Five years ago, my wife and I did a similar trip and wanted to do it again. We chose Captain Ron this time based on other reviews. We were not disappointed. Ron and Lauren provided a fun and informative briefing on our way to the area where we got in the water to swim with these amazing animals! Our first attempt was mostly unsuccessful as the manatees didn’t stick around. We headed for another spot where a group of swimmers were clearly having an encounter. Rather than crash their party, we dropped anchor nearby, but far enough away from the other group so as not to interfere with their experience. Our group consisted of my wife and myself, and a couple from Michigan who we did not know. The four of us hit the manatee jackpot! One of them took a liking to us and interacted with us for more than an hour! The entire time, Lauren was taking photos and short videos which we later purchased on a USB stick. Ron and Lauren were a pleasure to speak with throughout the trip, and our lengthy swim with the manatee I named “Phil” (for no particular reason, he just looked like his name was Phil 😁) made this a memory that will last a lifetime! I highly recommend a trip with Gulf Coast Expeditions and fully expect to make a return visit myself.