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Small Group VIP Manatee Pontoon Tour in Crystal River

Small Group VIP Manatee Pontoon Tour in Crystal River

Overview

We will let you in on a secret! You can get the high-end experience, with an affordable price tag! Our new heated (during winter), luxury pontoon aims to amp up the manatee sighting and deliver a more personal event! Observe the endangered West Indian Manatee in Crystal River’s idyllic Kings Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Your US Coast Guard licensed captains and guides will take you into the 600 acre spring fed refuge waters for viewing and snorkeling with these slow moving wild giants. All equipment, fees, snacks and beverages are included.

City: Crystal River

Sun 17 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $101.38

Make a reservation

Sun 17 Nov

Starting at $101.38

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Professional guide

Use of equipment (mask, snorkel gear and wet suit)

Introductory/instructional video offered in English, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish

Beverages (bottled water, coffee, hot chocolate, tea and adult)

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Adult pricing applies to all travelers
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Wetsuits are available in sizes from toddlers (2 years old and up) to adults up to 5X
It is advised that you have your swimsuit on underneath your clothes for a quicker check-in
Please bring a towel and a plastic bag to hold your belongings
Children Under 3 years old are not allowed on this tour. Please call for other options.
Post COVID-19 Policy- We are mindful to thoroughly clean water vehicles between visitors.
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands

What To Expect

River Ventures

Embark on your journey with a Coast Guard Certified Master Captain who will be your in water chaperon, educator and photographer. Your tour will run four hours from start to finish and everything you will need is included for one price. You will begin at our full-service tour facility, where you will be educated about the animals in a classroom type setting and receive tips for your snorkel tour to make the most of your day. You will be taught the in’s and out’s of ‘passive interaction’ as this ensures that the animals enjoy the experience as much as we do! You will then be suited up and transported to the dock, where a Coast Guard certified covered pontoon will be waiting for you. This rich estuary will amaze…..birds, fish and wildlife abound! Submerge yourself in the manatee’s world! Finish your adventure by viewing your Captain’s photos back at our facility and be sure to visit our one-of-a-kind gift shop! Our well-informed staff will direct to other local attractions, restaurants and answer of your questions before you are on your way.

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (565)

deeliaaa

Jun 2019

This was an amazing experience with our guide Heidi and captain Laura! They were both really experienced with spotting the manatees and instructing us how to behave around them. We learnt to be respectful and observe the manatees in their natural environment. They were also able to answer all the questions we had about these gentle giants! We managed to get an awesome encounter with a manatee and her baby. The boat that we took (the Pontoon of Privilege tour) was very clean and well-maintained, and the refreshments were aplenty. Everyone at the River Ventures site was extremely helpful and friendly as well. It was a great day, and we recommend this experience.

KnightRyder2

Jun 2019

We originally chose another manatee swimming company (Explorida) but they didn’t have any availability due to coast guard inspection day. They highly recommended River Ventures and we are so glad they did! We had captain Rhonda and guide Tom and they were both excellent! We especially appreciated the staff here as we noticed another tour boat come in close as their “guide” was yelling at the people in the water...polar opposite of Tom and Rhonda who were so awesome...even with our less experienced 6 year old. We saw babies feeding from their mothers and a couple other lone manatees. Our son even had the baby “kiss” him on the cheek! Highly recommend everyone do this, we will remember this for a lifetime! River Ventures did not disappoint!!!

Experience785402

May 2019

We booked the early 6.45 am semi VIP tour 4 hours. We were greeted with a warm welcome and a choice of coffee or hot chocolate. After a safety briefing and a presentation on human etiquette towards manatees we changed into our wet suits and took a short ride to the quay to get on the boat .we were very fortunate to only have 4 on the tour. We were introduced to Megan our water guide and John Stark our captain for the day. We have never enrolled in open water before but were put at ease by Megan who guided us and helped both my husband and my self in the water. We were shown how to act like a manatees and float around in the water . If you relax they may come over or you can look at them grazing on sea grass. All this was recorded by Megan whilst being completely unobtrusive. Megan and John are both incredibly knowledgeable on the waterways manatees and other wildlife. The trip was amazing we both learned so much abou manatees these huge gentle creatures whose closest relation are elephants. We all to quickly came to the end of a fabulous 4 hour trip into the world of these amazing creatures. Once back at River Ventures we got changed and looked at all the photos Megan had taken of our trip. We purchased the memory stick full of amazing photos and videos. There was no pressure to purchase and you certainly would not have been able to take such professional pictures yourself. All in all an amazing day. We were both pushed out of our comfort zone. I learned a huge life lesson. Act like a Manatees. Glide along the bottom eating your fill of the best things in life that make you happy and don't stress.