Crystal River: Small Group Boat Tour

Truly in the name. Local operator with deep passion and care, seeking a balance between providing an enjoyable, educational experience and deeply respecting the manatees and their habitat. We loved our tour. The hot chocolate after the slightly chilly swim where we saw beautiful manatees was amazing. Great to have the photos included in the price.

Outstanding tour a once in a lifetime experience.

Walter was such a great guide! He was very informative, super helpful and we had a great time! We saw soooo many manatees!! If you are looking for a great manatee tour, book with them, and ask for Walter!

My family wanted to swim with the manatees on our trip and I have to praise these guys for their safety, respect for the manatees, and the ability of their guides to find these animals and explain the local wildlife and history. Great company

Went with my friend 7/30 at 4 pm and had a great time! Allegedly this is off season and 4 pm is harder to see them but we were really lucky and experienced a decent amount. By a dock, we had two playing/kissing and "hanging out" with us for a while which was great! Crew was super chill and fun to hang out with. Can't wait to come back when there's even more in the area. Also, the go pro photos that come with the tour are really great and came out better than expected. Very nice bonus.

Fantastic Tour - A must do in Crystal River My wife and I did the 3-hour small group with Josh and Judge leading the way. Judge was a great boat captain and spotter. He put us on 3 gentle giants within 15 minutes. Josh led a safe and fun in-water experience floating along with these majestic mammals. Great local folks that are operating a fantastic tour. They cared for the safety of both the guests and the manatees. Truly enjoyable experience and great tour operators.

Wonderful experience! Boat guide and in-water guide were amazing, knowledgeable, friendly. We had an incredible time!!

What an amazing experience this was!!! Pete and Stephanie took such great care of us on our tour ranging from my 12 year old kids to my 78 year old mom. We all had close encounters with the sweet manatees of Crystal River. Pete and Stephanie were both so knowledgeable and kind with us and the manatees. Highly recommend this experience to anyone interested in meeting these gentle giants!

GoLocal Manatee Tours are awesome! We took the private manatee tour and our family had the boat all to ourselves! The smaller group was great compared to seeing some of the other larger groups that had a hard time keeping together and seeing the manatees...especially as they moved into cloudier water later in the season. The captain and guide are locals, as mentioned in their name, and they provided us with lots of interesting history of the area and they made the whole afternoon very fun! The photos were great and they were included in the price! I highly recommend spending your money with a true local company to get the best experience!

Low key and accommodating. The team was friendly and knowledgeable. Marco, boat captain, and Lindsey, tour guide, were fun and knowledgeable! Lindsey made sure to include and take care of everyone in our party.

We had an absolutely incredible experience on our manatee tour! The guides were fantastic—courteous, funny, and extremely knowledgeable about the area and the manatees themselves. They made sure everyone felt comfortable and got the most out of the experience. Seeing these gentle giants up close was truly magical! To top it all off, when we got back on the boat, they surprised us with hot cocoa, which was the perfect way to warm up after being in the water. The extra thoughtfulness and hospitality really set this tour apart. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun and memorable adventure!

I was instantly put at ease by our welcoming guide, Josh. His familiarity with the area and the manatees was evident and helpful. Josh was succinct and informative with his instructions and guidance during the trip. This was my best snorkeling experience in large part due to the care that was given in the information that we received.

Not only are they long-time locals with all sorts of knowledge, but they are also really sweet guides. They made sure we got the best experience—expert finding those adorable manatees, hot drinks afterwards, and sharing lots of local info and lore along the boat ride. As of writing this, they are the only locally owned and run guide service.

Such a wonderful experience. The small group and very knowledgeable LOCAL guides made our experience top-notch. Thank you!

Peter was great. Local knowledge is king here. Not too many manatees today but we did see enough because he found them anyway. I took a drone and he was very helpful with that as well.

I cannot recommend Go Local Manatee Tours enough! My family and I recently did a private tour, and it was an incredible experience. The captain and guide were extremely knowledge and went out of their way to find a secluded space for us to swim with manatees. They found us a “once in a lifetime” experience- a mama manatee nursing her young calf. They are dedicated to providing an experience that is both enjoyable and respects the safety and environment of these amazing creatures. I can’t wait to do it again!

With Go Local, we knew we were with a local business. You go to the pier where there is a hive of activity. We had a private pontoon boat for the five of us. with a canopy. Walter, the captain, and Derrick the manatee guide were great with the kids. They were the best at prepping us and getting us to a mom and her nursing baby. There was no crowd and we swam with the gentle pair for a while. The mom. Knew Derrick and came up to him. It was an encounter to remember. The boat gave us room to move around and see all directions. We even felt comfortable with a one year old aboard. We also loved swimming and exploring the springs under water, later the wildlife refuge. It was a fantastic experience. The next morning dozens of pictures showed up in our inbox. We loved the whole experience.

