Manatee Swim Tour With In Water Photographer

We had Captain Walter with Bo as a guide and Q (forgot the second letter, sorry). They had a good plan in mind where to take us. We were in luck and saw a Mum and her calf. After the swim (I was quite cold since we hung out with them quite long) hot chocolate was waiting on the boat for us. Also after the swim the team came up with a good plan on what's next best suiting us and our wishes. Very pleasant and fun experience staff wise. Also the ladies on the shop were super nice. Must do!

Great experience, friendly and skilled guides and crew. Really enjoyed it and thoroughly recommend it. The guide was very clear on the need to safeguard the manatees and we had great views.

The manatees were so cute. GQ and Megan were great tour guides. If in the area and looking for a good experience they are great.

Better than I could ever imagine. A manatee come up from the water very near me and that was an incredible experience. Also big shout to GQ for taking the time to teach me how to snorkel without panicking. He stayed close to me to make sure he could be there if I started panicking again. He went above and beyond his job. It was a perfect experience.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Unforgettable Experience! Swimming with the manatees in Crystal River was an absolutely amazing experience! We had to get up very early in the morning, but it was definitely worth it. 🩵 We were lucky enough to see several manatees, including mothers with their babies, even though the official season hadn’t started yet. Being able to observe these beautiful animals up close in their natural habitat was truly magical and something we will never forget. The team at Explorida made this adventure even more special. Everything was well organized, and we had such a wonderful time. We highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Florida. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and a memory we will treasure forever! 💙 Thank you, Explorida, for this incredible experience!

I think our captain was JR? and Tour Guide and photographer was Megan. Our son was terrified at the beginning and he barely made it into the water, as he can’t swim. Megan took extra time and care to make him comfortable, even let him piggyback her most of the time so he could see too. Then once he was comfortable, she held his hand and helped him swim with her. We managed to see a big mama and her calf. Followed them around for 30 minutes. I wish we had seen more of them like the website pictures show, but it wasn't Manatee season. So we were lucky to find the ones we did. The captain spent extra time after showing us different spots around Crystal River. Even found a spot to see some alligators! Such a wonderful and thrilling experience! I would totally do it again in Manatee season (after Nov 15). Thank you! Nikki from Canada

What a DREAM! This was the first trip us 3 sisters have taken together and swimming with the manatees was magical! We had GQ helping us around in the water and Walter was our Captain. Our oldest sister has VERY limited vision, so GQ helped guide her to where a mama manatee came into contact with her, touching her body and hands. My other sister was kissed by this mama on the head, to which she said, “Thank you and you are so BEAUTIFUL!” Then mama lifted her head and lifted her top lip just like she was grinning. I’m 59, our middle sister is 63 and our oldest sister is 70 years old. But this day swimming with these gigantic, gentle, social, sweet creatures had us all feeling like little girls again. Thank you for this phenomenal experience GQ and Walter!!!

A great experience. So fun! Admission fee was reasonable for 3 hour boat, swim, wet suit and snorkeling. It was so beautiful in the gulf. The staff was fantastic. And the othe 3 guests were sweet.

An excellent group! I’m 81 and my sister in law is 78, the guide was helpful and kind. I highly recommend seeing these beautiful creatures.

Topher and Gavin were awesome! They knew just where to go while entertaining us with dad jokes.

We went for my daughter’s 10th birthday and the experience was amazing! We got there and got our wetsuits on and watched the video then went to the boat. Captain Walter and Topher were great and kept us with the manatees. We did the morning tour and saw manatees and had them to ourselves. I had two children with me and they helped us and were patient. Definitely recommend Explorida for manatee tours it was amazing!!

This was a great experience we found a manatee after searching for half an hour or so our guide and captain were great

It was awesome. Staff was great!

I cannot say enough good things about this experience! It was the #1 thing on my bucket list and I left with a full heart and a smile from ear to ear! I took my 7 and 8 year old daughters and the guide, Keri, was so wonderful with the girls while conducting an amazing experience for the entire group. It’s the off season in September but they took us out to a resident manatee in the Bay where we got to spend plenty of time in the water with it. Keri made sure everyone on our tour was respectful of the manatee and did not interfere with it going about its day to day. We also snorkeled the crystal blue water in each of the three springs - which was really cool in and of itself. Last but not least, the giftshop! We could’ve spent all day and a full paycheck on all the manatee stuff. When we first walked in I thought we might be in heaven. We will be back next year and will be sending friends!!

