On our 3-hour semi-private swim with the manatees tour, we take a maximum of 6 guests to ensure an intimate and educational experience. We depart from Pete’s Pier Marina in the heart of Kings Bay, where manatees can be found throughout the 600-acre bay. Once located, guests enter the water to snorkel alongside them while our experienced guides remain in the water the entire time, leading the group and capturing photos and short videos. All photos and small video clips from your trip are included at no additional cost. Please note: This is a true wildlife experience, and conditions are never guaranteed. Large winter aggregations are driven by strong cold fronts, when manatees gather near the springs where water is typically clearer. During warmer stretches (highs in the 70s for several days), manatees often feed on the grass flats where visibility may range from 1–6 feet. A resident population lives here year-round, so sightings are still possible outside peak winter conditions. Cold fronts, not the calendar, bring large numbers into the springs. Clear water photos online are not daily conditions. We provide an authentic, respectful wildlife experience based on nature.
If you wanna swim with the manatees, this is the place to go……experienced professionals who are locals. Best time ever. Very knowledgeable of the entire area. Fun and an awesome experience. Go local manatee swim is the best.
Peter and Bailey (with Go Local Manatee Tours) did an awesome job on our Swim with the Manatees. They exceeded our expectations and made sure we swam with manatees - even two moms and their babies. We enjoyed the history and local information that Peter shared and we could tell how much he loves the beauty and nature of his home town of Crystal River. We were delighted to receive our incredible photos later the same day. We highly recommend Go Local Tours!
Tim and Bailey best of guides swam with Mantees and photos were great thank s boys
Tom and Bailey were true experts and fun to be with. We did find the Manatees even though it’s not the peak season.
Swimming with the manatees was an awesome experience. The owner from PetesPier was great from the very first phone call. The Captain and his first mate were very knowledgeable about the manatees and the area. They taught us how to interact with the chubby mermaids. They are so gentle and even a little playful. We didn’t reach out to touch them but that doesn’t mean they won’t give you a playful nudge. They did everything to ensure we had a good experience. Putting on a wet suit for the first time was an experience in itself. It’s a memory I will never forget. I had more fun swimming and learning about these gentle sea cows than I did going to Disney. The pictures they took were amazing. Thank you to all the gang at PetesPier, including the very lovely lady at the gift shop. Go Local when booking your time with the manatees.
2nd time swimming with the manatees. Great experience. Glad we went with this company. They only take 6 people at a time and this day there was only 4 of us. Loved the free pics and videos sent to to us from the guide, Jessica. Used a drone to find the manatees this time of year since there were only a few in the springs. That’s all we needed. Highly recommend.
What a great experience! Our family, grandfather (60s), two adults (mom and dad 30s) and two kids (ages 7 and 5) swam with manatees today!! We had Tommy and Jessica and they were fantastic. They were both great with the kids and Jessica especially was fantastic with them as she was the one in the water with us. We were up close with a manatee, saw a bunch of different fish, birds and turtles. Tommy and Jessica answered all our questions, told us about the area made us feel safe and knowledgeable about our swim and told some pretty terrible (but funny) jokes. We can't wait to get the pictures. My kids would like you to know "it was a great day!" Thank you!!
They provide you the snorkel equipment and wetsuits so you just have to bring a change of clothes and a towel. Very easy going people, we went at a perfect time there was a ton of manatees
Tommy and Bailey were great, we saw so many manatees, would recommend to anyone looking for a tour! We got free pictures as well
We had a wonderful experience. The captain and guide were so knowledgeable giving us great information about the area and the manatees. The photo package you receive is a great bonus and is free.
A great excursion to take with Capt Tommy and Snorkling expert Jessica. Special attention given to group of six Snorklers. Locally owned and both grew up in Crystal River.
Was a great day, Tommy the Captain and Jessica the Water Nymph were so accomodating, informative and made it so enjoyable.
This was the highlight of our trip! Absolutely amazing! You get face to face with the manatees who are beautiful gentle giants! Jessica and Tommy were great really funny guides. They were very informative, made sure we had tons of pictures for free! They are the only group of all locals touring currently and they know their stuff! We even had time to swim in three sisters springs which was a great little adventure after seeing several sea cows! Will definitely be back if I get the chance! 10/10 Recommend!!!!
