Listen. The wordās out about swimming with manatees at the only place in the world you can do so when they winter over in the warm springs of Crystal River.
So, if you want to have the best experience with the most experienced, then GO LOCAL. Literally. We toured with three incredible guides, Peter, Josh, and Stephanie, all natives of the area. They care deeply about their town and even more deeply about the manatees and their well-being. This gave my friend and I such confidence in their ability to take care of us, give us a wonderful experience, but to also keep the manatees safe, happy and undisturbed. Did we see manatees? Yes, we saw lots of them (at least 10 fairly close). We were within a foot or two of a few, including a baby playing right in front of us. We saw cuddling manatees, sleeping manatees, feeding manatees, and manatees just hanging out in the warm springs. When it was time to go, Stephane ātowedā (pulled us using her fins) my friend and I back to the boat, so we could have one last look at a manatee feeding on algae. We enjoyed the crewās easy banter, Peterās expert navigation to the best spots before other tours arrived. Josh and Stephanie were kind, encouraging and full of information (as was Peter). Josh and Stephanie took A LOT of pictures and videos. At the end of the tour, you get a link to all the pictures from your tour-at no extra cost! Itās easy to pick any company when there are so many to choose from. But itās always a good idea to Go Local.