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Private Manatee Snorkel Tour: Swim with Gentle Giants
5.0
637 Ratings
Crystal River
This exclusive snorkeling tour with manatees is only for 3 hours, but the experience it offers will stay with your team forever! Your personal USCG certified captain will set sail with your private team to discover the sanctuary and bring you face to face with these ‘quiet mammoths’!
This exclusive snorkeling tour with manatees is only for 3 hours, but the experience it offers will stay with your team forever! Your personal USCG certified captain will set sail with your private team to discover the sanctuary and bring you face to face with these ‘quiet mammoths’!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- River Ventures - Upon arrival at the tour center, guests will view a short video about manatees and review the swimming guidelines to ensure an enjoyable experience for both participants and the manatees. Participants will then be equipped with a wetsuit in preparation for the snorkeling adventure. Throughout the manatee swim tour, guides will…
- River Ventures - Upon arrival at the tour center, guests will view a short video about manatees and review the swimming guidelines to ensure an enjoyable experience for both participants and the manatees. Participants will then be equipped with a wetsuit in preparation for the snorkeling adventure. Throughout the manatee swim tour, guides will capture memorable moments both above and below the water. After returning to the tour center, guests will have the option to purchase a high-resolution picture CD featuring images from their manatee tour.
What's Included
- Expert guidance led by a professional
- Exclusive private tour experience
- Complimentary bottled water
- All necessary equipment provided
- Multilingual introductory video available (English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish)
- Expert guidance led by a professional
- Exclusive private tour experience
- Complimentary bottled water
- All necessary equipment provided
- Multilingual introductory video available (English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish)
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
- DVD (available to purchase)
- Gratuities
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
- DVD (available to purchase)
Additional Information
- Price reflects 1 to 10 people
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Post COVID-19 Policy- We are mindful to thoroughly clean water vehicles between visitors.
- Price reflects 1 to 10 people
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Post COVID-19 Policy- We are mindful to thoroughly clean water vehicles between visitors.
Location
River Ventures
Southeast Kings Bay Drive
River Ventures Manatee Tour and Education Center, please arrive 15 minutes early.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(637 Ratings)
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Departure30193837689
Aug 18, 2026
A MUST CHECK OFF THE BUCKET LIST - Magical, Piper and Brian were amazing, even helped me correct what I've been doing wrong attempting to snorkel for so long. We got to see mom and baby. We drove three hours but totally worth it..have you booked a trip yet? What are you waiting for? DO IT
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ashleyho6451uw
Aug 9, 2026
Best bucket list experience - We had the best time. Got to see a momma and a baby manatee. You can see the difference when there’s smaller groups who are calm and chill to larger groups and kayaks around. They go from being chill and hanging out to being skittish.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
793caitlyns
Aug 7, 2026
Bucket List Manatee Swim Complete - We had an absolute blast. Because this time of year was slow, we got to go just the two of us so basically got a private tour (7am option) for the price of an additional seat since they have a three seat minimum which was 10000% worth it! Anna and Garrett were spectacular. Garrett even sacrificed his drone to find us a manatee that we ended up viewing and swimming with for almost an hour! Getting to see the manatee this time of year means it's doing its natural eating and grazing instead of huddled up cold and trying to warm up in packs so we felt it was extra special to see them as they want to be when active. We got some great photos taken by Anna EVEN with some murky waters. Be realistic about expectations and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you, anything that shows up along the way is a magical bonus. We will definitely make the trip during busy season but honestly this exceeded any expectations we had regardless.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P6244yymichaelk
Aug 5, 2026
Amazing Experience! - Our manatee snorkeling tour was absolutely unforgettable! Seeing a mama manatee and her baby in their natural habitat was such a special experience—something we’ll never forget.
Our guides, Wade and Piper, were exceptional from start to finish. They were knowledgeable, friendly, patient, and clearly passionate about protecting the manatees while making sure everyone had an amazing time. They made us feel safe and comfortable in the water and shared so much interesting information throughout the tour.
If you’re considering a manatee snorkeling adventure, this is the company to choose. The combination of incredible wildlife, beautiful surroundings, and outstanding guides made for a truly five-star experience. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W4310gufrans
Jul 31, 2026
My manatee experience! - We swam with 3 different manatees. It was amazing. Crystal and I think it’s the captain‘s name was Justin. They were really great! Knowledgeable, helpful, and so nice. Great people.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Millerperry81
Jul 30, 2026
AN EXPERIENCE YOU WON'T FORGET!!! - We had the first tour out at 630a but JJ and Maleah were top notch, super friendly, and made sure my family got the treatment/tour we paid for. With storms on the horizon, JJ put the drone up and made sure we got time in the water with a manatee. Maleah positioned us so we could truly grasp the size of the manatee and watch it as it cruised effortlessly through the bay. Even as the rain began, we continued snorkeling and exploring one of the springs where a second manatee ventured over as we were exiting. Awesome experience overall!!! 👏 😃
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightseer36820801833
Jul 28, 2026
Amazing - I made the reservation on the phone with Juno who was so helpful and polite. Our captain, Bryan got us right where we needed to be. Our guide Gary made sure we had plenty of time swimming around the manatee. Then we swam into Three Sisters Springs. It was a beautiful and amazing experience from start to finish. They also have a great gift shop. Would highly recommend River Ventures.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michelleso5067ip
Jul 25, 2026
Great experience! - This was such an amazing experience. We can not wait to book again in the future. Our guide Gary and Captain Bryan were both amazing, friendly, knowledgeable and funny. Recommend 💯%
Review provided by Tripadvisor
722euanb
Jul 24, 2026
Awesome experience - The guides were really nice and it was really cool to see the manatees up close
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Flyer56794205547
Jul 23, 2026
Family fun - The crew and captain were excellent!! It was a great experience for the whole family!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
