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Manatee Snorkeling Tour: Small Group Experience
5.0
1,165 Ratings
Crystal River
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:
1 day
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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 will further explain how to interact with the manatees once in the water and fit the guests with their masks and snorkels. While transiting to the swim areas, the captain and guide will present information about the area wildlife and what guests can expect to see during your tour. They will also answer questions and take pictures along the way. Once the vessel sights manatees, the captain will anchor the vessel and the group and guide will proceed into the water for your encounter. The guide will stay with the group the entire time, ensuring that the guests get the most out of their experience, all while taking photos and videos of your adventure!
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 knowledge about their environment and residence.
Contrary to numerous tours, these Captains will personally join you and your team in the water to ascertain a memorable adventure. During your swim, your captain/tour guide will capture top-quality photographs and footage of your group, available for viewing and purchase post-trip.
The cost covers all necessary snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, wetsuit) as well as free coffee or hot cocoa.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Guests with limited mobility are welcome, but must call us to make prior arrangements
- Single travelers may be required to change time or date of tour depending upon availability
- Use of a ladder is required to get into/out of the water. Please give us a call if you have any health related questions.
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
(1165 Ratings)
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Darcie_m
Aug 23, 2024
Captain Lauren and Jade... - Captain Lauren and Jade were great with our kids, and when things got a little too hot, made a pit stop to do some swimming in the water to cool down before searching for some manatees again. August is a tough time of year to find the manatees, but they were able to do it, and my kids had the best time of their whole trip.
Review provided by Viator
Douglas_d
Aug 17, 2024
Best experience!! - Staff was very friendly and timely. Highly enjoyed the manatees. While we only had two people in our group we still got to spend around 30 minutes with a family of 3 manatees. Definitely a memory we will never forget. The captain and his crew were super knowledgeable about the kings bay ecosystem and made sure we got to see the manatees. We finished off the tour with a small trip to three sisters spring were we took some pictures and swam around. Highly recommend Gulf Coast Expeditions if you are interested in taking a tour of the area and seeing the manatees.
Review provided by Viator
Natashabenham
Jul 31, 2024
A great small group manatee encounter - The experience was amazing! There were only 6 people in the tour so we all got plenty of time to swim alongside the Manatees.
Captain Lauren and Jade were both brilliant, ensuring everyone in the group got to see the manatees faces and got into good positions to be around them while ensuring we didn’t scare them.
Then we got time at the springs to dive for little shells and see the fishes in the clearer waters.
A great trip I’d recommend to everyone
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V2404kglarse
Jul 27, 2024
Amazing experience. - amazing experience.
The team was super nice and pleasant.
in the water Jade helped to guide and ensure a good experience and on the boat the captain was good at explaining and keeping an overview.
can definitely recommend this tour with Gulf Coast experience.
++ They care about animal welfare.
Big thumbs up to the team for this experience, 5 stars is not enough.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christina_p
Jul 27, 2024
Awwwwwww - What a wonderful time, excellent day. Lauren and Oria were the best, so nice, and great great attitudes. Our group was small and made the experience even better. We saw a mom and baby manatees. So precious. I would definitely go with them again.
Review provided by Viator
Steffi
Jul 21, 2024
Impressive experience - Guide and captain were very friendly. Everything was excellently organized. Swimming with the manatee was one of the most impressive experiences on our trip. I also liked that obviously great consideration was given to the welfare of the animals. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rasmush758
Jul 21, 2024
Great experience, and awesome crew. - Captain Lauren and guide Ayriah were amazing! Although it’s out of season we were able to see one manatee and it was a great experience! Definitely worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_h
Jul 15, 2024
Wonderful experience - Great adventure! The guides were amazing!
I brought my three grandkids to swim with the manatees and was surprised to see how well they did with the help of our very interactive and supportive guides.
Review provided by Viator
J168pqastrids
Jul 12, 2024
Amazing experience - experience of a lifetime! absolutely magnificent tour with Captain Ron. the group size was small so we could get a close look at the manatee without disturbing them. just brilliant!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Astrid_s
Jul 11, 2024
Fantastic eco friendly experience - We absolutely loved our swimming with manatees experience. What a fantastic way of getting close to the manatees. Captain Ron and his team were very knowledgeable about the animals and how to be near them in the most gentle way that wouldn’t disturb the animals. It was especially great because the group size was very small. Kids loved it too
Review provided by Viator