths’!
This exclusive snorkeling tour with manatees is only for 3 hours, but the experience it offers will stay with your team forever! Your personal USCG certified captain will set sail with your private team to discover the sanctuary and bring you face to face with these ‘quiet mammoths’!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- River Ventures - After checking in at the tour center you will watch a brief video about the manatees, go over the rules of swimming and how to interact in a manner that is fun for both you and the manatees. You are then fitted for a wetsuit to prepare you for your snorkeling adventure. Your guides will photograph the highlights of your entire…
- River Ventures - After checking in at the tour center you will watch a brief video about the manatees, go over the rules of swimming and how to interact in a manner that is fun for both you and the manatees. You are then fitted for a wetsuit to prepare you for your snorkeling adventure. Your guides will photograph the highlights of your entire manatee swim tour from start to finish, both above and below the water. Upon returning to the tour center, a high-resolution picture CD containing images from your manatee tour will be available for you to purchase if desired.
What's Included
- Expert guidance led by a professional
- Exclusive private tour experience
- Complimentary bottled water
- All necessary equipment provided
- Multilingual introductory video available (English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish)
- Expert guidance led by a professional
- Exclusive private tour experience
- Complimentary bottled water
- All necessary equipment provided
- Multilingual introductory video available (English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish)
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
- DVD (available to purchase)
- Gratuities
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
- DVD (available to purchase)
Additional Information
- Price reflects 1 to 10 people
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Post COVID-19 Policy- We are mindful to thoroughly clean water vehicles between visitors.
- Price reflects 1 to 10 people
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Post COVID-19 Policy- We are mindful to thoroughly clean water vehicles between visitors.
Location
River Ventures
Southeast Kings Bay Drive
River Ventures Manatee Tour and Education Center, please arrive 15 minutes early.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(502 Ratings)
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Guide64148007685
Apr 22, 2025
Amazing encounters with Manatees - This was an amazing tour ! It went above and beyond my expectations. I had so many close encounters with a baby manatee. It acted like a puppy turning upside down and showing its belly. Got its snout right next to me a couple of times too:) It would have not been the same if not for our guide Joanna and the Captain. Since I don't really know how to swim and got super overwhelmed once I got in the water. I didn't know how to properly breathe with my mouth alone. Thanks to the Captain for showing me how to do that properly and also for my guide to handhold me throughout the whole experience. I felt so much more comfortable and was able to enjoy the experience so much more! This experience will be forever in my memory !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R8408okjoshuam
Apr 20, 2025
So much fun! - What an experience. From the start at the shop to the boat, they put us on manatees and showed our group a great time! Captain Dex and Guide Crystal were the best and kept feeding information about the manatees and the crystal river, along with the multiple springs we visitied. Hot chocolate kept the kids happy between dips in the water. Even just at the tail end of the season, we got to see at least 4 different manatees and will be back!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erinmi6850to
Apr 20, 2025
Great experience - Even though we went slightly off season, we still had a fantastic time and were able to see and swim with some manatees. We had Crystal as our guide and Dex as the captain. We highly recommend them both. We had a lot of fun and can’t wait to go again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
550meishaj
Apr 20, 2025
Manatee Swim - Crystal and Melissa were great guides and we had a wonderful time. They offered great insights into the area, local wildlife, life on the river, and great information about manatees. They made sure we were able to have a beautiful encounter with the manatees. We also had lots of great photos options from our adventure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennaf741
Apr 15, 2025
Fun activity for the family! - The trip was great! Unfortunately, due to the time of year there were not many manatees, but our guides were awesome and they did everything they could to find us manatees. They also brought us to some springs where the water was clear and we saw some fish and enjoyed some more snorkeling. It was cooler for the 7 am tour, make sure you have towels or coats to keep you warm when you get out of the water!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stepeasy
Apr 12, 2025
Celebrating my daughter’s birthday with the manatees - Best experience ever James and Capt JJ are awesome. James helped me when I was suffocating I swallowed a water that went inside the tube. They even sang a song to my girl because its her birthday. Definitely recommend to go here. Next time when we come back we will go January or feb to see more manatees. Awesome jobs guys!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Natalietn8654mr
Apr 7, 2025
Manatee Experience… - This was our first time ever going out to see the manatees. I would highly recommend it!!! Maleah was our tour guide (I want to say our captain was Drew) horrible at names. Before we got on the boat she already had people laughing, on our way out we would spot a few manatees and she would make sure we got to see them. Maleah knew what she was doing she answered everyone’s questions and even threw in a few somewhat funny jokes. Once we got into the water she would make sure to point out and get us to where the manatees were. I am headed back down to
Florida in May again with my kids (I did this kid less last time) and I can’t wait to share this experience with them. I ready reached out to see if I could request the same tour guide which you can. Sorry Maleah you get stuck with me again and now my kids.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eloisee581
Apr 6, 2025
Excellent experience- get there early - I had an amazing experience on the 6 AM manatee tour with River Ventures! From the moment we set off, the calm and peaceful early morning atmosphere set the perfect tone for the adventure. Our guides, Carlos and Kelly, were incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about the manatees and the natural environment. They made sure we were comfortable and informed throughout the tour.
We got to see manatees up close in their natural habitat, which was a magical and unforgettable experience. Carlos and Kelly shared interesting facts about the manatees and the surrounding ecosystem, and they were great at ensuring we had the best possible experience while being respectful of the animals.
If you're looking for a unique and peaceful way to start your day, I highly recommend the 6 AM manatee tour at River Ventures. Thanks to Carlos and Kelly, this tour was an absolute highlight of my trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
796collinm
Mar 26, 2025
Best experience in a long time - My review is 100% I liked our guide Trish and Captain Wade, they were awesome. Mannatees are cool and fun and they made us hot chocolate that was delicious. I had 3 cups!
Jake -7
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Johnhm6551vm
Mar 25, 2025
Great guide, great captain, great morning - Great time; everything as advertised. With the manatees immediately while they did their thing.
After plenty of time with manatees moved to snorkel dive at the spring mouth, which was great; fish, crabs and crystal clear water.
Guide Natalie was fantastic; super positive, encouraging, and helped true beginners. Made it a great experience for our whole family.
Captain Kevin also great, fun loving, knowledgeable, and clearly protective in the best of ways of the whole area to make sure all were safe and the habitat kept friendly for the true inhabitants.
Overall excellent experience, and a great way to spend the day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
