We booked the "Semi-Private VIP Manatee Tour - Pontoon of Privilege (4 hr Heated) - Crystal River" and I couldn't be any happier with our experience. We were in the capable hands of Captain Ross and Captain Chip, and they really made the experience for us- great guys! We went in with the understanding that it was the tail end of manatee season and it may be difficult to get up close, but even in water with 3-4' visibility, we were able to swim with these amazing animals. Given the poor visibility, we opted to take our tour elsewhere and hit up a few local springs (King, Hunter, Jurassic, and Home (I think?) Springs) We swam with a huge school of snapper at King spring, and even saw a small gator hanging out in the bay. Captain Ross told us stories and was generally just an incredibly entertaining guy to spend time with. We're already planning on making the trip down in January of 2022 and requesting Captain Ross and Captain chip again.
A few notes on this particular tour: I opted to spend the extra money for the small group (six folks total) mostly because of COVID concerns, but was happy for the extra attention, laid back feel, and ability to decide to customize our time and go play in the springs. The fact that the boat was enclosed and heated definitely turned out to be awesome, as I ended up feeling a lot colder than I thought I would. The snacks, drinks, and hot coffee/cocoa were just more bonus on top of an already epic morning.
We can't wait to do it again!