This was an awesome experience - from start to finish. We arrived around 25min prior to our appointment and everyone welcomed us with open hands. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and water were offered during the time we waited. The facilities (restrooms and changing rooms) were all clear and spacious.
Before changing our clothes and jumping into our wetsuits, we got a very good introduction followed by a FAQ session. They know their stuff.
After that we got our wetsuits, jumped into them and took a short 2min ride to the harbour. Once we arrived a group photo as well as individual pictures were taken before going onto the boat.
There we got a short safety instruction and goggles. The first of two stops were directly in the harbour. Just 2min away. But as Mariah and Lindsay said, it doesn‘t matter how long you go but where. Just as we got ready for our boat trip we already saw the first few manatees. So we got suited up and „jumped“ into the refreshing water. After a few minutes we could interact ourselves with a baby manatee and it’s mother. It was amazing. And the longer we stayed the excited they got. Not only mom and it’s calf but also the others that were playing underneath us.
Time to go. We didn’t want to get involved in that play. So we headed to our second stop where we also watch and interact with a few manatees. Watching them sleep was as amazing as rubbing others bellies. It was awesome. Thanks to Lindsay and Mariah. They did a fantastic job. Between the two stop we got hot cocoa to warm up. It was really cold out there since you won’t move that much. You rather float wit the manatees and this is what cools your body down.
At the end we were driven back to their headquarters where we could change and buy us the pictures Lindsay took. I recommend leaving any camera behind and invest in their usb stick. That way you can fully dive into the experience. They show you all pictures and videos and if you like them, you can buy them for 33 (usb) or 37 (online album) dollar. That’s not much for being camera free the whole time. It’s definitely worth it.