All-inclusive Small Group Manatee Swim With Free Photos

A nice day on the water. We saw two mama manatees with their babies and learned so much about these gentle giants. Lots of awesome pictures were included as well. Highly recommend!

Today’s tour and swim was AMAZING!!! Our guide Crystal Lynn and captain Tom were very welcoming and informative. They made sure we were comfortable and ready for the adventure. The swim with the manatee was so incredible and a memory for sure. The pictures given to us are a great keepsake and Crystal Lynn also recommended a great breakfast spot that was delicious. We will be back in January to do it all over again!!!

GUIDE: Crystal Lynn Absolutely the best guide and tour for my birthday and the first time snorkeler that accompanied me. We both had a great and unforgettable time. 10 out of 10 will do it again.

Crystalyyn was an incredible guide with a lot of knowledge and was very energetic and gave us an amazing experience. We got to see about 5 different manatees even though its not the peak season.

This tour was so much fun and crystalynn and Henry truly made the experience fun! We went during the slow season but still were able to see a bunch!!

Our guides were fantastic (Kendra and Captain Henry). Full disclosure: this is not manatee season, but we got lucky and did get to see one. It's not the guide's fault - keep in mind this is nature so they can't control it. As I said, we got very lucky, and then got to swim in the spring as well, which was spectacular 😊

We had a wonderful morning with Crystallyn and Evan. We found two lovely manatees and were able to spend a lot of time with them, under Crystallyn’s gentle guidance. My 13 year old son has declared this to be the best thing he has ever done!

Krystal was a great guide and showed our tour an awesome experience. And thanks again for all the pictures . We were able to hear the manatees crunch on grass and call for their babies while viewing them in their natural environment

The tour was excellent ad the equipment in good condition. Guide was responsive to our needs. My only concern were the puppies living in a cage, inside their building. The odor of urine overwhelmed us and stung our eyes and lungs. The puppies barked constantly. We were eager to get outside of the building. (this was in 2025).

This was a really neat and cool experience. We went in the off season but still were able to swim with three manatees. Its an amazing experience and I recommend this for anyone. It great to see them in the wild. They are amazing to see up close.

This was one of the highlights of our Florida trip! Kia and Jake made an amazing team. Kia was our in-water guide and Jake captained the boat, and both were friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what they do. We were fortunate enough to get up close and personal with Triangle the manatee, and Kia made sure everyone in our group had an opportunity for a face-to-face encounter. Along the way, we learned a lot about manatees, their habitat, and the importance of protecting these gentle giants. We also got to explore a beautiful natural spring tucked away in the back of the bay, which was an unexpected bonus and absolutely stunning. Kia took some fantastic underwater photos during the tour and had them sent to us before we even left, which was a wonderful touch and gave us great memories to take home. The small-group atmosphere made the experience feel personal and relaxed, and Kia and Jake worked seamlessly together to ensure everyone had a great time. If you’re considering a manatee tour in Crystal River, this is the one to book!

Awesome experience great staff

Highly recommend this excursion. Trent and Tim were amazing!

Henry Kaylan we both so awesome they not only help us on the boat but also provide us with information about the manatees and wildlife. They worked together like they had been working with each other for years. I highly recommend this group. 100% satisfaction.

Getting smacked in n face by baby manatee's tail. Exceeded my expectations. The timing was perfect. Henry out captain was excellent. Kayla out guide was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all questions.

Henry and Kayla were amazing very nice and informative would highly recommend this tour

Reid was absolutely amazing along with the captain. They pointed out where the sea cows were so we could find them easier, saw so many! It was a great experience, definitely will do this again!

Absolutely amazing experience! Reid/Evan/the gentleman driving us around in the boat were all so kind and knowledgeable. The water was beautiful, there were lots of cool birds and fish to see, and the handful of manatees we saw were so adorable! Learning a bit about manatee biology while simultaneously being able to observe them up close for a few hours is such a unique, special experience that you can’t get anywhere else (literally). Being in a small group makes the experience even more special. Plus, cool free pics at the end of the trip! 🥹 I will be back one day, that’s a promise! Thank you friends 🩷

Reed was an excellent guide! We floated along with a momma and baby for an hour. Our boat captain was a veteran and knew just where to go. Loved every minute of it!

Reid was an awesome tour guide. Kids said it was the best experience of their life. I definitely recommend.

