Manatee Swim Tour

Capt., Tyler and Shelby very hospitable and did a good job finding sea cows

The delivered! So knowledgeable, accommodating, friendly! Very professional and educated on the manatee’s. Well worth it!

Best experience of a lifetime!! Dani and Captain Steve made the trip much more magical! Can't wait to bring our friends and family!

My wife and I felt well looked after during our 7am trip and totally safe when swimming with these large animals. Both captain and our water guide did everything to allow us bringing home amazing memories.

We had a great manatee snorkeling trip in October with Celeste and Aaron. They worked really hard to find the manatee. The first we saw were in more murky water from the location and the manatee stirring up the bottom. We were blessed by the second location being more clear water, as it’s not always guaranteed! The cute sleeping manatee was perfect to passively observe and my kids loved both. Celeste and Aaron were both great dealing with our two kids under 10 years old! The location was also the nicest guide shop dressing area/showers we’ve ever experienced.

Swimming with the manatees was truly amazing. We swam with a mom and baby! Our guide (Dani) and captain (Aaron) made it even better than we could have imagined. Their knowledge and enthusiasm were much appreciated, and we felt safe the entire time. Highly recommend using Paddletail!

Snorkeled w/ mamma & baby !! Boat guide Danny’s rational exuberance for manatees is catching. She obviously loves her job and loves the manatees beyond measure and I can see why. Such gentle, sweet creatures - we had such a great time visiting with a mama and her baby. We also got to swim in the three sisters. Excellent tour !! I will definitely be back.

Our adventure on the pontoon boat was excellent. The guide was very informative and everybody was very nice and helpful. I would definitely do it Thank you so much.

Amazing experience . Corey is a very friendly, professional guide who did everything to ensure we had a unique experience. He also took some great photos. Glenn is a fantastic captain—friendly, calm, and highly competent.

This tour was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Captain Mark & Guide Jessica made our group feel comfortable, they were very knowledgeable & fun to be with. I highly recommend the small group tour with up to 6 people. The manatees were so cute, snorkeling through the springs was beautiful, so many fish! I cannot say enough about this tour, book it today!

We booked the Manatee swim tour. We were so excited that we were able to see the manatees and swim with them! Celeste is a wonderful tour guide and Todd was a great captain! What a fantastic time!! Highly recommend this tour!!

We had such a beautiful morning with our Captain and Dani, our guide and photographer. They were helpful ,patience , knowledgeable and down-right funny.

Captain Glenn was fabulous ,as was our in water guide Jessica.I went with my 8 year old granddaughter and it was the first time she snorkled. Jessica was patient,kind,calm and thorough in her preparation and instruction for the snorkel. Sh e guided my granddaughter like a missile so that she could stay close to the manatee which was somewhat easy because or manatee ,named Triangle, was asleep. Glen was very knowledgeable about manatees and easily shared facts ,such a s that manatees need to take in fresh water every two weeks,have very little “fat”,moms feed their babies thru a nipple near /under their flipper,ETC! He knew my granddaughter was new to open water snorkeling and even moved the boat closer to pick us up after our manatee viewing. He was an expert at spotting manatees ,because on our return to the dock he spotted several noses and turned the boat around to view them. I could go on and on about how great these two treated us!!!!! Priceless!!!!!

Boat ride was nice. Only saw some turtles and birds. Saw no manatees but it was explained to us that due to seawater incursion that happened last year that killed off the manatee food source that manatee sightings where at there lowest in 10yrs. Kinda wished I had known that before we booked but we made the best of it.

Had a fantastic time with Capt. Mark and Dani our guide and photographer! They put us on 2 sets of mom and baby manatees. Both have extensive knowledge of the manatees and the Kings Bay Area. Had a blast with them both! Well worth the money. Can’t wait to go back and do it again!

Captain Mark was extremely knowledgeable and you could tell he loved what he does! Well worth the money. Beautiful scenery. Fantastic experience!

Dani was amazing, so helpful and made sure everyone was taken care of. The photos were great! The captain was determined to find the manatees! It was so amazing! Highly recommend!

Captain Steve and Corey were GREAT!! We had a wonderful experience from start to finish. My only regret is that we live so far away... I'd love to do it again!

