Begin your Crystal River manatee swim tour at River Ventures’ full-service tour center. Spend approximately 30 minutes learning about Florida manatees, getting fitted with a wetsuit, and preparing for your snorkeling adventure. Learn how passive interaction helps protect these wild animals, with tips to feel comfortable and make the most of your time in the water. Then travel to the dock and board a covered pontoon boat with a USCG Master Captain. Your in-water guide and photographer will support you as you explore the manatees’ natural habitat.
Explore the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge as your captain searches for manatees in their natural habitat. Watch for wildlife while cruising the spring-fed waters of Kings Bay, then stop to swim and snorkel with manatees when conditions allow. Your in-water guide will help you practice passive observation while sharing insights into manatee behavior and conservation. Each tour follows the wildlife, with snorkeling locations chosen based on manatee activity and water conditions.
Discover Three Sisters Springs, one of Crystal River’s most popular natural attractions, known for its clear spring water and wintering manatees. When time, conditions, and refuge access allow, your tour may include a visit to explore and snorkel in this beautiful spring habitat. Visits and in-water access are not guaranteed and depend on wildlife protection closures and conditions on the day of your tour.
Such a wonderful experience. Lots of wildlife to see in addition to the beautiful manatees. We were very well looked after and our guide made sure we saw manatees without us feeling like we were encroaching on their space. A really great day.
Awesome captain Michelle and her helper Shawn were amazing... they made sure everyone on the boat got a super close personal experience.. we got to swim with a mama manatee and her calf got some Awesome pictures and videos and they were such wonderful people..
Great time and experience! Both the Guide and Captian were exceptional! We will be back! Thank you for the Memories!
My family and I had the funnest time going out on this private boat tour. Not only do they fit you in awesome wetsuits, they have you watch a quick video on what and what not to do. Which is helpful for all people preparing to do this activity. The Awesome guide was Nat (natalie), and our Captain was Garrett. Really awesome funny and positive people made the experience ten times better!! They were friendly confident, and knew exactly the areas we were in and were reassuring if anyone was a little nervous. We got to see a beautiful huge manatee for maybe a half hour or more up close in the water. Nat made sure each person got to see it up close, before we finished. Then at the end we had some time and they took us to a very clear spring to check out. It was gorgeous!! Then after we got back to base and changed out of the wet suits back into dry clothes, we enjoyed the complimentary hot bar with tea/coffee & cocoa. As we enjoyed the hot beverages we walked the gift shop, and wow they have the best selection of gifts/ items. I would recommend this excursion to anyone. Best part of my families trip, they came from Arizona and had a once in a lifetime experience! Thank you River Ventures, Nat, and Garrett. 🤗🥰❤️🫶🙌🤘
Was absolutely worth paying for the other seat! The private experience was the best ever! The photos do not describe the absolute glorious day we had! Best experience in Memories Forever!
We had an absolutely amazing experience with Venture Crystal River Manatee Cruise & Dive! Swimming with the manatees was truly unforgettable and definitely one of the highlights of our Florida trip. The crew was super friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. They made sure everyone felt comfortable and safe throughout the experience, while also showing great respect for the manatees and their natural environment.
We swam with 5 manatees on a great early morning trip with guide Nat and boat captain Garrett. They did a great job finding the manatees and teaching us about all the wildlife.
Everything went smooth and Gary and Lisa were very informative
Gary and Bryan were great! We had a couple young kids with us and the manatees were moving around a bit, but they got us up close with a few, and we also saw a dolphin!
Captain Laura and Crystal were great! We went off-season, but they were still able to find a manatee that we hung out with for a while! Answer all our questions and cared about the wildlife.
Sooo worth the money! Natalie was amazing and so knowledgeable! We got to swim with 3 manatees and even got to “meditate” with one while it peacefully slept. We also saw fish and a dolphin, which made the experience even better! Our captain, Garrett, was also fantastic and did such a great job helping us find the manatees. Such an amazing experience and definitely one we’ll never forget!
3 family members who had a great experience with a great guide and we swam with the Nanatees
Gary and lacy were amazing ! It was an awesome experience !
This place was incredible!! The guide was informative and friendly. The boat captain was as well!! Our family loved every minute of the tour!! Highly recommend!!
Crystal and Captain Mike were phenomenal! We saw multiple manatees and got to hang out with one for almost an hour. Absolutely beautiful area and experience!
We had a fantastic time swimming with the manatees. Guide Nat and Captain Emerson were knowledgeable, funny and friendly.
This was a great experience. Our guide Shaun was knowledgeable and friendly. He made is feel comfortable and answered all our questions. The captain Laci was friendly and told great stories. We will definitely come back.
