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Manatee Swim Tour with Photographer
5.0
2,202 Ratings
Crystal River
Experience the thrill of swimming with manatees on our top-rated bucket list tour. Spread out and enjoy plenty of space at Explorida Adventure Center. Book now!
Experience the thrill of swimming with manatees on our top-rated bucket list tour. Spread out and enjoy plenty of space at Explorida Adventure Center. Book now!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Explorida - Manatee Swim Tours - Hop aboard one of our safe, comfortable, and clean US Coast Guard certified vessels where you will join your Master Captain to embark on your journey into the Kings Bay refuge waters. Our master captains are trained to find manatees on your manatee tour, even in the offseason, and will deliver the best manatee tour…
- Explorida - Manatee Swim Tours - Hop aboard one of our safe, comfortable, and clean US Coast Guard certified vessels where you will join your Master Captain to embark on your journey into the Kings Bay refuge waters. Our master captains are trained to find manatees on your manatee tour, even in the offseason, and will deliver the best manatee tour in Crystal River, FL—every time. You will be paired with one of our expert in-water guides who will be with you every step of the way to assist in making your manatee tour safe and memorable. Your in-water guide will also serve as your professional photographer to capture your manatee swim memories, and those photos will be available for purchase upon arrival back to our facility. For this tour, all required gear is included at no additional charge.
What's Included
- Safe USCG Certified Boats
- Bottled water
- In-Water Guide/Photographer
- Wetsuit
- Float Noodles Provided
- Snorkel Gear
- Safe USCG Certified Boats
- Bottled water
- In-Water Guide/Photographer
- Wetsuit
- Float Noodles Provided
- Snorkel Gear
What's Not Included
- Photos and videos available for an additional fee at the end of your tour.
- Photos and videos available for an additional fee at the end of your tour.
Additional Information
The Manatee Swim tour at Explorida made it to Trip Advisors 2022’s ‘Top Ten Must-Do Experiences GLOBALLY!’ Don’t miss the chance to swim with the manatees – it’s an unforgettable event! Avoid the crowded dive shops. At Explorida, there’s plenty of room for everyone to enjoy. Explorida Adventure Center houses a vast, superior facility with climate…
The Manatee Swim tour at Explorida made it to Trip Advisors 2022’s ‘Top Ten Must-Do Experiences GLOBALLY!’ Don’t miss the chance to swim with the manatees – it’s an unforgettable event! Avoid the crowded dive shops. At Explorida, there’s plenty of room for everyone to enjoy. Explorida Adventure Center houses a vast, superior facility with climate control and indoor changing rooms for your comfort. Our boats are inspected and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard, equipped with essential safety gear and can accommodate more than six passengers. They are in the best condition, so there’s no chance of ending up on a malfunctioning one. Choose Explorida for a wonderful experience. Our primary focus is customer satisfaction and we won’t let you down. Give us a chance to show you!
- Level One Snorkel Experience Recommended
- Infants are still considered to take up a seat on a USCG Inspected Vessel. You must pay full price for an infant.
- Children Under The Age Of 3 & Pets/Service Animals Are Only Permitted On Private Tours
- This is a wildlife encounter, and due to the unpredictability of Mother Nature, conditions vary daily. If you have any questions, feel free to call
Location
545 N Citrus Ave
North Citrus Avenue
The Explorida Adventure Center is the first Building on the left when turning west on to N. Citrus Avenue from Highway 19.
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
(2202 Ratings)
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Trip225354
Aug 21, 2025
One of the best experiences I’ve ever had - Captain John and our guide were a 10 out of 10. Absolutely an amazing experience. Captain John was so helpful getting everyone on and off the boat. Madeleine would show us where they were all the while they were both answering questions about the area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pakefieldlowestoft
Aug 19, 2025
Enjoyable experience. - We enjoyed the experience. August isn't the best time for viewing the Manatees but GQ and Ben helped us to view these beautiful creatures and were helpful guides.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Peggy
Aug 19, 2025
Swimming with manatees, always a pleasure. - When we visit Florida every other year we always try to go and swim with manatees. This time we choose Explorida because they are a small company. Chances are that you are alone on your tour. Our family of 6 had the opportunity to go alone this time.
And it did not disappoint!
The moment you walk through the door there is a very kind and welcoming lady at the front desk. Unfortunately I forgot her name. She helped us with our gear and showed us an important video on how to act in the water. After that we went with Grace and Madeleine in a small bus to the docks. Both ladies are very friendly. Once we got there we met up with captain John. He explained that this time of year changes are a lot smaller that you get to see manatees. We were aware of the possibility that maybe we would not see any this time around. But Captain John did not disappoint! Eventually we saw 3 adults and 2 babies! It was fantastic. Madeleine and Grace were very calm and peaceful in the water, respectful to the manatees and always had an eye open for us to make sure we got to see them up close without touching. Captain John was very happy to answer all of our questions and went out of his way to make sure everyone was comfortable before entering the water. On our own request we didn’t visit Tree Sister Springs because we already saw it 2 years ago. They took us to another spring, only I forgot the name. Not important I guess but it was very quiet en beautiful! The trip was awesome and the only negative’ I can say is that 3 hours of swimmings feels way to short for a day like that. Next time we are visiting Florida we will definitely come back for this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O6168utdouglasw
Aug 14, 2025
Great wildlife encounter with amazing staff!!! - Wonderful experience with the Captain, Crew, and Marine Biologist who knew exactly where the manatees were and provided in-depth knowledge of conservation efforts in the area. 10/10 wildlife experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sanderh858
Aug 10, 2025
Super cool experience - Super cool experience, we were EN lucky to be sought out by a mother and a calf. These 2 stayed with us constantly
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tarahf8975vk
Aug 9, 2025
Amazing tour & the best experience! - We had a great experience with our guide Ethan and the captain GQ. Even though we knew that it wasn’t really the manatee season, they did everything to find them! We found a mama and baby & had the best time swimming with them. During the boat tour Ethan & GQ told us a lot about the scenery and all the animals that lived there. We loved it! Thanks again and if we come back we’d ask for them again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Localrhodestgenese
Aug 8, 2025
Fantastic underwater encounter - Fantastic moment with these gentle giants. We enjoyed this tour very much. Ethan and Capt John were extremely helpful and knowledgeable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
312raleighf
Aug 5, 2025
amazing - This was by far the most amazing experience I've ever had! The baby manatee absoloutly loved my daughter. Faith was such and awesome guide. She capturied a lot of gret memorable photos and videos for my family and I. Rhonda was a great captain and pointed out some of the manatees before we even got into the water! I highly recommend doing this especially with Faith and Rhonda! Thank you ladies for such an amazing experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V6180srmissym
Aug 3, 2025
Take the Tour! - We had an absolute blast with our Explorida Manatee Swim Tour! Captain GQ and Tour Guide Ben did an amazing job with our family. Our group ranged in age from 5 years old to 72 years young. GQ and Ben were very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions regarding the manatees and the preserve. We were able to safely observe a mama manatee and her baby as they grazed around the bay. Ben did a great job helping us maneuver in the water to be in the best positions for viewing. We went on an 11:45 mid-day private tour (6 in our party) and it was perfect timing as many of the other tour boats were leaving the bay when we arrived. We were able to follow the two manatees almost exclusively for around an hour! It was such an incredible experience! Let Ben take all of your photos for you! His photos were better than we took and the link was shared right away so the pictures were ready for posting! I highly recommend this tour and would do it again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarahro569uy
Aug 3, 2025
So much fun! - Madeline and Captain Tyler were amazing! Highly recommend to anyone in the area. We went in off season and we were still able to see and swim with lots of manatees.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
