Manatee Tour plus Snorkeling
4.5
Manatee Tour plus Snorkeling
By Manatee Tour and Dive
About
Discover some of Florida’s most treasured wild animals in their native habitat, and enjoy the rare opportunity to see manatees up close, when you book this snorkeling tour of the Crystal River. Make your own way to the departure point, where you’ll meet your guide, grab your wetsuit and other gear, and take part in a comprehensive introduction and training session. Then, grab your snorkel and take to the water. With luck, you’ll get to admire pods of manatees paddling by.
Ages 0-99
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Highlights
- This beginner-friendly tour makes snorkeling fun and accessible
- Have the special chance to see wild manatees in their natural habitat
- All instructions, training, and snorkeling gear are included for your ease
- Cruise along Florida’s scenic Crystal River
- Use of Snorkelling equipment
What's not included- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Start:
- Crystal River, Crystal River, Florida
Pickup details- Location Name: Manatee Tour & Dive Location Address: 36 NE 4th Street Crystal River Florida 34428
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 30027P1
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Please note: it is required that you arrive 45 minutes prior to the departure time to dawn wetsuits and watch a mandatory 10 minute instructional video
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 30027P1
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- kristinhalldorsd20190 contributionsA "Must-Do" Manatee Tour Experience in FloridaWe had a fantastic time on the snorkeling tour we took on Sunday morning, March 17, 2024. The guides from Manatee Tour & Dive led us to Three Sisters Springs, where we had the opportunity to observe two manatees up close. Witnessing these gentle creatures swimming nearby was truly amazing. The dedication and respect our guides showed towards the animals were evident and heartwarming. Matt enthusiastically answered all of our questions about the manatees and shared stories about the region and alligators, which added to the enjoyment of the experience. We felt safe and well-cared-for throughout the tour, thanks to the attentive care provided by the guides. Steffi also contributed greatly to our positive experience. I highly recommend this company to anyone seeking an unforgettable manatee encounter in Crystal River, Florida.Written 18 March 2024
- tpresphoto0 contributionsManatee tourDespite poor conditions like murky water and late season John ( guide) and Captain Wayne worked hard to put us on manatees. We did see several surface. Underwater viz was only about 4ft so no pic underwater. One did play footsie with me. Good tour. The wetsuit made the water comfortable.Written 18 March 2024
- JoseantRodriguezjr0 contributionsAmazing experienceI recently had a manatee tour with this company and I have nothing but good to say about my experience. Chase was very helpful with setting up and preparing everyone for the excursion. Luke, Jadon, and Harold gave a great tour. They shared great knowledge about the waters and knew where all of the main spots for manatees are. I am extremely excited to take the Manatee tour again with this company. If you’re ever in Crystal River, Florida looking for a manatee tour, this company is highly recommended.Written 16 March 2024
- jackiemartinjr3040 contributionsA must do while visiting the area.Brooklyn and Captain Wayne were great, very informative of the species and the area. It was a great adventure full of excitement and education.Written 15 March 2024
- jeansG7537YV0 contributionsWE had a blast Swimming with Manatees.We had a blast! It was a long trip but so worth it. We were grandmas and teenage grandsons and everybody enjoyed the experience. Chase, Brookelyn, and Capt. Chad are so warm and friendly. Capt. Chad and Brookelyn know all the manatees' secret spots. Capt. Chad was great at coaching inexperienced snorkelers. Brookelyn knows exactly how to calm you down when a very big manatee swims right under your face. I hope to do this again.Written 13 March 2024
- valeriesC3603HM0 contributionsDelivered on an unforgettable experience!We reached out to Manatee Tour and Dive after another local company we had booked with called us after a two hour drive to encourage us to cancel stating they couldn’t find manatees. They helped us get a last minute swim tour and educated and entertained our group…lo and behold we found a few manatees and had a wonderful experience! Matt and Jacob were absolutely priceless!Written 10 March 2024
- caleighfabro0 contributionsFantastic ExperienceSo grateful to have enjoyed our tour with Ms. Brooklyn and Cpt. Matt. Both were poised, friendly, and knowledgeable about the area and the manatees. This was a bucket list for my Aunt and myself. We enjoyed the 3 sisters springs and some quality with the manatee in the area. It was truly lucky as it was almost going to be bit slow for the sweet creatures. My family and I appreciate their friendliness and can’t wait to see moreWritten 5 March 2024