I can't say enough great things about Pete! He rescued us and took my family and our boys to swim with the manatees!!! It was amazing! Seeing their faces was everything! Pete was amazing and even educated my boys on the Florida manatees throughout the boat ride. He was so knowledgeable and engaging! We will definitely be booking again! Such a great experience!

We had a great trip with Derrick and Walter. They warned us in advance that the water was a bit murky and offered us the chance to cancel but we decided to do the trip and we were so glad we did. We saw some beautiful Manatees and their babies. It was so lovely to see them so up close. One of the babies was really curious and swam right up to our faces which was just lovely. All of our group got to see the Manatees and Derrick did get some nice photos which they shared with us on a google link the following day. We did move around to try and find some other Manatees but did not see any more although we did find some turtles and a baby alligator. Don't forget some sunscreen and some water. I would thoroughly recommend a 3 hour tour with Go Local.

Derek and Walter were our guides and they were wonderful!! Walter was knowledgeable and taught us about the manatee, its living environment, the delicacy between human and manatee as well as the effects of weather on their living quarters. The experience was like no other. To be swimming next to these beautiful giant creatures with the guidance of Derek, was amazing and breathtaking. We were fortunate to see a mama nursing her calf. We could hear the manatee eating under water. The photos, which were taken by Derek and which are included in the price, are a bonus. The owner, Pete, was very transparent about the water quality and visibility since a hurricane in 2023 which was much appreciated and set appropriate expectations. This being said, my daughters and I would totally do this adventure again and HIGHLY recommend this small locally owned company.

Although we didn't see any manatees at this time because of the warmer temperature and lack of food for manatees in Silver Spring, it is a fantastic tour with Gary! He is intelligent, patient and super nice, and introduce a lot of plants and creatures around the river to us. So I would still recommend it, but it would definitely be better to book this during cooler times. I think I will come back in this winter.

Our tour with Captain Pete and Nick was beyond excellent!!! They were both super friendly and knowledgeable. They both obviously care deeply about their community, the manatee and the ecosystem around Crystal River. The tour felt relaxed and unhurried. The hot drinks after a cool swim were a super nice touch. As well, having the photography included in the package was so appreciated. None of us needed to worry about having our phones out. We could just enjoy the day and the surroundings. We would recommend this tour company to anyone hoping for an awesome manatee experience!!! Thank you so much!!

What a wonderful, personalized, super-informative tour! Tour operator Peter was AMAZING! He is not only 100% local, he is knowledgeable about the environment, the ecology, the history of the area, its tourism, and of course the manatees! He knew where to find the manatees and took us to multiple sites for viewing - not just the common ones mobbed with people. We saw SO many manatees and learned so much. When he learned that our daughter works in the field of coastal ecology, the two had an info-marathon on the marine environment relating to manatees. It was wonderful to not only support a local small business but a business owner like Peter, who is so committed to the protection and well-being of these remarkable animals.

Literally so amazing! One of the coolest manatee tours of my life, I cannot thank the captain enough for the awesome memories!

Awesome experience w Captain Pete and Derek! We saw lots of manatees. Captain Pete and Derek knew exactly where to go and focused on passive observation. 3 of our kids, one by one, got cold and went back to the boat, where they hung out with Captain Pete, who had hot chocolate ready for them. Derek was awesome at finding the manatees in the water and taking great photos. I knew the package included photos but I didn’t even know Derek was taking them when he did, so we were able to get tons of candid photos in the water. 100% would recommend.

Peter and Lindsay were Awesome! They were very knowledgeable, very caring, and very patient with me both in and out of the water. They went above and beyond to help put my anxiety at ease, so that I could just be with the manatees. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. One that'll never forget.

We booked this as a spur of the moment trip and Peter was fantastic with his communications. We had a lot of questions and he was a pleasure to deal with. We booked it directly through his page and it was simple to do. His knowledge of the area and of the manatees was very helpful. We booked this “off season” and Peter worked very hard to make sure we had as much exposure to the manatees as possible. Both Peter and his diver were great throughout the trip. Their passion for the animals and the area shone through. We will definitely do this again in season and we will definitely use Peter again. Thanks for allowing my wife to cross one off her bucket list.

