Crystal River Wildlife Tour: Manatee and More

Discover manatees and diverse wildlife on a cozy, covered boat tour in Crystal River. Stay dry and enjoy the refuge’s natural beauty. Book now!

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Crystal River - Explore the habitat of the manatee in Crystal River from the comfort of our outstanding tour boat. This vessel is covered, heated, and cozy, ensuring your comfort as you take in the sights of the wildlife sanctuary. You might spot our renowned manatees along with various other wildlife like river otters, turtles, ospreys, and more. Please note, this is not a swimming tour.
What's Included
  • Parking fees
Additional Information

Discover the essence of manatee territory in Crystal River while remaining cozy and dry on our outstanding tour boat. This sheltered vessel provides a serene way to appreciate the splendor of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge.
Delight in close-up views of Florida’s rich wildlife, with opportunities to see the renowned manatees, as well as river…

Location
525 NW 7th Ave
Northwest 7th Avenue
You will find us on the water at Paddletail Waterfront Lodge in a 2 story white building
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(28 Ratings)
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Joyce_s
Oct 24, 2025
Fantastic tour. Captain... - Fantastic tour. Captain was very knowledgeable and provided an excellent tour. We will highly recommend this tour to friends. Planning on revising Crystal River over the winter months and will take this cruise again!
Review provided by Viator
Grace_t
Oct 22, 2025
Fun cruise - We had a good time. Our Captain was very knowledgeable about the Manatees, the Springs and the bay. We didn't see any manatees because of the high tide but we still felt like we got our money worth because he was entertaining and we could tell he was interested in their safety.
Review provided by Viator
Charlene_s
Oct 9, 2025
Even though we didn’t see... - Even though we didn’t see any manatees, Mark our captain, made the trip fun and informative! He did an amazing effort to find the manatees.
Review provided by Viator
Candy_t
Sep 10, 2025
Awesome - It was very interesting. I'm looking forward to going again. Didn't get to see any manatees. Thanks.
Review provided by Viator
Rebecca_h
Jul 28, 2025
Best water tour ever the Crystal River - We were lucky enough to get Captain Glenn, who is very knowledgeable of the manatees and history around the area. We actually got to see a manatee mother and child. We had an awesome time and really enjoyed his company. He did not get annoyed with our many questions. We had so much fun.
Review provided by Viator
Judy_r
Jun 13, 2025
Excellent guide - Able to find manatees even in off season (6/12). Captain grew up here and was a wealth of info. A snorkeling boat joined our water area and made it even better. Captains apparently work together! Great tour and not as expensive. New equipment very clean
Review provided by Viator
Peggy_k
Apr 25, 2025
Loved the way they were... - Loved the way they were ready for us just by name. The Captain was super nice. Lots of stories about the area and what we were looking at.
Review provided by Viator
Cindy_d
Mar 20, 2025
Best boat tour in Florida - My mom and I have a fabulous time. Captian Glenn was absolutely wonderful. He was able to answer questions in great detail. I would definitely refer him! Thank you Captian Glenn
Review provided by Viator
Barbara_r
Mar 15, 2025
Great experience!!! - Great river tour with knowledgeable and engaging tour guides. Wonderful time seeing manatees and also dolphins feeding off mullets.
Review provided by Viator
Juliespriggins
Oct 15, 2025
Able to see a few manatees in mid-October - We had Captain Glenn, who was very knowledgeable about the local wildlife, especially the manatees and gators. We appreciated his diligence in finding a few manatee sightings for us during the off season. We got a nice tour of the bay and were highly entertained by Captain Glenn's stories of his adventurous life.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $35
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).