- WNYMama50 contributionsBest so far!Captain Chad and Jacob were the best! Saw so many Manatees! Way better than other outfits in the pastWritten 29 February 2024
- shafferno0 contributionsManatee tour diveAmazing time. Our host was amazing. It was colder than expected this year due to weather. Will be back.Written 29 February 2024
- brittanycbeam0 contributionsFeb 2024My boyfriend and I have been wanting to swim with manatees for a while, we found these guys and they were really great! Gary was our capt and Luke was our guide, they were both welcoming and very informative. We were educated on the dos and donts when it comes to manatees. We will definitely be backWritten 27 February 2024
- hil48ly0 contributionsAmazing ExperienceOur tour guide Amanda was amazing, and Captain Brad too. Our tour had the amazing experience of seeing so many Manatees up close. Strongly encourage experiencing this!Written 25 February 2024
- rachelbH2008BB0 contributionsGood experience but location had too many peopleI was really looking forward to this experience and it was a good time but the location they took us to on Kings bay simply had way too many people in my opinion--there were at least 3 other tour boats along with other private boats and kayakers. I feared we were crowding the manatees :( Additionally i saw they posted an instagram story a few days later of a tour out of 3 sisters springs if given the option I would have preferred to select that location but didn't see an option during the booking process. Everyone was super nice and it was a great tour with good info about manatees and direction on how to ethically swim with them but just too many other tour operators in that location.Written 19 February 2024
- raines395620 contributionsGreat timeHad a great time seen a lot. I would recommend doing the morning tour the evening tour was very busy and the water was getting clouded.Written 18 February 2024
- 359bonnieg0 contributionsUnique experienceI have snorkel 7 times with manatees in last 2.5 yrs. I am addicted. I have used manatee Tour and Dive 3 times. Each time is unique. Yesterday they took use to Three Sisters. I saw at least 10 manatees. They just released 3 injured ones and weather was great. I did the 2 pm tour.Written 15 February 2024
- Culture6480323770 contributionsFantastic manatee tourI had a fantastic time saw so many manatees. Our guide was great took photos and was friendly and professional.Written 14 February 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
97 reviews
Excellent
80
Very good
9
Average
3
Poor
3
Terrible
2
Heather H
1 contribution
Jul 2020
We had such a great time! From the time we walked into the building until we left, was A+ customer service. Bill was a pleasure to work with to get us set up on the trip. Brian was an excellent boat captain and even helped getting on equipment and spotting the manatees. John was the best tour guide. He put us right on the manatees and even strategically staged photo opps for us with the manatees. I high encourage you to check them out. This was definitely the highlight of our trip! Thanks MTD!
Written 13 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DOROTHY S
MERRITT ISLAND11 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We had a wonderful day swimming with the manatees. Our tour guide, John, and our boat captain, Alex, made sure we were well prepared to interact with the manatees in a safe and respectful way. It was amazing!!
Written 23 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alexandria B
5 contributions
Aug 2020
We had a terrific experience! They delivered excellent customer service and exceeded our expectations! This was our first trip to Crystal River and we took two 10 year old boys. The tour was fantastic! Bill was very easy to book with and Makayla and Bryan took us out on the boat. They were great with the boys, very knowledgeable, and we had a great day! Can't wait to go back and we will definitely book with them again.
Written 14 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yishan l
1 contribution
Nov 2017 • Friends
we saw nothing and the spot they brought us was filled with 30 other people. I asked why not bringing us to three sisters and the captain said that area was protected and we were not allowed. We rented a kayak and went to three sisters on our own in that afternoon Water was very clear and guess what? I saw manatees. So captain just lied in front of our face. Don't use my money to buy the 5 star ratings please. I want my money back.
Written 28 November 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cms2716
Rapid City, MI144 contributions
Oct 2018 • Family
Fantastic adventure for my grandkids 9th Birthday. Mark and Shelly did an amazing job locating manatees and making sure we all had a fantastic experience. I admitted that I was not a strong swimmer and a little apprehensive about getting in the water, Mark spent time with me in the water until I was confident and comfortable in the water. We got up close with the manatees. They swam along an rubbed against us and came up face to face with my grandson.
