Manatee Swim Tour with Photographer

Experience the thrill of swimming with manatees on our top-rated bucket list tour. Spread out and enjoy plenty of space at Explorida Adventure Center. Book now!

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Explorida - Manatee Swim Tours - Hop aboard one of our safe, comfortable, and clean US Coast Guard certified vessels where you will join your Master Captain to embark on your journey into the Kings Bay refuge waters. Our master captains are trained to find manatees on your manatee tour, even in the offseason, and will deliver the best manatee tour…
What's Included
  • Safe USCG Certified Boats
  • Complimentary bottled water
  • Included wetsuit rental
  • Float noodles provided
  • Snorkel gear available
  • Professional in-water guide and photographer
What's Not Included
  • Photos and videos available for an additional fee at the end of your tour.
Additional Information

The Manatee Swim tour at Explorida made it to Trip Advisors 2022’s ‘Top Ten Must-Do Experiences GLOBALLY!’ Don’t miss the chance to swim with the manatees – it’s an unforgettable event! Avoid the crowded dive shops. At Explorida, there’s plenty of room for everyone to enjoy. Explorida Adventure Center houses a vast, superior facility with climate…

Location
545 N Citrus Ave
North Citrus Avenue
The Explorida Adventure Center is the first Building on the left when turning west on to N. Citrus Avenue from Highway 19.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(1964 Ratings)
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446juliannem
Aug 26, 2024
Awesome for the whole family - It was so awesome. My husband and two kids, son 12 and daughter 18 we had our own private tour because we were late and missed our original time. It was very informative and fun. We chased manatees for a bit due to being off season for them but we found a few and had so much fun swimming with them. tour guide Megan and capt Kelly were very accommodating and willing to drive all over to find more manatees. Also swam in Jurassic springs. Beautiful clear water. 100% plan on doing it again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tinkerbell154
Aug 25, 2024
Manatee swimming experience! - Had the most amazing day today swimming with manatees at Crystal River with @Explorida. Cost for 6 people was really reasonable for the 3 hour trip!! Booked this company as all was included- no extra cost when we arrived except for the photo/ video at the end of the trip!! One of our party didn’t want to swim but he enjoyed the view from the boat. Our Captain Tyler and Megan our guide were knowledgeable and helped to make our experience all the more enjoyable. - thank you both!! We set off super early from our villa in Champions Gate to drive to Crystal River to make an early morning swim experience and was well and truly worth the early start (4.30am) - drive was easy. We didn’t book a private tour but were lucky enough to be the only family on the tour so was a private one. We were the first to find a mother and baby manatee and spent a good 30 minutes in the water with the manatees before any other group turned up. The photos we got taken by our guide were great and we weren’t ripped off for the photos and videos!! We also saw turtles and a dolphin! Along with load of fish in 3 springs. All in all the best day for a day away from all the parks. Had a great brunch in a little gem called Sarah’s diner which was lush!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joannenl663qz
Aug 21, 2024
So close you could almost kiss them! - We had such a great time on our trip with Guide Christian and Captain Gavin. They made us feel so welcome and part of the crew. They are both very knowledgeable about the area, especially the manatees, so the trip was a definite learning experience. They made sure we saw two manatees, which was friggin awesome. The pictures Christian took are helping us to keep the memories alive. Definitely recommend this place to anyone in Florida. Worth the trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Steffif546
Aug 20, 2024
Wonderful experience - We didn't expect to see any manatees in August before we arrived in Crystal River but our guide Christian and Captain Kelly found a Mama manatee and her calf and we were able to swim with them which was absolutely wonderful. We had a lot of time in the water with top notch equipment. Christian and Kelly always made sure that our kids (8 and 4 years old) were safe and had fun and they (and Explorida as a whole) are very respectful of the manatees and nature! We highly recommend booking with Explorida!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ken
Aug 18, 2024
Bucket List Swim - A bucket list activity for my wife was to swim with manatees. We knew we were off season, and just post hurricane Debby, but Captain Tyler and Faith our guide not only gave us a great tour and information, but we spent a couple hours watching and appropriately interacting with 2 manatees. We went at 7:15 so there was limited human activity and we had the manatees to ourselves for almost 2 hours. We heard afterwards that Explorida was the best, and we were certainly not disappointed. Faith is obviously knowledgeable as a marine biologist and runs a mean camera, and Tyler, born in the area, knew exactly where to find the manatees (helping other tours along the way). Great day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
S1486ptmichaelc
Aug 15, 2024
Superb experience! Would absolutely recommend! - Had our tour with Tyler and Adam, who were awesome. We initially followed a pod of 6 or so manatees, but they were on the move so we weren’t really able to swim with them. We rode a while before finding our next manatee but Tyler and Adam explained it was the off season. We did get to see dolphins while driving around, but eventually found a single manatee. The experience was phenomenal, pictures do not do these amazing creatures justice. It was nice to have Tyler and Adam work so hard to ensure we had a worthwhile experience, they definitely made the trip great. Our tour ended up being just my father and I, which was also a plus.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
483gaily
Aug 14, 2024
I love manatees - Best time ever! Can't wait to do it again. It was an experience of a lifetime. A perfect day. The staff was excellent. My husband and I plan to go in the winter next time. ❤️❤️ 😍 💖
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roy
Aug 11, 2024
Experiencing Manatees the right way. - Outstanding trip. Professional, efficient, friendly team with facilities to meet all your needs. Difficult weather conditions meant hard work for our Captain and even more hard work for our guide and photographer Faith. However patience and perseverance was rewarded with a great Manatee experience. The welfare of these fantastic animals was always paramount so no hesitation in recommending this experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brendall4511br
Aug 11, 2024
Great experience! - How wonderful this was! At Explorida we first got a clear explanation. Because of stupid Debby the water was very murky the last few days, today the water was a lot clearer. Once on the boat we went looking for the manatees. When this was spotted we were allowed in the water. What impressive animals. We got good guidance while snorkeling and plenty of time to swim with the manatees. During the swim photos were taken, for a fee we could buy them through a link, so you have the whole series. All in all a very good experience, we would definitely recommend this party. Especially with Instructor Bree and Captain Mike.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Compass05412093834
Aug 8, 2024
Perfect - Perfect! Fun! All employees were wonderful and attentive and a pleasure to be a with. Highly recommend. Sawvlots of manatees and the boat ride was pleasant.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 11 guests
1 Adult
October 2024
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