Swim With Manatees In Crystal River, Florida

Overview

Our guided "Swim With the Manatees" tour is our number one attraction. You get the opportunity to experience manatees up close and personal in their natural habitat on colder days. Manatee season runs from November 15th through March 31st each year. We have amazing local guides who know our waters very well so you could spot several manatees in the right conditions. The colder the temperatures, the more manatees you will see. On warmer days/weeks, some tours get zero manatees because it is a natural environment and they are not always around to see. The manatees head back out to the Gulf of Mexico where the food supply is more bountiful for them. You will learn the right way to interact with these amazing animals through passive observation and learn all about our ecosystem here in Crystal River.

City: Crystal River

Tue 19 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $79.00

Make a reservation

Tue 19 Nov

Starting at $79.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Private transportation

Use of Snorkelling equipment

Wetsuit

Life Vest

Kayak or Paddleboard

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Moderate physical activity is required to kayak/paddleboard and swim with the manatees.
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
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (37)

enriquar

Nov 2020

Great expertise by Paddle Outdoors team and great locations. Really a unique place full of beauty, greatly introduced by Hunter, my guide

Response from Host

Dec 2020

Thank you for taking your tour with Hunter. We greatly appreciate the business and look forward to seeing you again soon :)

jeanmM2468SN

Apr 2020

For my Christmas 2019 break, I came from NY for a mental health get away and scheduled a tour with PADDLES OUTDOOR. I chose PADDLES because it was a new company in the area and Chris, the owner offered that there would be no charge until I arrived, and there were no extra costs for pictures extras like other companies charge you. PADDLES was a perfect location and experience for stand up paddle boarding for me to see and swim with the manatees for my first time on a paddle board and swimming with the manatees. Chris, the owner, and his support staff were wonderful hosts for such an incredible experience of a lifetime! We were even given homemade cookies and the recipe was shared! Chris is very personable and helpful beyond being a business owner. He extended himself and spent a lot of extra time looking up and sharing suggestions for activities and events offered in the area along with restaurant recommendations and tried to find a soup kitchen for me to volunteer at on Christmas day. The 3 hours advertised as our tour started when we got on the water, not when we were scheduled to show up. We were sized up perfectly for our wet suits, matched up with mask and snorkel, given a bottle of water and smiling excited Jessica to take us on our adventure! While I was visiting PADDLES the evening prior to my tour, I was told I was going to have a one on one tour. While chatting, Chris got a phone call inquiring a booking at the same time I was scheduled. He offered to me to keep my one on one and schedule the caller another time. WOW! No other company would have done that. I was fine with having others join me. The mother and daughter that joined me on my tour were on a kayak. Jessica took us directly to Three Sisters Springs. We didn't spend time traveling around to other sites that may or may not have manatees in the area. We spent the entire time in the water at Three Sisters Springs. We were taught to allow the manatees to approach us. I was kissed on my mask by a manatee and the mom was hugged 5 times!!! Incredible experience!! I can't say enough wonderful things about PADDLES! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND PADDLES OUTDOOR!!! My first wonderful experience with Paddles Outdoor Adventures was on Monday, 12/23/19. I went back again to rent a standup paddle board on the morning of Sunday, 12/29/19. Chris once again was cheerfully very accommodating. He was loading up kayaks for a tour, added my SUP to his trailer and made a special trip to deliver a board for me right away since I was meeting some new friends at Hunter Springs Park.

Response from Host

May 2020

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!! We all loved your story and how you came to visit for an extended time period. You are part of our family now and we ALL look forward to you visiting us again this winter! Thanks again and we hope you are well up north.

131miriamd

Mar 2020

We had a terrific time on our kayak tour. We went near the end of the manatee season, and the weather was warm, so we only saw two manatees. But we had a great time nevertheless. Jessica was an excellent tour guide and made the tour of Three Sisters Springs very interesting even with no manatees. We were able to swim in the crystal clear springs and she pointed out to us where the water from the spring was seeping out from underground. The kayaks were easy to paddle even for my husband who'd never paddled one before. We are planning to go back when the weather is colder--that's when the manatees congregate in the springs.

Response from Host

May 2020

Thank you for visiting us and taking your tour with Jessica. It was very nice having you and look forward to seeing you back again maybe in the colder winter months when there are more manatees in the area. Thanks again for your review and take care :)