Had the best time! Highly recommend!! Bucket list
Had an excellent manatee snorkeling adventure with River Ventures. Now August is not prime time to see a lot of manatees, but Captain Wade searched all over Kings Bay to find some summer manatee residents for us. While we were looking for the manatees, Captain Wade gave us a lot of information about the manatees, about the Kings Bay area, the effects the 2024 and 2022 hurricanes had on the area and pointed out lots of other animals such as a dolphin, tarpon, osprey and other birds. When we found some manatee our guide Maleah gave us great instruction on how to approach and observe them without bothering them. Maleah was also very helpful with my wife who is not a snorkeler on how to use it and made sure she got to observe the manatee up close. In all, we swam with 3 manatee. While harder to find in the summer, they are more active which was special. Captain Wade and Maleah were GREAT!!! Highly recommend a trip with River Ventures.
My family and I had such a wonderful and unforgettable experience! From beginning to end, everything was absolutely amazing. The staff was incredibly friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable, and made us feel comfortable the entire time. You can truly tell they care about making the experience special for everyone. Our family had so much fun, and we made memories that we will cherish forever. Everything exceeded our expectations, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We would 100% recommend this to anyone and would definitely come back again. Thank you for making our experience so special! I highly recommend Garry and Garrett very knowledgeable kind and welcoming !!! Even had a referral to eat GATOR!!! 😳 we will try it out !!!!
Magical, Piper and Brian were amazing, even helped me correct what I've been doing wrong attempting to snorkel for so long. We got to see mom and baby. We drove three hours but totally worth it..have you booked a trip yet? What are you waiting for? DO IT
We had the best time. Got to see a momma and a baby manatee. You can see the difference when there’s smaller groups who are calm and chill to larger groups and kayaks around. They go from being chill and hanging out to being skittish.
We had an absolute blast. Because this time of year was slow, we got to go just the two of us so basically got a private tour (7am option) for the price of an additional seat since they have a three seat minimum which was 10000% worth it! Anna and Garrett were spectacular. Garrett even sacrificed his drone to find us a manatee that we ended up viewing and swimming with for almost an hour! Getting to see the manatee this time of year means it's doing its natural eating and grazing instead of huddled up cold and trying to warm up in packs so we felt it was extra special to see them as they want to be when active. We got some great photos taken by Anna EVEN with some murky waters. Be realistic about expectations and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you, anything that shows up along the way is a magical bonus. We will definitely make the trip during busy season but honestly this exceeded any expectations we had regardless.
Our manatee snorkeling tour was absolutely unforgettable! Seeing a mama manatee and her baby in their natural habitat was such a special experience—something we’ll never forget. Our guides, Wade and Piper, were exceptional from start to finish. They were knowledgeable, friendly, patient, and clearly passionate about protecting the manatees while making sure everyone had an amazing time. They made us feel safe and comfortable in the water and shared so much interesting information throughout the tour. If you’re considering a manatee snorkeling adventure, this is the company to choose. The combination of incredible wildlife, beautiful surroundings, and outstanding guides made for a truly five-star experience. Highly recommend!
We swam with 3 different manatees. It was amazing. Crystal and I think it’s the captain‘s name was Justin. They were really great! Knowledgeable, helpful, and so nice. Great people.
We had the first tour out at 630a but JJ and Maleah were top notch, super friendly, and made sure my family got the treatment/tour we paid for. With storms on the horizon, JJ put the drone up and made sure we got time in the water with a manatee. Maleah positioned us so we could truly grasp the size of the manatee and watch it as it cruised effortlessly through the bay. Even as the rain began, we continued snorkeling and exploring one of the springs where a second manatee ventured over as we were exiting. Awesome experience overall!!! 👏 😃
I made the reservation on the phone with Juno who was so helpful and polite. Our captain, Bryan got us right where we needed to be. Our guide Gary made sure we had plenty of time swimming around the manatee. Then we swam into Three Sisters Springs. It was a beautiful and amazing experience from start to finish. They also have a great gift shop. Would highly recommend River Ventures.
This was such an amazing experience. We can not wait to book again in the future. Our guide Gary and Captain Bryan were both amazing, friendly, knowledgeable and funny. Recommend 💯%
The guides were really nice and it was really cool to see the manatees up close
The crew and captain were excellent!! It was a great experience for the whole family!!
We had an amazing time, loved our guide and our captain. We would definitely do it again
Crystal and Mike were fabulous tour guide and captain!!! We really enjoyed our trip!