What an amazing experience!! Pete and Stef were very friendly and it was clear that their main focus is protecting the wildlife around the area, whilst also working hard to give us a good experience. As they were both born in Florida, their knowledge of the area is unmatched. They run small groups at a time so it was a nice intimate experience, allowing a less crowded view of the manatees. There were so many manatee tours to choose from, but I would highly recommend booking with these guys over anyone else!!!
What an incredible experience! Swimming with the manatees was definitely the highlight of our holiday. The whole tour was fantastic from start to finish. Pete and Stef made the whole experience feel special. You could really see how much they cared about the manatees and ensuring the experience was respectful to them. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Florida, it was amazing 🩵 **Five stars all the way! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐**
My Wife has wanted to swim with manatees for a long time, and so I booked it for our family of five while on holiday from Scotland - ages 9 to 71. I can’t speak more highly of the experience. Tom and Bailey were incredibly knowledgeable, had already scoped out where to take us with their drones, and had us immediately in the water with a manatee. It was an incredible experience for the full family. Afterwards they took us on to Three Sisters for some snorkelling, and we had a great time - Bailey’s photographs are brilliant, and definitely getting framed and put on the wall at home. It’s also worth saying that it felt good to support a local business, with Tom and Bailey both being from the area, and able to talk about how it’s changed over the years. Would not hesitate to go again in a heartbeat. Also - honourable mention to the Pete’s Pier gift shop that we went afterwards. Lovely shop, and we came away with some wonderful keepsakes
Most amazing experience ever and I love to support locally owned businesses
Jessica and Tommy were excellent. Even though l came in the summer they made sure we saw and experienced the manatees.
Amazing time (even in off season). We were all able to spend some time with a manatee and enjoyed some swimming time at 3 sisters spring.
Great experience with Tommy and Stephanie. They clearly know what they are doing. Appreciate the local experience. Would book again.
We had an absolutely amazing time with Captain Pete and Guide Lindsey! We got to swim with two manatees and even saw a mom and her baby. Pete was relentless about making sure that we had a fantastic experience and even let us go overtime to make sure that we had enough time to swim. Lindsey was a great guide and made us feel comfortable in the water. She also took great photos and videos! You can’t go wrong booking, please support this locally-owned company instead of booking with a company owned by investors.
Tommy and Bailey were wonderful. They were informative and educational, patient and treated us like part of the crew! Thank you for a great tour!
Originally scheduled for 1pm, but they called & reschuled for 10 am to give us a better experience. The tour guides were local boys that grew up in the area & knew all the best places to go. They were very accommodating, and truly cared that we had the best experience possible. 100% would recommend.
Such a wonderful experience! I am so happy we decided to book our adventure with “Go Local.” Both the captain and our in water tour guide were from the area, so they had a lot of stories and interesting knowledge to share. They even know many of the resident manatees by name. It’s slow season, but our crew still ensured we got the full experience while respecting the animals’ space. I will certainly be back and encourage my family to book here as well. Thanks for a great experience guys!
Beyond amazing, life changing experience!!! The captain and in-water personal guide made it above 5 stars!!! We were intimately witnessing creatures in the wild that give you a new appreciation for life in every way 💖
Really great experience, Tommy and Bailey were super knowledgeable, friendly, and communicative, and even though we came at the wrong season, we got to see their resident manatee Billy Idle and follow him around for a while. The three springs were beautiful, and the water was lovely. Such a unique experience, we had a better view of the manatee than the kayakers, and could get fairly up close and personal with our snorkels. There were a lot of other fish visible in the water as well, so there was always something to see. Bailey took some great photos and videos especially of the manatee and I’m grateful to have more keepsakes from this experience. Size inclusive wetsuits - goes up to 5x for adults, photos/videos are free with the experience, the people who work here are all local, and the company is locally owned so you’re supporting a small business.
Captain Tommy was great and hit all the marks. He was able to provide the intended purpose of the trip.
