Manatee Snorkeling Tour: Small Group Experience

Experience a small group snorkeling tour with the West Indian Manatees in Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Swim with the manatees, learn about their habitat, and take home high-definition photos and videos of your adventure.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 226 NE 5th St - Upon arrival at the dive shop, guests will be fitted for wetsuits (included in price) and asked to watch a brief video from US Fish and Wildlife outlining their encounter with the manatees. The captain and guide will then take the group to the boat and embark all passengers and give a short safety brief. Once underway, the guide…
What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Wetsuits
  • Use of snorkeling equipment
  • Coffee and hot cocoa
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Additional Information

Experience a snug, intimate interaction with the West Indian Manatee as you swim alongside them under the oversight of a U.S. Coast Guard Certified Captain. Our intimate group expeditions (limited to six attendees) are offered daily in the breathtaking Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Familiarize yourself with these remarkable creatures and gain…

Location
226 NE 5th St
Northeast 5th Street
Please arrive no earlier than your scheduled tour time. Our captains and guides are busy between trips with the previous tour and readying your boat and our shop for your trip. If you arrive early, you are likely to be waiting for our other guests to get changed and review their photos.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(1333 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Erik_s
Jan 18, 2026
Very good... - Very good company/experience. Explained everything and the guide Celeste was great. Saw a ton of manatees
Review provided by Viator
Sharona608
Jan 16, 2026
Manatees! - Fantastic small group tour snorkeling with the manatees. Both the Captain and guide ensured everyone was safe (including the manatees)m well informed, and toasty warm after our experience. Book this tour if you want to see the manatees right there in the water with you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J3565oisandy
Jan 14, 2026
Manatee Love - Awesome, awesome, awesome experience! Loved every minute. Captain Ron and Crystal were fantastic! We will definitely be back. Highly recommend them and this tour. Thank you again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lyndeec
Jan 13, 2026
Great experience - What a great adventure! Gulf Coast Expedition made it a great experience. They provided all the equipment needed and went above and beyond to make us comfortable including having hot drinks and parkas on board the boat to warm up after swimming. Krystal was our guide and did a great job. She was knowledgeable and friendly and made every effort to ensure we had the best experience. Captain Ron was also knowledgeable about the local area and made us feel comfortable while on board. I highly recommend booking with those team.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sharon_w
Jan 13, 2026
Bucket list item checked - I really enjoyed this experience with a small group of 3! Learned about the manatees from our guide Crystal and captain Ron. It’s a small operation but full of care and passion! Super grateful to get to meet some very social manatees in their natural habitat!
Review provided by Viator
A3763slmarym
Jan 11, 2026
Fantastic Experience - This experience was a Christmas present for my husband and we loved every second of it. Although it was unseasonably warm out, which meant there were fewer manatees than usual, we still had a great time getting to see the ones that we did. The boat ride was lovely, the staff were fun to hang out with, and the guide was really good about making sure that we knew how to interact with the manatees in a respectful way. We enjoyed our time so much that we plan on going scalloping with Gulf Coast Expeditions this summer.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anna_r
Jan 7, 2026
Choose this tour group it’s the best!! - Awesome experience! Celeste was our tour guide and she was amazing at getting us close to the manatees and was super insightful!
Review provided by Viator
Xue_l
Jan 6, 2026
Great company! Clean... - Great company! Clean wetsuit, clean house to get change etc. very professional guide, super nice and patient with us especially the little one. We had fun. Saw a bunch of manatees. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Crystal_l
Jan 6, 2026
Best day ever - Absolutely amazing, guide was knowledgeable and make it an unforgettable day! The small group experience is the wa to go.
Review provided by Viator
Laurie_h
Jan 5, 2026
Manatee extravaganza - This was a wonderful adventure! They were manatees everywhere and we were able to interact with them. We watched them roll and play and even saw a baby manatee nursing! I would highly recommend this excursion.
Review provided by Viator
From $79
up to 6 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).