We enjoyed our manatee swim tour. Topher was a personable and helpful guide. Seeing a manatee up close and personal is definitely an experience I would recommend! The gift shop was great as well and is worth a visit even without the tour.

The entire experience—entering the shop, meeting our guide Grace and the boat captain, swimming with manatees, and the finale—was impressive. The tour offered strong value for the cost. It lasted about two hours, and because another couple joined us, we enjoyed a more private encounter with the manatees we observed.

Excellent ! The guides knew exactly where to find a manatee. It was magical.

Great experience, swim with them got you up close and personal

My family and I had a great time and experience. Staff were very friendly and helpful. I won’t forget it.

It was an amazing experience definitely coming back again soon!!!! - Marcos

GQ and Meg were so kind and passionate about what they do. Some of us were a little nervous and had lots of questions and they were very knowledgeful with their responses and patient when it came to us getting into the water. They made sure the experience was on our terms the whole time. 10 out of 10 recommend, it was a wonderful experience.

Amazing highly recommend, finding and swimming with them is so fun

This was an unforgettable and amazing experience. The guides were awesome and super knowledgeable and respectful of the manatees. Well worth it!

Super fun trip with my granddaughter! Madison our guide was kind, helpful and knowledgeable. We did see only one manatee, but that’s ok. The water was cool which made the wet suits great. Three sisters was beautiful. We purchased the photos for $30 something and downloading them was a challenge. The photos were just ok. All in all a great experience. Will we definitely take more grandkids.

Such an amazing experience! Our boat Captain Walter and guide Topher were so incredibly kind, helpful, knowledgeable and wonderful. Experience of a life time and highly recommend!

Our trip with GQ as captain and Maddie our in water guide and photographer was fabulous. We were celebrating a birthday and in my opinion, the birthday girls opinion and the other six women would give it a five star rating!

The great service from Explorida started before we had even booked our trip. We had a few questions which were answered promptly and the company came across as so friendly in the email We booked a private experience for 4 of us at 8:45 on. August 19. From the moment we arrived every member of staff was friendly, welcoming and made the whole experience amazing. We knew that we may not get to see Manatees as it was the off season but Captain Gavin and Keri our guide were so amazing. We had an amazing swim in the cool springs and then they were constantly checking with other boats to try and find manatees. We found 1 which we were able to watch from the boat as it was in deep water, and then we saw another 2 but they swam away too quickly from us. We would have been happy with this, the 3 hour experience was amazing, calm and with beautiful scenery BUT they both found us another manatee who we could swim with It was amazing - they are beautiful creatures, and Explorida are so careful to ensure that it is an ethical encounter with the manatees well being the number 1 priority (as it should be) All 4 of us had an amazing experience and just want to thank Gavin and Keri again, who extended our tour slightly so we could experience the swim. The facilities in the shop were great, and the pictures Keri took captured this experience brilliantly. If you are thinking about doing a swim with the manatees, just book with Explorida, you will not be disappointed

Maddy and Captain Walter were fantastic. Three sister Springs is stunning. We did get to see a manatee. It was really cool seeing them in the natural habitat.

Had a great time. Captain and guide were very friendly!

Just amazing ver special experience. lovely team of people from reception, shop, guide and driver. All lovely people and very special swimming with a manatee :) Thanks all and especially Keri (our guide) and Walter (Boat skipper)

We took our granddaughters out with Capt GQ and Maddie. They both were very friendly and helpful from the moment we walked in the door until we docked at the end. They answered all questions and were excellent at getting us in the water and swimming with the manatees (including a baby). We even got to go to Three Sisters Spring at the end to enjoy some amazingly clear water. Our granddaughters had a blast and LOVED the tour. We loved it too! Great job Maddie and Capt. GQ! Would definitely do this trip again and request them both!

It was so much fun and our guide was amazing. 10/10 go do this immediately.

Awesome day swimming with the manatees!!! GQ and Grace made it an experience we will remember for a long time. Highly recommend both of them.

Knowledgeable, friendly and personable staff that truly puts the welfare of the manatee above all, which is important to us as a couple. They went above and beyond to ensure our experience was memorable. We will be back! Thanks again, Walter and Grace! You guys rocked it!

Topher was our guide and we had a great time it was really nice to meet them. We only saw one Manatee due to out of season but it was fun, we even saw a baby alligator on a dock. I only have two recommendations showers are needed and lockers. That would be the best thing they can do to make it and awesome place . They were really friendly and nice. I give it 4 out of 5 stars, only due to the 2 recommendations I stated earlier. I’m gonna go back again for sure though. Oh and Topher recommended Guyer’s Ice Cream shop it was excellent ice cream got the chubby mermaid.. lol

So much fun! Great staff, terrific boat captain and guide. Wonderful experience!