Don't let the weather put you off. We spent a rainy Florida day snorkelling with a mummy & baby manatee. What a memorable special day spent with the awesome captains Steve & Jacob! Thank you for making it such an informative & amazing experience. Hopefully back in Florida next year and we will definitely visit paddle tail again. 😊

Incredible experience!! Our captain Glenn and in water guide John went above and beyond to keep us comfortable and have a safe respectful experience with manatees even in the off season. It was very informative and exciting! I loved hearing about how to respect wild animals from Captain Glenn. Hopefully planning to come back in the winter.

The guide and boatman were very knowledgeable. Nothing was too much trouble. My husband had difficulty with his mask and they took time to help him find other equipment which helped him with his breathing and stayed with him to make sure he could breath properly to see the manatese.

Celeste and captain Steve were great guides! I haven’t done this snorkel tour in several yrs and it is my first time doing it n October. I would recommend the winter months for more of a clear spring and more manatees. However, it did not take away from today’s tour.

Thanks to Steve and Celeste they were our awesome guides we will be back

Mark the Captain was absolutely spot on , the type of person you want to go with as we use to say in the Royal Marines in the 70s C L A P Meaning - Clear - Loud - As an order - with Pauses . Thank you Mark .

We did the Eco Tour with Captian Glenn, not swimming with Manatees. It was excellent!! He is a great captain and so knowledgeable!! We saw Manatees for sure!!

We had such an amazing experience on our manatee swim tour! Danny was our guide and was incredibly knowledgeable about the manatees, the springs, and the surrounding wildlife. He took the time to teach us so much about the animals and their environment while also making sure we had the best viewing experience possible. We were lucky enough to see two different mama and baby manatee pairs, and Danny did an awesome job helping us get the best views while still being respectful of the animals. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip! Justin was our captain and was fantastic as well. He stayed in communication with the other captains about where manatees were being spotted and really helped make sure we got the most out of our time on the water. We also loved the “Manatee Mocha” they gave us afterward — a mix of coffee and hot chocolate. Even with our wetsuits, we were a little chilly after getting out of the water, so having something warm waiting for us definitely hit the spot! ☕️ Danny and Justin made the whole experience fun, educational, and memorable. We learned so much, had some incredible encounters, and felt like they genuinely wanted us to have the best experience possible. We would absolutely recommend this tour!

Had a great time our guide Celeste was wonderful, she told us we might not see alot of manatees but the ones we saw were great. She took awesome pictures Our boat captain Steve was really fun too.

Paddletail waterfront adventure. Big game led with Aaron and Celeste. Awesome. Great guys. Great job to give us opportunity to swim with manatees . Both Aaron and Celeste highly professional, helpful and fun!!!

The Manatee Swim tour was a great add on to our trip to Florida. The team was super helpful getting us registered the evening we arrived at our destination and getting us out on the water early the next morning. The expectations of what might happen as we swam with the guide was well presented. Celeste (our manatee guide) was very helpful and knowledgeable on the manatee’s that frequently swim in the King’s Bay Area. Captain Steve provided a pleasant pontoon boat ride out and back. For this time of year September we were excited to see two manatees. This was an awesome experience. Thanks Captain Steve and Celeste!

We had a great experience swimming with the manatees and the springs. Jessica and Aaron were great! Definitely recommend!

Was a fun fun day. Capt Mark and Capt Cory were great, knowledgeable and funny. Lots of pictures with the manatees, we have already recommended to friends. We will come back.

Quick in and out so you can enjoy your day.

Start to finish flawless. Everything was provided. Boat was clean and the guide was professional and personable. Our guide Michele was so lovely and calm, we felt completely at ease. We didn’t feel rushed at all. Capt Steve was very warm and inviting. Would highly recommend them both and importantly the preservation was front and foremost. Beautiful Manatees and a wonderful trip.

We had the most fantastic time scalloping with Captain Paul and guide Lucas! We thoroughly enjoyed the "underwater Easter egg hunt" - it was fun for the whole family! Paul and Lucas found the perfect spot for us to scallop, catered to us with fruit, refreshments and even freshly made scallop ceviche! We can't wait to return next year! Thank you for a fun day!

Steve and Cody were amazing. They made our tour feel like we were the only ones. They were super interactive. Cody was great at keeping the group together. If we ever co e back we would definitely come back to this company AND ask for Steve and Cody. Thanks Guys.

