My family (children aged 6 and 8) LOVED this manatee tour. Captain Emerson and "Grandma" Heidi as our manatee guide were incredible. We had no expectations for a manatee sighting, as the unseasonably warm weather was preventing a lot of manatees from coming to Crystal River. We were thrilled when there was a sighting very early on in our four hour trip. Heidi led the way, and was so encouraging and patient with our kids. She was so fun, engaging and knowledgeable about the manatees, area and water. We loved listening to her! After swimming with the manatee, we got back on the boat and headed for a ride to Three Sisters Springs for a swim. It was beautiful. Again, Heidi led us there so patiently. We had a blast! She interacted so sweetly with my kids, and even did some handstands with our daughter in that crystal clear water. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Emerson and Heidi and would highly recommend them to anyone. We plan to come back and hope to cross paths with them again. Thank you, River Ventures!