This was a great experience. It is such a privilege to be able to swim with manatees in their habitat and it was clear that everyone at River Ventures truly cares about the manatees. Everyone was so friendly and enthusiastic and our captain J. Stark and guide Skylar were great. Even though we went in February, it was already getting warm and the staff was very transparent about how it was going to be difficult to find manatees that day before we even got on the boat.
We only saw a few manatees and none of them were very interested in us, but our captain was great at finding them in spots where we got the be the only group in the water with them. I did find that some of the other people in our group were a little aggressive, chasing the manatees and touching them without being approached, when River Ventures stressed the importance of passive observation. Even with having seen only a few manatees and not having much interaction with them, this was still such an amazing experience and Skylar took awesome photos. We will be back!
Do not listen to the people giving this poor reviews because they have ridiculous expectations.To the people complaining that they barely saw any- the staff sets very realistic expectations prior to the tour and the number of manatees in the river is not in their control. The manatees do not exist for your entertainment. And to the people complaining about the water being murky when the pictures online are clear- some parts of the river are crystal clear, and some are murky, but you can still see. Why wouldn't the company post the pictures where you can see the manatees clearly...
Одговор домаћина
Feb 2019
Thank you so much for this awesome feedback, and thanks a million for defending our honor!! Yes, we try super hard to set clear expectations! Unlike many other operators we strive to have INFORMED visitors. If you know you may only see one when it's warm...but then you see three?? You're pleasantly surprised and your guide/Captain get to be superstars!!
It seems no matter how clearly (or repeatedly) we speak about the wild and population patterns...some people just do not hear us. We truly appreciate the support of folks like you!! We hope you get the chance to come back and see us again....when it's cold, and there's a true manatee fantasy out there!! Until next time......Peace, Love and Manatees from the whole RV crew!