Few manatees are in the springs in early September, but that turned our small group booking into a private tour. The day was sunny and breezy, and the Labor Day weekend scene was lively. Finding a tranquil area to observe these gentle creatures was difficult at best, but Captain Ron and Lauren went out of their way to provide us with a lovely tour of the area as they searched for manatees—and it paid off! We got to swim with a few different manatees, including an older calf grazing with its mother. Lauren was in the water with us the whole time to help us respect the animals' space, listen for the unique sounds they make as they eat, and take pictures! She was great with my school-aged daughters, making it incredibly fun learning for them and allowing me to fully enjoy the experience. I highly recommend Gulf Coast Expeditions for their professionalism, organization, hospitality, cleanliness, and, most of all, for their respect of the animals. NOTE: We saw other tour operators take their *much* larger groups to the animals and simply point where to swim. It's these kinds of operations that make wild animal encounters controversial. I'm incredibly happy we booked a tour with a business that leads and educates, as that's the way to support the local ecology and economy.