We had Mark as our captain and John was our guide swimmer and they were just amazing! First off, I panicked upon getting into the water, as I always seem to do, and Mark made sure I was absolutely comfortable before sending me out. Because of him, I was the last one out of the water, as I really couldn't get enough of the experience. John is a manatee whisperer! The choice to stick close to him was the best one of the day, as the manatees would just come to him. He would grab my hand and pull me over to the closest one and when you stay as still as possible, they become so curious and I would get a hand hold and a little kiss. Back at the boat, they had towels, coffee and hot chocolate. Our wet suits were thick and warm, and this allowed us to be able to stay out in th water longer it seemed, as we were last boat to leave our swim area.
These guides definately made the tour, for me. I have not gotten home to view all of the footage John took of us all swimming, but with the amount of interaction I got to have, I know that it was well worth the purchase.