Great experience! Being in the water with manatees was a long-awaited event. We floated on top of the water and the manatees swam underneath us, but very close. We saw several mommas with calves. Impossible to photograph a whole manatee when we were so close, they are enormous! But I still took 100's of underwater photos. The guides (2 guides for 4 guests on the boat, that day) were knowledgeable about where to find the manatees, and were friendly and helpful. One guide was in the water with us, shepherding us to the best spots, while the captain stayed on the boat, scouting for manatees breaching the water, for air. They worked really well together, and we saw upwards of 25 manatees in a few hours. On the way back to dock, they gave us warm boat jackets and hot coco and coffee. Definitely will be back again, to bring friends and family. Something I didn't know, is that some of the manatees at Crystal River do not migrate, and are there year 'round. So you don't have to wait for specific times of year, to have this experience!