Amazing experience. Great guides. Got to see manatees even in the off season of summer. Very professional and smooth experience

What an unforgettable morning! From the moment we walked into the Explorida store, we were made to feel completely at home. The whole team was so friendly, welcoming and professional, setting the tone for what turned out to be one of the best experiences we’ve ever had. The guides and our fantastic captain were simply first class. Their knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for the manatees really shone through, and they managed to get us within just a few feet of these beautiful, gentle creatures while always treating them with the utmost respect. Swimming with the manatees and then taking a dip in the crystal-clear spring was nothing short of magical. Safety was clearly the top priority throughout the entire tour. We were fully briefed, well looked after and genuinely treated like royalty from start to finish, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable and relaxing. The photos and videos they took for us were brilliant and offered at a very reasonable price, giving us memories we’ll treasure forever. A special mention also for the recommendation to visit Kelly’s Restaurant afterwards—it was absolutely spot on and the perfect way to round off an amazing morning! I genuinely wish I could give more than five stars. If you’re thinking about booking this tour, don’t hesitate. It’s an experience you’ll never forget, and the entire team goes above and beyond to make it truly special. Thank you all for an incredible day! 🌟🐋💙

Great experience for my husband and I in July 2026. It was the off- season so we only had one manatee that day but the boat captain and our guide worked very diligently to find any manatees around. They made sure we were safe and that the manatee was safe. Also took us to a spring to go shelling afterwards. Great fun!

Great time. Madeline (in water guide) and Dom (boat captain) were fantastic.

You cancelled with the reason being weather. It was a perfect day. The only time it rained was hours after we were supposed to be finished. The big reason we came to Florida was to see Manatees for our Granddaughters.

Everything went great! Now I want to come again in the winter! We had a nice long swim with one big female. You can’t help but have them swim under you. Within inches! 😳 😁

TOP NOTCH TRIP!! DO THIS TRIP. We had a wonderful experience and it all is due to the wonderful people at Explorida. From the initial greeting and welcome from Avery to the trip with Madeline and Chris this was a perfect trip for our bucket list check off. Madeline and Chris were wonderful and found us 7 Manatees in the middle of summer which is tricky. One of our party had mobility issues and they went out of their way to ensure she felt safe and was able to participate and get the best views of these wonderful creatures. It is obvious from the beginning that this program is about appreciating these beautiful animals without causing them stress or discomfort. The safety of both the participants and the animals was paramount. Everyone we encountered in the store, other captains, and divers were positive, helpful and wonderful to work with. I would do this trip again as often as I could if possible but only with Explorida. Thanks for a life changing experience. Lynn W

Although manatees are allusive this time of year (July), our tour guide (Grace) and boat captain were great at finding a few and getting us in the water near them. They were a good team and very professional! Also the boat was very clean and easy to get into and out of! I hope to come back in early spring when manatees are plentiful and I will use Explorida again. Fun times!

Was a fun time and I learned to snorkel. I'm 66 years old and had no problem doing the three hour tour. Captain and tour guide were very knowledgeable and helpful.

Spectacular in every way. Captain Walter and Grace made it even better.

Amazing once in a lifetime experience with Capt Walter and Grace! A wonderful, relaxed, friendly appointed put us at ease with all the wonderful staff, despite it being a very early start! Capt Walter and Grace our guide were truly amazing, so friendly and approachable answering all our questions. Grace ensured everyone got to see everything once in the water, including the youngest members of our party. Capt Walter was brilliant in looking after our autistic son who wouldn't get in the water with the manatees but was still included and got to view them from the boat and have all of his questions answered. Bucket list experience ticked off and unforgettable memories made as manatees swam around us, underneath us and ate in front of us. Woud book again and recommend this tour to anyone visiting crystal river to visit the manatees !

This was such a fun tour! We were lucky to see several manatees and our guides were great

Captain Gavin & Swim Leader Grace were AWESOME! We had a terrific time. They both were very knowledgeable about the local area and manatees. The protocol was to keep the animals safe while getting a once-in- a-lifetime experience. They were great at spotting the manatee and making sure all of us were able to view it. We had extra time, and we were able to got to the Three Sister's Spring to see amazingly clear water with a variety of fish. My family highly recommends this trip.