This was a truly wonderful experience. Though there are guidelines in place so that you don't scare or harm the manatees, you are able to get very close to them and it's so cool to be able to observe an animal that large from that close. We saw a nursing mother manatee with her (huge) baby, and also got to watch one eating the eel grass. I would also highly recommend this particular tour company, Go Local Manatee Tours (see details below for why). Our trip was in the summer, which is not high season for this experience; if you watch the videos they mostly show winter, when there are manatees everywhere. This was not the case, and it actually took the crew a while to find manatees for us to look at. But in a way it was better; there were fewer tours on the water and we got to be mostly by ourselves as we observed the manatees. Why I loved this particular tour company: We had 5 people and were able to book a private tour (if we'd had a 6th person who could have come, that would have been the same cost, so it's sort of like buy 5 get one free). But even if you have fewer people, this company limits the tours to 6 people, and they are one of the few (maybe the only) owner-operated crews at Crystal Springs. We saw other groups that had 12-20 people in them, so when they reached the manatees there was a huge crowd in the water--and those tours are about the same price as the one we took. Captain Pete and Lindsey, our in-water guide, were both very friendly, extremely knowledgeable about the area and the animals, and great company for the day. Lindsey was great at instructing us on how to approach the manatees without crowding or stressing them, and in general they seem to be an environmentally conscious company. They went out of their way to make sure we were all having a good time, including the kids (ages 6 and 8), and got great pictures. Speaking of which, pictures and video are included in the price of this tour; there is no "gotcha" where they send one or two pics and then charge you for additional ones. We received a Google link with all our pictures the next morning and they were free. Because of the season it did take a while to find manatees, but we got to observe other wildlife in the meantime, and the tour operators actually very kindly extended the time of our trip because there was no one booked after us and we didn't see manatees during the beginning of the trip. In other words, they did everything they could to make it a good experience for us and went above and beyond. If they have spots open on the day you are looking to book, there is really no need to look further.

Look no further than Go Local Manatee Tours. We were overwhelmed when we began our search for the right tour company to go with for our once in a lifetime manatee swim. We absolutely picked the right captain and swim guide with Go Local. Don’t look any further, you will not be disappointed. Friendly, personalized attention, knowledgeable, helpful, entertaining, environmentally conscious, and a truly amazing manatee experience. The crew was passionate about the manatees and us having a good experience. The private tour was totally worth it compared to what we saw with others on the water with groups of 12+. In addition to manatees we saw other wildlife such as birds and alligators, as well as tons of fish. I can’t say enough about how perfect this crew was (Lindsay and Peter) and the experience they were able to give us. The photos we received were above our expectations, especially considering they were free. We got to relive the experience over all over again. Book this tour, you will not be disappointed! Literally the best day of my life!!

Captain Pete & Lindsay were incredible! This was an extraordinary once in a lifetime experience. My husband, myself & our adult son booked a private tour with this amazing LOCAL company. They were so knowledgeable & friendly it made the experience even better. Can’t wait to see our photos!!!

This was top notch! Captain Pete and Divemaster Derek are literally the absolute G.O.A.T.S! They made sure that we were all safe at all times, knew right where to go for good manatee sighting possibilities, and even allowed time to go play in one of the springs. These fellas made me and my fiance right at home, even though I'm more of a water baby than Bobby. BUT when Bobby did decide to get in the water, he knew they had him. We will definitely be returning to tour with them again on our next trip!

My family had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with Captain Pete and Derrick in King’s Bay. It was an unforgettable experience. This was our first time ever doing anything like this but they Captain Pete and Derrick made us feel comfortable and guided us through. They ferried us to a private area — even when there were many other snorkelers and kayakers around. They provided the equipment and instructions and when I was having issues with my goggles, they worked with me to get it right. Derrick was in the water with us the whole time taking pictures and videos while also keeping up safe from everyone else. He would literally move kayakers away when they got too close. When all was said and done, they provided warm hot cocoa and got us back to shore safely. This was an absolutely amazing day filled with memories my family will never forget. We will be back and I strongly encourage to go with Captain Pete and Derrick versus the larger tour companies. The special attention — not just for us but for the manatees — is well worth it. You will not be disappointed.

This was a “bucket list” thing to do for my wife. She read the other excellent reviews for this company and we chose Captain Pete and Diver Derek. We were lucky and there were many manatees on this day. There were many other guides out during the same time and since the manatees were plentiful I’m sure they all saw lots as well. What I can say about Cap Pete and Derek is they were very friendly, fun and super knowledgeable. The smaller tour boat made for a much more immersive and personal experience and the photos were fantastic, which were included at no extra charge! We ended our tour with a cruise around the bay with lots of educational conversation and just plain fun talk as well. We highly recommend you chose Captain Pete and Derek, they will take great care of you and their attention to the environment and the manatees is second to none. Great job guys and the best of luck with your new company. Support local! Cheers

Peter and Derek took us to the active manatees before the crowds arrived. We made great family memories during this tour. JK

We cannot stop talking about our experience! We cannot be happier. We were three adults and two kids one of which decided to stay on the boat most of the time hanging with Pete. Thank you for your patience w the kids and making us feel like we could still enjoy ourselves even if the girls weren’t up to being in the water the whole time. Derek has magical manatee powers and his manatee demeanor translates to people too since my girl only went in the water with him. THANK YOU!! For a life time experience and your kindness and knowledge of these amazing gentle giants, we will be back!

