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A manatee swims beside a snorkeler in clear spring water

Swim with Manatees in Crystal River

Three ways to swim with manatees

Every swim includes the wetsuit, the gear, parking and your photos.

Compare the swims
3 swimssemi-private, classic, private
3 hoursevery swim
72°Fspring water all year
Free photoson every swim
Three swims

Pick your swim

Every swim is about 3 hours, in the spring-fed waters of Kings Bay. The difference is who is on the boat with you.

Every swim includes
Free photos from your in-water guide
Wetsuit, mask and snorkel
Fully covered boat
USCG-certified Master Captain
Bottled water and hot chocolate on cold days
About 3 hours on Kings Bay
Semi-Private Snorkeling Tour with Free PhotosMost booked

Semi-Private Snorkeling Tour

On the boatUp to 6 guestsA shared boat, our smallest groups
Ages
3 and up
Best for
Couples, families and first-time swimmers
$89.95per person
Book NowDetails
Classic Manatee Snorkeling Tour with Free PhotosBest value

Classic Manatee Snorkeling Tour

On the boatUp to 12 guestsA shared boat
Ages
3 and up
Best for
Groups of friends and bigger families
$76.95per adultNon-swimming ride along: $52.95
Book NowDetails
Private Manatee Snorkeling Tour with Free Photos

Private Manatee Snorkeling Tour

On the boatYour group onlyBoats for up to 6, 12 or 20 guests
Ages
All ages
Best for
Young kids and anyone who wants extra help in the water
From $499.99per boat
Book NowDetails

Most booked: the Semi-Private tour, 1,059 bookings in the last 12 months.

Dive Into the Wild with Gentle Giants

Manatee Snorkeling at Crystal River

Experience the magic of Florida's Nature Coast as you snorkel alongside the gentle manatees in their natural habitat. Our Manatee Snorkeling Tours offer an unforgettable opportunity to get up close and personal with these majestic sea creatures in the serene waters of Crystal River. Whether you’re a first-timer or an experienced snorkeler, this tour promises a breathtaking experience that will leave you with lasting memories of Florida’s iconic wildlife.

Not only will you have the chance to get up close to these majestic creatures, but you’ll also learn about manatee conservation and the importance of preserving their environment. The serene waters of Crystal River offer some of the most unbelievable wildlife encounters in Florida, making this an unforgettable adventure.

Pick your swim
Before you go

What to bring, and what we bring

You bring

A swimsuit and a towel

Bring a swimsuit, towel, and sunscreen. Hats and sunglasses are advisable. Bring sweaters or jackets to help you warm up when you get out of the water.

Semi-Private tour
We bring

Wetsuits, gear and photos

Snorkeling gear and wetsuits, a flotation device, bottled water and hot chocolate on cold days, and the free photo package.

Classic tour
Good to know

No experience needed

No, beginners are welcome. We teach many novice snorkelers how to snorkel and get up-close to wildlife without disturbing the animals. We provide flotation devices and have an in-water guide dedicated to helping the less comfortable guests get acclimated to our waterways.

Private tour
From our guests

What swimmers say

★★★★★
This is the real deal. Our guide Krystie and Capt Evan were the best. They made sure it was a memorable experience. Staff are all the real deal!
Brenda V.Google · 2026
★★★★★
A beautiful experience that was simultaneously thrilling and relaxing! Tour guide Crystallynn and Captain Evan are the people you want to have with you during a truly incredible discovery of nature.
Jennifer M.Google · 2026
★★★★★
We went out on a manatee tour with our guide Crystal Linn (sorry for the spelling) and had an AMAZING time. She was a fantastic guide bringing us through the water and teaching us everything we should know. I would 10/10 recommend this experience!!!
Gillian T.Google · 2026

Manatee swim questions

Answered by the crew

We send all photos digitally after the tour!
Yes, our tours are family-friendly. The Semi-Private and Classic tours are for ages 3 and up. If you have children under the age of 3, we require you book a private tour, which is open to all ages.
You certainly do not need to be a habitual diver or Michael Phelps to have a great time snorkeling with manatees. We definitely recommend being comfortable and able to stay calm while having your face in the water. We teach many novice snorkelers how to snorkel and get up-close to wildlife without disturbing the animals. We provide flotation devices and have an in-water guide dedicated to helping the less comfortable guests get acclimated to our waterways. Even so, basic swimming ability is highly recommended to keep the protected wildlife and guests alike safe.
King’s Bay stays right around 72° Fahrenheit (22°C) year-round, due to the magnitude of Freshwater Springs around the bay that produce hundreds of millions of gallons daily. For some, this is quite comfortable; for others, it is pretty cold. To help keep guests warm in the water, we provide wetsuits which makes guests stay warm over prolonged periods. If it is a cold day, we also provide hot chocolate to help take the edge off after getting out of the water!
Only dangerously cute! Manatees have no natural aggression, and honestly, any pet that you have ever owned is more likely to hurt you than a manatee. We have never seen aggressive behavior towards swimmers, not even with mothers and calves!
If you are looking for sheer numbers of manatees then it is a direct correlation, the colder that the weather has been, the more manatees aggregate in our Bay to stay warm around the numerous freshwater springs throughout King’s Bay. Typically during “Manatee Season” (Nov 15-March 31) we have the most manatees that we will have over the course of the year. However, the manatees move with the weather patterns and if we experience a stretch of warm weather, many will head back out into the Gulf, even during the winter. Since we do have the resident population of manatees, some of our favorite times to swim with them are when travelers are not as prevalent, such as the months of May and September and October!
Absolutely! We are lucky enough to be able to run successful manatee swim tours year-round. We have a resident population of manatees of likely three to four dozen wild manatees that stay in our bay year-round. During the warmer months, the manatees do tend to spread out more, and we may find them anywhere in our 600-acre bay.
Absolutely! We run tours in the rain or shine, and find that a little bit of rain actually helps deter recreational people, often giving us an even greater likelihood of a private experience with the manatees. If there are heavy winds or lightning–dangerous weather–then we may wait out the weather, or give a full refund if we are unable to go out. Manatees are awesome, but not worth risking dangerous weather patterns.
There is a $5 fee per guest going to the marina. That $5 charge is included into the cost of your booking so you won't have to pay on arrival.
A manatee seen from the boat in turquoise water
A manatee seen from the boat in turquoise water

See you in the water.

Three hours, a wetsuit, an in-water guide with a camera, and the gentle giants of Kings Bay.
Book a swim
Excellent
2042 Verified reviews
From $76.95Manatee swims, 3 hours
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