Written 21 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Donnie L
mn21 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
I believe my opinion of this tour would’ve changed if we had a different captain on our boat. Kate was all about Kate I believe she thinks and acts like that manatee police, the entire tour she talked about all the rules and regulations on viewing manatees which was fine but we already heard all of that on the pre-trip video she even went as far as pulling the boat over a couple times and yelling at other people in the water. she took us to three sisters which was close that day through no fault of hers but she went on and on and on about how they were not notified that it was close. As far as Manatee viewing we did see manatees . Depending on what time of year you go I would suggest a heated boat as when we got back on the boat we froze our butts off. overall I would not recommend this tour as you could see as much kayaking for half the price. As far as that goes you can take your own kayak or tube and go out and be home on your own.
Written 13 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
taylorsLincoln
Waddington, UK188 contributions
Had a great time snorkelling with the manatee yesterday. The staff were helpful and entertaining and our guides- Teddi and Missy were really brilliant, lots of local knowledge and they answered all of our questions. My husband is not a strong swimmer and they helped him out too. Enjoyed seeing the manatee and swimming in the natural swim. Just great
Written 4 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
patatalo78
Reston, VA4 contributions
Jun 2019
We had a great time swimming with the manatees.
The briefing was very clear, and the staff very welcoming, even with our 3 kids (12, 12 and 8).
Even though there are much less manatees in the summer (around 70 in the bay) than in the winter (thousands), we got to see them in multiple spots thanks to our captain Brian, and could spend more than an hour actually observing them in different places with our guide Austin.
We then had to the chance to go to the 3 sisters spring, which is not accessible by land.
I strongly recommend!
The briefing was very clear, and the staff very welcoming, even with our 3 kids (12, 12 and 8).
Even though there are much less manatees in the summer (around 70 in the bay) than in the winter (thousands), we got to see them in multiple spots thanks to our captain Brian, and could spend more than an hour actually observing them in different places with our guide Austin.
We then had to the chance to go to the 3 sisters spring, which is not accessible by land.
I strongly recommend!
Written 8 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Janet F
Storm Lake, IA40 contributions
Oct 2018 • Friends
Recently, I & two lady friends, participated in an experience we've been wanting to do for years!!! We were part of a 10 am tour, with only 5 other participants...2 of us snorkeled (one observed from the boat) for an hour with 2 adults & one "baby" Manatee!!!! AN AWESOME MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE!!!! We want to "thank" Cpt. Shellie & swimmer/picture taker, Jordan---for sharing their enthusiastic narration, experience, assistance, expertise & protocol for swimming with Manatees---with ALL OF US!!! We had so much fun!!! We chose to purchase the CD with the pictures taken during our tour. All 3 of us HIGHLY RECOMMEND this adventure & we are very glad we chose this tour company to execute a "beautiful swimming adventure with these gentle sea creatures"!!!!! Thank you!!!
Written 2 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Courtney P
Eagle Mountain, UT127 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
This is a check off the bucket list! But make sure to come when you know the water is clear, when we went the water was all churned up and it was kinda hard to see the manatees. But other than that, it was really fun! Got to snorkel around and see the manatees as they came up for air. They are way bigger than I thought! We also got to hear a little baby communicating with it's mom by squeaking. We weren't supposed to hover on top of the manatees, but that was very difficult with the water pushing you around and also the manatees will swim under you. That was a little stressful because I wanted to obey the rules but it was hard! Haha over all it was a good experience.
Written 12 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ирина Б
Philadelphia, PA
My husband and I are going to Clearwater at the end of April. Is it possible to see manatees in this time? if you do not find the manatees, what else can we observe during our snorkeling? How do we connect with you?
tmkelley13
1 contribution
There won't be as many manatee to see because the warmer water, so they go back into the gulf but crystal river does have some year round. Crystal river offers snorkeling, kayaking and tons of other adventures on their main website.
erikatucker69
Newnan, GA24 contributions
Is it too cold for end of December weekend? What f I don’t swim how deep is it?
stonedtrucker63
Bellevue, OH2 contributions
You have a wetsuit on you’ll stay pretty warm.
1CHELSEAFC
Colchester, UK141 contributions
Looking to book mid Oct 17th when there should be more Manatees about , me and my son want to swim my other half does not is it the same price with No swim or cheaper ,
Marianne X
Sunrise, FL51 contributions
I believe it’s the same price because it’s a seat on the boat but you should call them if possible to ask.
How long does the trip take?
Amanda McCain
Spicer, MN118 contributions
I believe about 2 - 2 1/2 hours. We went to the morning tour (10:00 am) in March and finished in time for a late lunch. Arrive early to allow for getting on wet suits and watching the regulation video. The trip is well worth it!