Manatee Snorkeling Tour: Small Group Experience

Experience a small group snorkeling tour with the West Indian Manatees in Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Swim with the manatees, learn about their habitat, and take home high-definition photos and videos of your adventure.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 226 NE 5th St - Upon arrival at the dive shop, guests will be fitted for wetsuits (included in price) and asked to watch a brief video from US Fish and Wildlife outlining their encounter with the manatees. The captain and guide will then take the group to the boat and embark all passengers and give a short safety brief. Once underway, the guide…
What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Wetsuits
  • Use of snorkeling equipment
  • Coffee and hot cocoa
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Additional Information

Experience a snug, intimate interaction with the West Indian Manatee as you swim alongside them under the oversight of a U.S. Coast Guard Certified Captain. Our intimate group expeditions (limited to six attendees) are offered daily in the breathtaking Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Familiarize yourself with these remarkable creatures and gain…

Location
226 NE 5th St
Northeast 5th Street
Please arrive no earlier than your scheduled tour time. Our captains and guides are busy between trips with the previous tour and readying your boat and our shop for your trip. If you arrive early, you are likely to be waiting for our other guests to get changed and review their photos.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(1231 Ratings)
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300iainb
Mar 18, 2025
Incredible family experience - The outing was amazing. Captain Ron and Aubrey were amazing and extremely knowledgeable. They made everyone feel extremely comfortable in the water and had so much information for very curious kids. Incredible experience and will absolutely be recommending to all of our family and friends that come to Florida on vacation.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hanna_o
Mar 16, 2025
Best Manatee Experience! - We had an excellent tour experience with Gulf Coast Expeditions! Our tour guide, Jade, was very informative about the manatees in the area. We were able to swim with a few manatees and swim in the clear Three Sister Springs. They provided warm coats for our trip and hot coco. This tour has the smallest group sizes, and we got lucky with our morning tour being just us two. Would definitely book this tour again. Hope to come back someday! Book here, you won’t regret it!
Review provided by Viator
Mandys1579
Mar 12, 2025
Great memories made with our grandson in this trip!!! - We had a very good time and Jade was the absolute BEST!!! There were so many manatees this trip did NOT disappoint at all!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Johanw210
Mar 10, 2025
A really magical experience! - An absolutely amazing and magical experience. Can really be recommended. Received by Captain Ron and Aubrey who gave us instructions, wetsuits and then took us to the boat. Ron took us to an area where we were in shelter from the wind where he had seen Manatees in the morning via drone. We stepped down and swam into an area and soon met a manatee but soon there were more and more and we just lay still in the water and enjoyed the experience of being near these magnificent animals. They swam around us and we around them, both curious about each other. The whole family, two adults and 4 children from 9 to 15 were completely taken by the experience. A real experience we will carry with us all our lives. Tack Gulf Coast Expeditions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Madison_l
Mar 10, 2025
The perfect Manatee... - The perfect Manatee experience! Liz and Jade were welcoming and made our trip so fun. Jade was so kind and calm as she guided us through the springs and when manatees approached us she helped us ensure the perfect photo! Will be back!
Review provided by Viator
Lcnewlon
Mar 9, 2025
Great family experience - This was definitely a bucket list experience. We had a family of five and we all had a great time. The employees are very friendly and helpful. We saw dozens of manatees and had a great time. Gulf Coast Expeditions is a great manatee tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oliver_c
Mar 6, 2025
Trip of a lifetime!! - Wonderful small group snorkeling experience with a fantastic guide/photographer and boat captain. Amazing experience of a lifetime! So many manatees! And Jade and Liz were wonderful guides/hosts. They were so attentive to us as we had never worn wet suits and it had been a long time since we were swimming.. You must take this tour!!
Review provided by Viator
Jocelyngf4706rt
Mar 6, 2025
Experience of a lifetime - Experience of a lifetime! The Manatees were beautiful and all around us! Jade and Liz were fantastic guides and made us feel so comfortable in the water. Definitely recommend going early in the morning. Fantastic trip from start to finish!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kieran_b
Mar 3, 2025
Unforgettable! - Captain and Jade were excellent guides. As a family of 5 with a range of ages, they kept us entertained and made sure our experience did not disappoint. We had THE MOST amazing manatee experience- unreal. Memories were made that will last a lifetime. Thank you! Now go book this trip!
Review provided by Viator
Jenminter6
Mar 3, 2025
Put this on your bucket list - This was an amazing experience. I was a bit afraid of the cold because it was freezing that morning but I got used to it pretty quickly. The manatee were everywhere. I didn’t want to leave. So much fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 6 guests
1 Adult
March 2025
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