Y’all- do yourself a favor and go on this tour (it is worth every penny- I promise)! It was absolutely incredible to see the manatees in their natural habitat. Obviously, because they are wild, it is never a guarantee that you’ll see them, but we were lucky enough to see two mama’s, each with a baby! We also saw a few males, and one was sleeping on the bottom in shallow, clear water so it was easy to view him. Matt and Shelly (the boat captains) were absolutely phenomenal with instructions and expectations. They put in the time and effort to find the manatees to see, and were able to answer every question anyone on the boat had (there were 6 of us guests on the tour so it was fairly easy to converse amongst all of us). If you’d like to be guaranteed the best guides- ask for Matt and Shelly! I’d highly recommend “upgrading” your mask to the full face “sea view” mask for $9. SO worth it (ask for one that does NOT have the vent on the side, you want one that you both inhale/exhale out the top of the tube). Wear your swim suit/trunks under your clothes before arrival, it speeds up the time it takes to get your wetsuit on. Bring a “change of clothes” for when you’re done- they have dressing rooms to change in. Consider bringing water shoes (that don’t easily come off), as some areas that you tour have a rocky bottom/full of shells. A towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, water shoes (if you desire), and a change of clothes are all you need! Snacks and drinks are provided both at the shop and on the boat. The captains do take gratuities (which are well deserved!), so have some cash also. One of the captains will get off the boat with you and photograph the manatees along with your encounters. You can purchase these when you’re done. I can’t speak highly enough of this opportunity. Every single employee we interacted with was incredibly kind, personable and clearly enjoyed their job! We will definitely be back again when our travels bring us back to the area!