Captain Peter and Derrick were truly top notch. They were so knowledgeable about the area, manatees and the other various wildlife seen during our excursion. They were friendly and did an excellent job explaining to our kids how to use the snorkeling equipment and interact with the manatees. Derrick was in the water taking photos of our family with the manatees the whole time. They went above and beyond expectation! I highly recommend booking with them. This was voted the #1 excursion/experience during our trip by every member of our family.
Absolutely amazing experience from start to finish! Our guides and captain were incredibly friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and welcoming. You could truly feel how much they love what they do, and they made the entire experience so enjoyable and memorable. Swimming with the manatees was absolutely magical, and the whole trip was perfectly organized. Huge compliments to the entire team — especially our fantastic guides and captain! Thank you for making this such a special experience. We would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone and would love to come back again. 5 stars all the way!
This is the tour you need to book over any other Manatee tours. The team and overall experience we had exceeded expectations. Even in “Off season”, we had a very intimate viewing with a manatee. Guide was also very knowledgeable and learned a lot too. No notes. Just a great experience
We had the rare opportunity to come upon a female manatee that was in labor. We also saw another female and her calf in three sister springs. We got to have a very close encounter with 'Billy Idol'... he was so intently focused on grazing he didn't pay us any attention at all. The guys with Go Local Manatee tours are local, born and raised in the area and are intimately familiar with the manatees, their habits, their grazing patterns and best of all how to locate them. The guys were courteous, very helpful in and out of the water and respectful of some individuals in our party's apprehensions. They also provided us with tons of pictures and video free of charge. We had a great time.
Our guides, Tommy and Jessica, did a great job. Although a quiet season for manatees now, they located one pretty quickly. We arrived and were joined by a 2nd manatee. We were also lucky to be the only couple who booked that date/time so we got to spend nearly an hour with that pair of manatees - just floating with them, watching them eat, sleep, stretch and snuffle along. So amazing. We went to 3 sister's springs, too, where the water was amazingly clear. And we met another manatee! We would definitely recommend GoLocal. As everyone who works for them grew up in/around Crystal River their knowledge is second to none. They made sure we had the best time, gave us a little tour, and the picture were awesome to have. 100% recommend and would do again!
A great experience. Staff were professional and very friendly. They are locals that grew up in the area so they have exceptional knowledge. We were new to snorkeling and they gently walked us thru the experience. Our guide in the water assisted us to get to the manatee and was given us advice to help us remain calm. They found manatees, even a mother and her two week old manatee. It was a great experience. The manatees are a gentle creature who were not upset with us being there. Definitely we will be using Go Local Manatee Tours again. You can’t go wrong with them.
Such a great and unique experience! We would happily do this again. Tommy and Jessica were friendly, knowledgeable, and fun. We were not only lucky to be the only ones who booked for that day/time, but we immediately found 2 female manatees who didn't mind hanging out with us for nearly an hour. It was great to just be a floaty potato alongside them. We also went to the three springs which had crystal clear, lovely waters and another floaty potato hanging about to say hello to. The team showed us a few other spots (some with residents alligators). A great experience! We booked via Viator, but we'd go direct through their site next time - we encourage everyone to do the same. Unlike some other tour companies, too, GoLocal were happy for my partner to not wear a wetsuit and he was perfectly fine in the water in swim shorts (I needed the wetsuit for warmth & added buoyancy! but they do not make it a necessity).
This was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. Our tour guides were so much fun and extremely knowledgeable. I cannot recommend this tour enough.we can’t wait to do it again!
It was a wonderful experience. We were beginners at snorkeling and signed for a manatee tour. The guides talked to us and walked us through snorkeling process, how to breath and defogging our mask. We had a guide in the water locating the manatee and helping us get to the manatees, explaining every step. This is a local company with guides that grew up in the area. Our guide in the water took many pics of us, the manatees and other wildlife in the area. The photos were great. They sent us a link to all the photos so we could view all of our adventure. They are very professional but will make you feel very much at ease. No question asked is a stupid question. If you are in the area and want a tour, choose Go Local Manatee Tours.
My daughter, my niece and myself had a spectacular once in a lifetime experience with Tommy and Bailey yesterday swimming with the manatee!! They are both locals and knew lots of fun things about Crystal River and local wildlife. The pictures Bailey took yesterday were excellent and many will be framed in our homes and put on canvas!! Bailey was a great guide pulling all of us along to get as close to the manatee as possible and showing us the 3 sister springs!! Once in a lifetime excursion to get up close to the manatees with the best guides in the world.