So so amazing! The guys were so incredibly fun, made it very enjoyable for the group! Saw many manatees within 5 minutes of being on the water, babies with mama and some “water lizards”! Definitely recommend!

Kaya and Evan were our guides for the manatee tour. They were both enthusiastic and kind during the trip. Evan kept us entertained on the boat while he searched for manatees on the drone, and Kaya was patient and knowledgeable while we floated with the manatees. I would absolutely recommend requesting these awesome guides for the best trip.

Hudson and Jake gave us wonderful trip. My bucket list was too swim with manatees. We got to swim with a mom and her calf! Both were very knowledgeable about manatees and the area. Thank you again!

We had a wonderful trip and saw a couple of manatees even though it was outside the season. Trent and Jake were awesome, really well informed and with plenty of fun too. The free photos were great too!

Great afternoon! Even though it wasn't manatee season, they found a cow and calf right away. Hudson was very knowledgeable about informative! Highly recommend these guys!

Thank you for a wonderful experience! We will highly recommend manatee tour with Nature Discovery. You gave us an unforgettable day!

Very fun and cute experience!! There weren’t a lot of manatees due to the time of year, but we saw a few and got to swim with one very closely for over an hour. Our tour guides Kya and Jake were really knowledgeable and kind + photos turned out nicely! Thanks guys!

Small locally owned company. They went out of their way to make it memorable. Even when we had a hiccup, they made it right

Guides are exceptionally personable ask for Hina & Jake. Very knowledgeable regarding area and wildlife, and other activities to do in the area. Best places to eat. You do not feel rushed always asking if you have questions . Thank you Hina & Jake for a wonderful experience!

There aren’t enough positive words to describe our amazing experience today with Nature’s Discovery! Most other companies cancelled due to wind conditions, but our amazing captain Jack and guide/grade A photographer Kaya were determined to bring this amazing experience to us. To say they succeeded is a gross understatement. They were both friendly, kind, and knowledgeable. Not only did we see manatees, we swam and got up close and personal with these amazing creatures! We saw a total of four and spent quality time with them in the water. Jake helped spot them from the boat and Kaya made sure both my husband and I were able to enjoy every second we had, despite choppy water and partly cloudy skies. If I could give them a thousand stars, that wouldn’t be enough to express my gratitude for them for giving this emotional, heart warming experience. We will be back next year and we will request Jake and Kaya because I can’t imagine that anyone else could do a better job than they did today. Thank you for everything!

Did we get to see and swim with a manatee? YES. Was it an incredible experience? YES. Was the tour operator awesome? YES. Was the experience it exactly what we were expecting? NO. From the pictures, descriptions and reviews, we imagined the tour would take us on a boat up river to some remote, ideal location with crystal clear water away from civilization - to where the wild things are. This is not exactly what happened. We boarded a ~20 ft pontoon boat with capacity to seat 6 and motored less than a mile from the dock into some canals surrounded by houses, boat docks and boats. We were literally just off the banks of the neighbors’ back yards. Alas, this is where 3 manatees happened to be hanging out on this particular morning in late March- dragging themselves across the mucky bottom in about 4-7 feet of water, furiously munching on grass. In fact they were going at it so hard, visibility was only a few feet because of all the sediment they stirred up. You couldn’t see a manatee until you were literally on top of them. Still, our guide Mya was great at being an in-water beacon so we knew where the manatee went when it swam out of view. We definitely were not alone, either. Multiple other tour operators with groups of up to 12 people, crowded around the few manatees that happened to be there that morning At least 6 other boats packed in a small manmade inlet but thankfully Mya and Captain Chris did their best to keep us away from the masses. Our 7am tour did not last the 3 hours as advertised. I wasn’t keeping track of time on the water but we were back at the headquarters and out of our wetsuits by 9:20. Honestly this was fine by me. Even with the wetsuit, the 72 deg water felt cold because we were encouraged to float calmly and still, moving as little as possible so as not to disturb the manatees. I just wish the our guides would have discussed with us the fact that we were heading back early. Loved the FREE photos. Our guide used a go-pro, then upload the photos upon return and sent us a link to Google Album. It was awesome getting to enjoy time with the manatees and NOT have to worry about getting good shots. All in all, this was an incredible opportunity - to see these giant, gentle beasts up close and personal in their natural habitat is something I will never forget. I liked Nature’s Discovery and would definitely recommend them. There are literally dozens of tour companies but this one is small and locally owned. One suggestion - book a semi private tour. It’s only another $10 or so per person and it gets you on a smaller boat with a max of 6 people.

