Start your manatee tour at the most interesting place in the world, American Pro Diving Center in Crystal River, Florida. Arrive just minutes before your reserved tour time where you will find one of the finest five star PADI dive and snorkel facilities. Our friendly staff guides you and your family thru check in, gear up and a presentation on how to behave around manatees. Follow the in water guides on a short drive to the docks where there is plenty of parking. This manatee adventure is by boat on the spring fed waters of Crystal River where sea-sickness is never an issue. Experience the manatee water world either by snorkel or as a boat rider. Fun for the whole family. After returning to the docks follow the guides back to American Pro Diving Center to return gear, change into dry clothes, shop for souvenirs and watch your trip on the big screen TV. Great memories last a lifetime!
We were lucky enough to have a personal session as there were no other people arranged for that day. Guide was very informative and helpful, took care to explain everything and the captain of the boat was very knowledgeable and polite. They ensured that we got to see the Manettes and that we were not encroaching on the environmental aspects of the area.
The staff (Shelby and Captain John) were amazing and took us to BEAUTIFUL places to see the Manatee. It's still a little early in the season to see large amounts of Manatee, but the trip was well worth doing!
Oh my goodness, I would highly recommend this company to do a manatee swim. Captain Mark was so nice and very knowledgeable. Our guide Corey was amazing as well. He took some great pictures.
The swim with dolphins was great fun. Captain Glen and Rodney, our in-water expert, were very knowledgeable and very helpful. We learned a lot about the manatees. We also went to the 3 sisters springs. That is a gorgeous place. I would definitely recommend this tour company.
This was one of the funniest things I did on our trip! Laura Vendetti was absolutely wonderful. So patient and so kind.
This was an amazing 1st time experience. Water wasnt very clear but you could still see the manatees a little. Giving 4 out of 5 stars because our trip was cut a little short. Even though it says approximately 3 hours I would of expected to get the entire time for the money spent. Our dive guide was amazing though. I still highly recommend but would try to go the months they recommended (Dec-feb) to see more manatees. We plan on going again!
The people made the experience so great. Found several manatees to swim with. We had lots of time to relax. It felt magical.
Our guide Laura was able to find several manatees to swim with on our 7am tour. We also saw some sting rays, turtles, dolphins, and fish. We got to swim in a couple areas with natural springs. Laura was very knowledgeable about the manatees and wildlife and our family had a great time. Captain Mike was very calm and got us right where we needed to be.
Great experience saw 2 mom and 2 baby manatees we went to the springs which was fun we would recommend this
Laura (guide) & John (captain) made this experience amazing. The wealth of knowledge between them! I would definitely do it again!!!
We floated/ swam around the manatees- at least one adult, several “teens” and 2 calves. The guide was very helpful in making sure we were as close as possible to them without interfering with them. Thoroughly enjoyable experience. Wetsuits, face mask/ snorkel, and noodle all provided.
We got fitted for our wet suits…they go up to very large sizes! They took our group to a room where we watched about manatee conservation and protection. We were then led to the boat and given snorkels/goggles. We went out into the River and our guides, Jess and Captain John kept their eyes out. We saw one manatee by itself then swam some more and saw a mom and baby!!! We floated around them and watched them come up for air! Take your go pro or underwater camera to get photos. There will also be photos of your trip available to purchase at the end!
Really enjoyed the tour. We ended up seeing much more than I expected. We saw two manatees, the water is murky and makes it hard to see them but when they go into the shallow area you can see their face while they’re feeding and they come up for air every so often where you can clearly see them. After that we saw ospreys chasing a bald eagle, a couple of dolphins that came right up to the boat, alligators, a snapping turtle and fish. Felt like we got an adequate amount of time with the manatees and enjoyed not having to pay for parking (their listing says it’s paid)
Bri, our guide, was friendly, patient and knowledable regarding the manatee's habitat along with rules and regulations. She and Captain Mike ensured we safely navigated the manatee habitat to view them at a safe distance. Although the water was quite brackish, Bri found several manatees. My personal favorite moment was viewing the ENORMOUS pregnant mama near King Spring and the brightly colored fishes! Bri also took Go-Pro photos of the experience, which I highly recommend purchasing. Leave your phone and cameras away and be fully present to take it all in!
Had a wonderful time with Bree the Tour Guide and Ryan the Boat Captain Highly recommend these two It was cool being up close and watching the Manatees go up for air. They were close enough to touch but unfortunately not allowed, oh well
We enjoyed our day on the boat swimming with the manatees. We went at 10am last Saturday and Laura was our host and Jake was the Captain. Laura was so fun and made it such an enjoyable experience. She made sure everyone saw a manatee and got a picture with the manatees. She also got some good videos of the manatees and was a good host and knowledgeable about the area and maintaining the guidelines with not touching the manatees. Would love to go again ❤️❤️❤️
My group had a great experience. The tour guide and captain were very knowledgeable and fun. Highly recommend!
I never thought I could. See such a massive gentle manatee! More our captain and was helpful and funny. Steven our guide was so helpful and taught us all about them. Excellent time!
It was great. Our guide and captain were very knowledgeable and engaging. My kids had a great time. We got up close to 2 sleeping manatees.
The best manatee tour company! Beautiful facility to meet at, wet suits for comfort in the water, great knowledge of the area and perfect manatee location for an unforgettable day! Pictures of the day available too! Must do tour!
We had a great day with Taylor, Bree and Charley. Limited manatees today because of the warmer weather but we were able to see a momma and baby. Soooo neat!!! Great experience! Definitely checked this off the bucket list!
