WOW- Is the only way to describe River Ventures and the experience we had with Dave and Emerson as our guide/captains/photographers. Swimming with manatees have been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember and we decided to visit the south west coast this year in lieu of an international trip we originally planned, which I am thrilled we did. We stayed in St. Petersburg and drove up to Crystal River (not too bad, but would potentially be better to stay in Orlando, Tampa, or somewhere a bit closer if possible). The Office was easy to find, with lots or parking and a fun gift shop to look over before/after your venture with the manatees. I truly appreciate the love and dedication that we were shown the entire time though- first with the educational video and information about the refuge and conservation efforts being made for and to the area and manatees, the info about snorkeling and best manatee viewing practices, as well as the time taken to ensure that everyone on our tour was comfortable and had a fantastic time. The tour we booked was for 7:15, but you should plan to get there 15 minutes ahead of your reservation time to watch the video/change/load into the van. The tour included myself and my dad, and two separate families of four (10 people total), but at no point did it feel crowded or uncomfortable (social distancing in mind) and everyone was mindful of one another and CDC guidelines/recommendations for health and safety. We were able to purchase all the photos when we got back to the office, and it was WELL worth it to purchase the entire trips worth of photos to save and share with friends and family. We had a chance to see and swim with multiple manatees, including two moms/babies in super shallow and crystal clear water. We will certainly be back to visit again and again and will continue to choose River Ventures in the future. Could not recommend more!!