Capt Peter was super knowledgeable about the area and made our couples trip enjoyable and would definitely book again with him! Having everything included in the cost of this trip was also very doable for us and the experience was more than worth it.

Awesome experience swimming with manatees. Capt.Ed, Capt. Kim and Capt. Pete were excellent friendly and all 3 made our experience wonderful. Highly recommend their adventures.

We had a fantastic time on this tour swimming with the manatees. Captains Ed & Kim were great. We highly recommend them and can’t wait to go again

Experience of a lifetime -so glad I picked a local small business to support! Can't wait to visit again! 10/10 would recommend

Peter is an amazing tour operator with 5 years of experience locally guiding, he started his own company this year. He is super awesome and knowledgeable about the area and truly cares about the manatees. First mate Derick was in the water taking awesome GoPro pics and video the whole time with us. I brought my GoPro but didn't need to do any shooting myself other than enjoy swimming with these gentle giants. I've travelled all over and done more excursions I can count. Go Local Manatee Tours was hands down in the top 3 anywhere I've been. Having someone who grew up in the community taking us around was awesome. If you have a group of 6 or less I highly recommend booking this small business directly through their website. Peter was great at communicating on whatsapp, email. I can't say enough how great of was to also be supporting a young guy starting his business who has competition from big huge tour operators who don't live there. Trust me, I saw the big boats with 10+ guests all in the water and it did not look near as fun as having just my wife and I on our own trip. We saw so much more than you would while a crew os wrangling in a bunch of people kicking up the silt we were able to cruise to more locations. We saw alligator babies in a secret spot (don't worry you won't be swimming there), all kinds of fish, birds, a couple natural springs one coming from a huge cave underwater and of course swam with manatees and their babies away from the big groups. As I'm writing this review I have decided this company gave not one of the top three excursions, Go Local Manatee Tours was hands down THE BEST excursion! For reference I have been to see lava flows falling into the ocean in Hawaii to zip lining in Mexico and a lot in between. The best 👌 is here. Just book the tour with Peter and you will get memories for a lifetime.

Definitely an amazing thing to do if your looking for something exciting and new to try in citrus county! Highly recommend!

Took our kids & we had a blast swimming with the manatees! 10/10 recommend! We will be back next year!!

Captain Peter is extremely professional, knowledgeable and passionate. Because he grew up in Crystal River, it is obvious how much he LOVES his town, the people and the manatees that he works with.

This is the one you and your family are looking for. Very friendly folks, great with kids. Respectful to the animals and the surrounding environment.

What a fantastic day with Captain Peter and Derek. Swimming with manatees has always been on my bucket list. This trip was a dream come true. Both Peter and Derek are locals… they really respect the animals and their guests, explaining why these creatures are so special and how to keep them safe. Please, Please, Please use this tour company and not some outsiders that just want to churn you through their company. These guys are the real deal… they really care and it shows! I highly recommend them!

We booked in the UK with Go Local following positive Tripadvisor reviews and so glad. We were impressed with their knowledge, friendliness and surety of delivering a good time. I’ve confidence in recommending Capt. Pete & Derek to others, if only I could rate with a 6th star! We are a family of 3 adults & 2 kids. Pete & Derek managed teenage excitement together with a nervous adult and delivered Manatees whilst also educating us to the area. They are true locals, setting up their own business sharing a personalised experience with you in a relaxed manner - even pointing out their parents house and childhood memories of launching their own canoe onto the river. I wish them every success. Adrian; Aug ‘22.

Definitely would pick the tours with them as I know them personally, it was relaxing and I felt comfortable the whole time. I love manatees and this was a great experience!

I went with my boyfriend and friends, and we had an amazing time!! Captain Peter is the best in the Bay! Would definitely recommend to anyone looking to go on a manatee tour in Crystal River, FL. We will definitely be going again.

There’s quite a few tour companies - but only one Captain Peter. He made our trip incredibly fun and memorable. You can tell he genuinely loves the water and the manatees. Our experience was definitely one we will remember for decades to come. The photos we were able to take all turned out amazing too. We will recommend Go Local and Peter to anyone visiting central Florida. Do yourself a favor, go swim with some manatees and book it with Go Local. Thank you for helping us create these special memories with our family.