Rodney was our guide and Joseph was our boat captian. The trip was amazing we were able to see manatees at both swim locations. My wife and I have a lot of snorkle and scuba experience, Rodney is very patient and we watched him on more than one occasion work with people who had never snorkled before get their face in the water. I just wish people would listen to instructions and not kick the silt up off of the bottom this limited the visability, and was not an issue with the guide or service.
Awesome dive team at the shop. Inventory has everything. I wish the weather was better, but we experienced exactly what we paid for!!
This was an amazing experience! Our guide was phenomenal she was fun and very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this to anyone.
There were hundreds of manatees! We got a close in person… Not touching. I was right there when the manatee was spouting!
My family and I had a great time! Capt Ryan and Bree were awesome they made everything very easy, it was a cold windy day we were nervous it was going to be a bad day for it... we were wrong it was plenty warm in the boat and in the water, very thankful we had an amazing time making memories!!
Amazing experience! We had captain Taylor and guide Ryan who were both incredible. They took their time to find the best spots for us to see manatees and they were also very entertaining! We will definitely book with them again in the future!
Swam with the Manatees with our guide Heather. She and our boat captain made the trip a lot of fun and we thoroughly enjoyed their sense of humor. Definitely ask for Heather when you go. They care about the animals and ensure we knew about and followed the rules. Thank you!
Rodney was a fabulous guide and Capt Taylor did a wonderful job. We visited a spot with excellent visibility and one of the manatees interacted with us. They did a great job instructing us in the proper etiquette and our group was very respectful of the animals. I would definitely go again!
Heather and Ryan were knowledgeable about the trip. They gave us a lot of useful information. Both were friendly and approachable. We were in the water for about 45 minutes with a manatee. The experience was wonderful and unforgettable.
Russ was a awesome tour guide and Ryan was our capitan. We had an excellent time with them and they made our adventure great. We were able to find 5 manatees which were having just as much fun as we were. We definitely will return..
Professional, made sure that everyone was able to see the manatees. Both the driver and guide were great!
This is our second time using this company for manatee snorkeling in the past few years and we’re always met with informational and great guides. Ryan & Ryan were great and made sure everyone viewed the manatees even though the water conditions weren’t the best (cloudy due to recent storms). As a nature lover I really appreciate how serious these guys take their jobs to make sure the crowd has a good time but also makes sure that everyone is respecting nature. 10/10 recommend and we’re going to take a weekend trip from NC to complete the initial dive course to become certified.
The captain and guide were extremely knowledgeable and did everything they could to make the experience fun.
We had a blast and would definitely do it again if we were in the area. Our party of 7 got suited up and enjoyed swimming with the sweetest grass vacuum we've ever seen. The crystal clear spring was incredible as well. Both our guide and pilot were knowledgeable and friendly and they're willingness to work with other boats and companies made everyone's experiences a positive one. Cannot recommend this experience enough!
Capt Dirty Mike put us on the scallops and was a blast to be around. Clean boat, super prepared and courteous. Def would go again!
We had an amazing time w these guys. They went above and beyond to show is a great time. The day was great
Captain Morgan and Captain Steve were truly wonderful. Captain Morgan possessed a wealth of knowledge regarding the local area. Captain Steve was exceptionally kind and thoughtfully prepared hot cocoa for the girls. Although our visit occurred during the off-season, we were still fortunate enough to observe the manatees. As Florida natives, we continue to cherish the opportunity to witness these magnificent creatures. We extend our sincere gratitude for enabling us to create a cherished memory for the children to treasure throughout their lives.
Derek and Jake were the best! ♥️ my group was my 10 year old granddaughter, 7 year old grandson and myself. We have booked with Manatees in Paradise a few times and we love them! They are so good with the kids. Talking to them, teaching them about the manatee and the creatures we encountered. The trip is very personal and almost one on one bc its a small group. (Not a "cattle boat" full of clammering tourists) Do yourself a favor and book with these guys. You will not regret that decision!
Aiden and Abby were great captains. Abby helped us get close to the manatees. Aiden did an excellent job driving and finding the manatees for us to get in the water to get a closer look. We would definitely do this guided tour again! Very family friendly. Our teenagers really enjoyed this experience.
We searched until we successfully found a good spot which took a few minutes longer but was well worth the wait
This experience was amazing. Aiden and Josh were so nice and patient with us. It was only two of us so we got individual treatment
Great tour and love that they accommodate kids up to 5x. The guide was friendly and made sure everyone respected the manatees. We will definitely be doing this again when the weather is cooler and more manatees are out.
So amazing! Such a wonderful time. Besides the abundance of Manatee we saw a Tarpon, several other fish and many birds. Would highly recommend this day trip!!!
It was a great experience. The boat captain and the tour guide were very friendly and we learned a lot about the manatees and the springs. Very organized tour, we are very happy!
This was an incredible experience, by far the highlight of our trip! Casey and Captain Steve were awesome, and it was so magical swimming with manatees. Would definitely highly recommend this experience!
It’s better to go at low tide (am?). We couldn’t get to 3 sisters spring because the tide was too high, so we had to snorkel in murky water and couldn’t see the manatees as well.
Abby and Aidan are excellent captains/guides! They are extremely knowledgeable and capably answered all our questions on many topics, including details about the behavior and physiology of manatees, ecology and history of the bay, local real estate, and much more. They were very accommodating of our interests and sensitive to the needs of our young children. They have insider knowledge about the area, one as a lifetime resident, which we particularly appreciated. We had three generations of family on our tour and everyone had a great time, was thoroughly entertained and learned so much about manatees and other creatures of the bay. Thank you both for a wonderful experience.
Absolutely amazing time snorkeling with the manatees! Staff was all extremely friendly and very helpful throughout the entire process!
So much fun! Knowledgeable staff that went above and being to make sure we got to see multiple manetees up close!
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