Evan and Jaden did a great job. We were a small group of 6 and spent 30+ min. in the water with 2 manatee. They shared great information about the manatee and their behaviors. The fee was similar to other businesses, but having a small group and free photos of the adventure was great. It was a wonderful experience and highly recommend Nature's Discovery Manatee Tours.

Kaya & Jake were awesome. We came all the way from San Diego to see some Manatees and the experience did not disappoint! Can’t wait to come back.

An explanation on spoiling for the first time would have been helpful but other than that the experience was great

Definitely recommend! All the guides and caption are personable and make sure you have a memorable trip. This was on our daughter’s bucket list. The manatee ended up staying by our boat scratching on the rope for a long time giving lots of opportunities for pictures and to just take it in close up. The tour before us saw a mom and calf. They sounded like they enjoyed their trip as well. The best part was the smaller group and not crowded. Support local and make sure to shop and eat downtown.

Had a wonderful time snorkeling with manatees thanks to Hudson and Jake. We ended up within inches of more than a dozen of them! The guys were great with our three young sons, and they were witty tour guides as well. We even saw four dolphins during the boat ride back, along with an osprey in her nest with her babies.

Loved our manatee snorkeling trip with Natures Discovery. The in water guides and captains were so knowledgeable of all the wildlife we encountered not just the manatees. We went at the end of March and were able to see plenty of manatees. My family consisted of age ranges 6 years old to 66 years old, it was so nice to have a small group and the guide ensured that everyone was able to see the manatees. Also, an added bonus that the use of wet suits and photos were included with our package. Definitely a once in a lifetime encounter!

Jake and Kaya found us a manatee right away to snorkel with and observe! We enjoyed watching her eating and living her best life!

Maya and Evan gave an outstanding tour. They got us immediately onto a couple manatees to view. Maya had an in-depth knowledge on manatees that she shared with us. Highly recommend this tour. No large groups which makes it much easier to view these animals. We will be back.

Went during February break and Maya was super awesome in guiding our group. There weren’t too many manatees during the time we went due to the water temperature, but Maya found a mother with her babies (they were a lot bigger than what we were expecting). We went around to the other local springs for a quick swim and she picked up some shells for my sister. The water is beautiful and the captain had some hot chocolate for us since it was a bit chilly out when we were heading back. I can’t recommend this experience enough.

We had a great time. Jayden and the captain went out of their way to find great spots to interact with the manatees. Thanks guys..!

Mandy and Evan was great to go with. Both did an excellent job in getting us to the manatees. And also help with other groups as to where they were.

It was wonderful, had a great time, saw alot of manatees and close up. Our guide Maya was fantastic, nice, friendly, laid back. Some in our group went back to boat after an hour but Maya said she'd stay out til the last person was done, and she did, we stayed our whole allotted time after all you can't swim with manatees every day! It was worth every penny. This was my 2nd time doing this, last time used a different company but I highly recommend this one was better. We did the small group one. Maya took the best pictures and videos too!

This was amazing!!!! My daughter loved it (9 years old). We will remember this forever!! A must do!!!

This experience was so fun and everyone involved in this business was so nice. Overall it was a wonderful experience and would go again!

Swimming with manatees was a bucket list for us. The tour was very friendly and took us to an amazing spot. We got extremely lucky while we were out -as a family of at least a dozen manatees swam out of the sanctuary beneath us. It was a great experience.

We booked an all inclusive manatee swim with free photos and it was well worth it! Our experience with this crew was beyond exceptional. Our 80 year old mother accompanied us and needed a little extra attention. Jake, our guide, was so patient and kind with our mother. He took her under his wing the entire time. Our captain, Evan, was funny and wonderful as well. I can’t thank them enough for making our experience such a memorable one and I would highly recommend them to anyone!

We had a great experience with Natures Discovery. Captain Evan and guide Stephen were great! Knowledgeable and fun! We swam with a female manatee. We had a lot of fun and we recommend Natures Discovery for your guide to swimming with manatees. Thank you!

We had a wonderful experience! Everything was well organized, from getting wetsuits and the transfer to the boat. It took a while until they found manatees for us to swim with, but we had plenty of time in the water, and they made sure everyone had the opportunity to see a manatee close up. Great fun, despite the muddy water, and the boat ride alone was wonderful as well. Would totally do this again!