Wonderful experience with guides who were versed in appreciation and respect for the beautiful Crystal River area and the wildlife that inhabits it. Tommy and Jessica were professional, kind, and extremely knowledgeable. We truly appreciated their humor and determination to see as much a s possible. This was one of the best tours I’ve been on in a while. It’s nice to see locals sharing their love for their local community with others. Genuine, incredible experience.
It was an absolutely incredible experience. We were fortunate enough to be the only two on our tour. The owner of the business was our captain and we had a diver with us as well. They made the experience so personal and enjoyable. We were able to follow a female manatee around and as we were headed in we spotted a momma and her baby. We got back in the water and were able to see the baby up close. It was an incredible, memorable experience. Thank you so much!
Go Local Manatee Tours were amazing. Swam with Manatees in the kings bay and Three sisters Springs. Up close and personal, tour guides very knowledgeable. Great time had!!!
Polite and professional. Was texted about possible viewing issue the day before and asked if we wished to change to another time, we could not change. The crew we had was Tommy and Bailey, great guys. They went above and beyond to get us views. We swam with the manatees for a couple of hours and enjoyed the whole time. We are not young and we're worried about getting in and out of the boat they helped at all stages and the trip was a breeze. If you are thinking about this style, go local! Thay are great.
We went out with Go Local. They were excellent. They made sure we received the best experience possible with the manatees. They have their own personal photographer that takes pictures of your total experience. I highly recommend them.
Bailey and Tommy took such good care of us! We saw a manatee right away and a second joined shortly after which made me feel so lucky since it’s not manatee season in the springs. Bailey went above and beyond to take so many amazing pictures and video of us and the manatees which we received free of additional charge! I highly recommend this experience.
If I could give this a 10/5 star I would. Tommy and Bailey absolutely smashed it. From the time we got on the boat, until the step off, these two gentlemen made sure everyone had a blast. With their local knowledge growing up in the area, they put us on a manatee within 10 minutes of leaving the marina. Afterwords we had some time to kill and the tides worked out so they brought us to a spring that we had looked at going to, but didn't think we'd have time to check out on our own. Best experience ever. Thanks again, we'll be back!
Not the best time of year for viewing but Captain Tommy and Derek were fantastic at searching with a drone to find the manatees. Our group was just the two of us and we have awesome pictures and videos. The tour was informative with a little extra time to explore the spring and the bay. We totally will be returning in prime season to view the 100’s of manatees in their natural environment once again. You won’t be disappointed with this crew or company!!!!
Was an awesome trip got to see and hang out with manatee for like an hour. Tommy and Bailey were very knowledgeable and great guides, very knowledgeable about area definitely recommend if looking for a great experience
My family and I had a great time! I loved that this is locally owned and operated and the tour guides are very knowledgeable ❤️ we got great photos!
A True Opportunity of a Lifetime! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟This was truly an amazing experience! Swimming with wild manatees was the opportunity of a lifetime. Stephanie and Captain Tommy were absolutely amazing. They are both locals, incredibly knowledgeable, and so passionate about these beautiful animals.Within minutes of leaving the dock, we were already in the water with a mom and her calf swimming right close to us. In total, we got to swim with three adults and a baby! I cannot recommend this tour highly enough.
We had an amazing time. I think the most important thing for me was how respectful Pete and Derek were to the Manatee, and the other wildlife too. It was an absolutely overwhelming experience to see Manatee grazing in their natural habitat. We had fun, but it was also really educational. They knew so much about the area having grown up there and answered all of our questions. I would 100% recommend booking with them if you want a more personal experience. Some of the other boats we saw were overly busy, we had our boat to ourselves (5 of us).
Despite being a tough season to find manatees, our guides found one and took care not to hound or distress it despite many other tour groups being in the area. We got some great video footage and really enjoyed our experience with this company. I booked them specifically as they are a local company and happy that we did. Thanks for making it a memorable afternoon, Bailey and Tommy!
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email