It was a great experience Celeste and her team really took their time to make sure each one of our family had the best experience possible i highly recommend it 10 out of 10

I can't begin to tell you how great our experience with Waterfront Adventures' manatee swim was! We arrived a little early, got suited up in our wetsuits (shimmying into those things was the only bad part of the experience lol), and after the safety briefing, we got out onto the boat. Although it was 2 pm in August -- not exactly the best time to see manatees -- we were lucky enough to find one and get to swim with her. It was truly magical! Afterwards, we then got to swim around the Three Sisters Springs, which has to be one of the most beautiful spots in all of Florida. Our guide, Jenny, and our captain, Paul, were amazing. Both were very knowledgable about the wildlife, how to interact with it, and King's Bay ecology. Also, every aspect of the experience is well thought out. For example, the bay water has lots of silt and seaweed/grass, but showers with shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel are available after your tour; the wetsuits were very clean; and the little shop has everything you might have forgotten plus some cute memorabilia. All told, including a shower and some nosing around the shop, the experience lasted 2.5 hours. Also, do yourselves a favor and get the photo package. Jenny is a great photographer and videographer and the photos will be amazing souvenirs even if you don't see a manatee. (Plus the photos come on the cutest little manatee flash drive!) We will definitely be back if we ever get back to Florida!

The entire staff were friendly and professionals. The captain gave us a great sunset tour but also had some wonderful stories. It was convenient that all water rentals were onsite. The room was clean.

Captain Paul & Lucas surpassed our expectations with our scallop charter in every way! Both are super knowledgeable, laid back, and professionals in their field. The attention to detail they put forth for this experience, did not go unnoticed and made this so unique from any other charter we have taken. We look forward to making this a yearly family tradition, and will not book with anyone else! Can’t wait to do it all again. Will definitely recommend this duo to anyone looking for a top notch expedition with the best in the business!

Wonderful experience. Easy booking process with staff. Check in was simple. Cute shop with all kinds of small trinkets. Great for travelers to find a small treasure to remember their trip. Captain Glenn was a fun and knowledgeable guide. Loved his explanations and stories which appealed to all ages. He pointed out alligators, birds and other wildlife. It was a very nice way to spend an afternoon. Thank you. Great job! Robin Butzke

Great time! Staff was extremely helpful and very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this if your looking. Admission fee was good for the length of time

It was such AMAZING experience to celebrate 🥳 my husband Bday wknd... We had a unique happy time to swim with manatees at least once in life. We highly recommend to have a tour guide Dani Pope and Capitan Erick Johnson, they were very kind, knowledgeable and pacient people. Everything went very well specially safe. Thank you, much guys!!!

Be prepared to have a fun filled time and learn so much about the sea life you are swimming with our family had a blast !!!

We went for the 7am snorkeling tour in early Aug. The staff were wonderful- Misty at the front office, Captain Glenn, and our in water guide Jessica. Even though August is not manatee season, the captain and guide assured us that we would find a manatee and they did. Captain Glenn took the newbies to the side for a quick class which I appreciated as it was my 10 yr old’s first time snorkeling. It felt crowded as we had to take turns with other groups to get manatee time and each group had ~10 people hovering over 1 manatee. They took us to another spring area where we could swim and snorkel. Unfortunately there weren’t fish in that area but it was still a good experience (we got to see bubbling sand underwater). There was hot chocolate, hot coffee, hot water, tea bags, and snacks on the boat. The captain and guide were knowledgeable about manatees, wildlife, and were happy to answer questions and provide suggestions for things to do in the area. Overall great experience. Just know you are not likely to see more than 1 or 2 manatees, tons of fishes, or other wildlife in Aug.

This was exceptional. We absolutely loved our tour guide Michelle and can't wait to go back in December!!

Captain Mark and Ross where exceptional guides and made the experience wonderful for me and my girls!

An absolutely amazing time! We went out of season but Steve and Reggie knew where to go to find manatees. We found a mom and baby and snorkeled around them for quite a while. Then we swam in the spring which was so clear - breathtaking actually. Steve and Reggie made the experience amazing and made us feel very comfortable with them and the manatees. They were knowledgeable about the area and animals and it was obvious they have a deep respect for nature and the safety of the manatees. I would highly recommend doing this tour. We weren’t sure about going off season but it worked out great because my 22yr old daughter and I ended up being the only ones on the tour at that particular time and snorkeling with the 2 manatees was perfect, TBH I can’t imagine going when there are tons of people and manatees after the experience we had.

Had an absolutely amazing time. Captain Steve and Celeste were so amazing. They helped my son and made sure he had the best adventure. All of our pictures turned out so cool.

Even though we were out of season they found a mother and calf and a few others to swim with. Amazing trip, highly recommend. Family of 5 the springs were crystal clear.