We had an absolutely fabulous experience with River Adventures! Our crew, Garret and Piper, made the trip unforgettable for all 12 of us. Within the first 10 minutes, we were lucky enough to see a manatee, and we also had the opportunity to snorkel and explore the beautiful Three Sisters Springs. It was an amazing experience from start to finish. Piper was especially outstanding. She was incredibly knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and full of positive energy. She did a fantastic job keeping all 8 of our kids—ranging in age from 6 to 16—engaged and excited throughout the tour. She was also exceptionally patient, kind, and attentive to one of the children in our group who has special needs, making sure they felt included and comfortable the entire time. Garret did a great job navigating the tour and helping everyone feel safe while making the experience fun and relaxing. We couldn’t have asked for a better day and highly recommend River Adventures to anyone looking for an unforgettable Crystal River experience!
We rented a private boat for our large family. Capt. Wade and our guide were fantastic! They strictly follow all regulations on interacting with the manatees while keeping the experience fun. These people truly love what they do and care for the welafare of these gentle giants. We would highly recommend River Ventures!
Fantastic experience snorkeling with Manatees. Shaun & Melissa were really welcoming, knowledgeable and kept things friendly and relaxed. What a privilege to swim with such exceptional creatures and thanks to fabulous hosts. Really made our holiday. Thank you!
Great experience. Not crowded nw
Mike and Crystal are awesome. This is our 2nd time. Plan to do it again on our next visit.
Tour Guide Anna and Captain Garrett were exceptional. It was well worth the 2.5hr journey from Anna Maria to experience a fully educational and natural environment to passively observe the manatees. The youngest in our party was 8 and an avid lover of "chubby mermaids". Anna gave her great attention and helped guide her close enough that when the mama and babe came up for air she got "manatee snot" on her goggles. This was a highlight of our vacation that we will all hold in our hearts. We're very grateful for the whole staff and the efficiency of the entire operation. Could not recommend highly enough.
We had an absolutely wonderful experience with River Ventures! Crystal and Captain Mike were fantastic—entertaining, informative, and genuinely friendly from start to finish. They found a manatee quickly, and we spent over an hour swimming with her. Being that close was incredible—several times she came right up and took breaths just inches from our faces. We were taught to stay still and simply observe, which made it feel respectful and even more special. Watching her graze on seagrass nonstop was amazing. Such powerful yet calm and gentle animals—it was peaceful and unforgettable. Easily one of the best experiences we’ve ever had. We’re already planning to come back this summer to go scalloping with them! Highly recommend—don’t miss this experience.
Gary and JJ were great! The girl scout troop had a wonderful time!!
We had a wonderful time with our four kids on OG manatee tour. We had Crystal and Mike as our guides. The water was more murky than we expected but we had a wonderful guide who made sure we saw what we came for. We ended up seeing four manatees up close and personal and a few from the boat. We also got to experience the spring and had some fun deep diving there. Highly recommend the company they are very welcoming and organized. The guides were super knowledgeable and friendly we would for sure go back for the scallop tour in the summer! No complaints
Captain Wade and Guide Shawn we're amazing! They worked perfectly together and made sure we got to see the manatees. The Manatees were very active and were moving around a lot. The guys were persistent and we got to see them especially my mom who wanted to see them from the water. I really enjoyed this adventure and highly recommend to anyone who wants to swim with manatees. We will be back!
Anna and Ryan were so great. Personable, knowledgeable, respectful pf the wildlife. made sure we were good! Thank you. Highly recommended
Must do when in the Crystal River area. Our guide, Crystal and captain, Laci were exceptional! First class operation!
Great tour for the cost. Our boat captain and tour guide were awesome! Learned so much. Can't remember the names, very helpful. Perfect size group. Loved the hot cocoa after the swim. Really helped to warm up. Just amazing seeing these creatures up close! Highly recommend!
We had an amazing experience with river ventures! Aiden was an amazing tour guide and captain JJ was very friendly and knowledgeable. Thank you guys for being awesome! We plan on seeing you all again!
We booked a private tour on 3/17 and it was great! Even though it was past season, we saw manatees and experienced some up close - memories that will last a lifetime! Bryan and Shiela were phenomenal guides and very accommodating! Would highly recommend this company! Book a trip, you won't be disappointed! -the Gabrys family
My sister and I came to Florida specifically for this tour and we were blown away by how awesome the experience was! Captain Lacy and swim guide Natalie were a blast and VERY caring and respectful of the manatees and other boats w various viewers. We had an amazing up close time with our manatee “Gertie” and we learned so much about manatees. Highly recommend ❤️.
Garry and Garrett were super cool! Went above and beyond so everyone on the boat saw multiple manatees and also took us to see one of the clear water springs..Jurassic spring I think it was. Garrett saw a dolphin and stopped the boat for everyone to see a dolphin as he made his way into the bay to catch some fish! 10/10 would recommend.
Had a great experience!! Came with family the tour guides were amazing!! Shoutout to James, Brian and Lauren made the experience super memorable and easy going. Also very good with kids.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email