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Swim with the Manatees Includes In-Water Guide/Photographer

Swim with the Manatees Includes In-Water Guide/Photographer

Overview

Our Manatee Swim tour at Explorida was Voted Trip Advisors 2022 "Top Ten Bucket List Experience in THE WORLD!" Swimming with the manatees is a once in a lifetime experience so do it right! Dont cram into a small dive shop. Spread out and enjoy plenty of space at Explorida! The Explorida Adventure Center offers a large, top notch facility that is climate controlled with indoor changing rooms for your privacy. Our boats are U.S. Coast Guard inspected and certified, which means they are allowed to carry more than 6 passengers, have all necessary safety equipment, and are in tip top shape. Dont get stuck on a clunker! Book with Explorida! We are dedicated to the customer experience and will not disappoint! Let us prove it!

City: Crystal River

Fri 16 May

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $69.95

Make a reservation

Fri 16 May

Starting at $69.95

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Safe USCG Certified Boats

Bottled water

Wetsuit

Float Noodles Provided

Snorkel Gear

In-Water Gude/Photographer

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Level One Snorkel Experience Recommended
Infants are still considered to take up a seat on a USCG Inspected Vessel. You must pay full price for an infant.
Children Under The Age Of 3 & Pets/Service Animals Are Only Permitted On Private Tours
This is a wildlife encounter, and due to the unpredictability of Mother Nature, conditions vary daily. If you have any questions, feel free to call

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (1000)

K4988WCmarinas

Mar 2022

Maddy and Brody were our guides for the trip, both were very knowledgeable and made the experience great for us. We learned a lot about the manatees and we would definitely recommend this tour for anyone who is new to the area or has never swam with these gentle creatures before. Thank you guys again for a great experience!!

PDX-to-CDG

Mar 2022

Swimming with the manatees was an absolute highlight of our trip! Prior to booking, I did quite a bit of research to make sure we were choosing a company that had the manatees' welfare in mind. I definitely didn't want to contribute to animal harassment or wildlife exploitation. After our experience, I felt like this tour was conducted in a way that was mutually beneficial for both the people and the manatees. First, it's important to understand that there is a very large area that is off limits to the boats and swimmers where manatees can rest undisturbed. So, the manatees that were in the area where we were swimming were there because they wanted to be, which was a great feeling. Before the swim, we were educated on what to do and what not to do, which is basically boiled down to: float passively and wait for them to approach you. Don't chase them, and don't be noisy or excitable. That will just drive them away. The cold February morning of our visit, we swam with probably around 10 manatees, including a mom and baby. At no point did I feel like we were endangering or harassing the manatees. In fact, as soon as I quietly slipped into the water, I felt one gently hugging my legs! I couldn't believe it! Other interactions included one swimming right up to my face and mouthing my hand, another mouthed my husband's goatee (maybe it thought it was seaweed???) and a baby manatee swam within feet of my face and just looked at me for a while. They were extremely inquisitive and interactive. We never sought them out - they came to us. It was an amazing experience! If I could offer any advice it would be: Book the early morning tour when they are apparently more active. Don't worry about whether you'll fit into the wetsuit, they offer all ranges of sizes and there are curtained dressing rooms for you to struggle putting it on in private. Don't worry if you've never snorkeled before, we had a first-timer in our group and she had an outstanding time. Do bring your own underwater camera - I wasn't too impressed by the pics provided by the guide (sorry) - the photos I attached are ones I took with my 10-year-old underwater digital camera. The water is a little murkier than I expected but the experience was seriously amazing. Just do it!

selstar67

Mar 2022

Highly recommend. Everyone I interacted with at Explorida was friendly and personable. Luke and Brody were great! Luke took the time to make sure he got pictures of everyone in the group and made sure I had a great one on one encounter with a manatee. Brody was incredibly knowledgeable and easy going, there was a lively young boy on the boat with us and Brody and Luke were incredibly patient with him. I also purchased the picture package for $33, definitely worth it!