Manatee Swim Center — Attraction in Crystal River

An Unforgettable Manatee Adventure with an Amazing Crew!

We had the most incredible experience with Manatee Swim Center on Thursday, February 6, during their 7 AM tour. From the moment we arrived at 6:45 AM, the staff made us feel welcome and well-prepared for the day ahead. We met Bri outside the office, who turned out to be our manatee tour guide. She was friendly, professional, and gave us clear instructions on what to do next.

Inside, Ethan greeted us and walked us through the necessary paperwork, including a liability waiver. Afterward, we were assigned wetsuits and gathered to watch a National Park Service video on manatee manners. This was incredibly informative and emphasized the importance of respecting these gentle, protected creatures.

Once we were ready, we walked down to the pontoon boat and met Captain Morgan—yes, her real name! She was cheerful, knowledgeable, and set the tone for a fun and safe adventure. We headed out into the bay, and though the crew wasn’t sure exactly where the manatees would be, they were confident we’d find some. Sure enough, our eagle eyes spotted a few, and we quickly geared up to get in the water.

Before jumping in, Captain Morgan and Bri gave us a mini class on how to use the snorkeling equipment and explained the safety gear on the boat. Once in the water, Bri stayed close to guide us to the manatees. The water was a bit cloudy, but her spotting skills were top-notch. And then, we saw it—a mother manatee, around 800 pounds, munching on Easter grass at the bottom, followed by her adorable baby. It was an absolute dream come true!

We spent about an hour swimming carefully around the manatees, ensuring we didn’t disturb them. Bri even took photos for us, which was a wonderful way to capture the memories. Back on the boat, we were greeted with hot coffee and hot chocolate—a thoughtful touch that warmed us up after our swim.

Next, Captain Morgan took us to the crystal-clear springs at Three Sisters. Swimming through the small canal to reach the springs was magical, and the water was unbelievably clear. Bri pointed out various fish species, including mullets, sheepshead, and snook, adding an educational element to the trip.

As we swam back to the boat, we had one final treat: a small manatee swam right past us on its way into the springs. Seeing this gentle creature up close was the perfect way to end our adventure.

Back at the dock, we changed out of our wetsuits and met Bri in the office to view the photos and videos she had taken. It was a wonderful way to relive the experience and take home lasting memories.

We highly recommend Manatee Swim Center to anyone looking to snorkel with manatees. The entire crew—Bri, Captain Morgan, and Ethan—were professional, knowledgeable, and made the experience unforgettable. Thank you for such an...

Very cool and that's coming from a person whose cup of tea is not swimming at all or with anything, so that says a lot. Upon initial research, I saw some concern about swimmers harassing Manatees and this being an inappropriate form of eco-tourism, and truly that did not seem to be the case. Swimmers only have a small section where Manatees can interact with them. They have lots of space not to interact if they choose so. Guides are very clear about how to interact with Manatees and will redirect people if necessary. As a whole though, it seemed like a very enjoyable experience for all involved. There was an option to not swim and just be on the boat. I considered this as, read above, swimming is not my jam. While we saw a couple of Manatees from the boat, the experience really is in the swimming. Even I would recommend taking the plunge (literally) and going swimming. Or if that's a hard no for a member in your party, they might be just as happy hanging out at the restaurant. The bathroom on the boat and hot chocolate were a nice touch. The experience was 3 hours long and most all of that is swimming. The boat ride was very short. It really is a good deal and I recommend it. My only constructive feedback is that I never got any sort of email verification when I made my reservation. Luckily I took a screeshot, otherwise, I would not have had an address to report to...

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! We just had the experience of a lifetime. First of all, Captain Owen and our water guide, Connor, are two of the most genuine dudes we’ve met on this vacation. They’re respectful and knowledgeable about the manatees and aren’t aggressive like other companies. They let us know that during this season the manatees are hard to find in the bay because they head out to the gulf to find warmer waters. And boy was it hard. Through great conversation and hope of finding the manatees, we persisted after about two hours (don’t be discouraged). Luckily we were called over by another Captain (DJ, who’s also extremely dope) to come check out a female manatee. There we found Gloria, a manatee with one eye and the playfulness of a kitten. Who was literally rolling herself up in the ropes from our boat. When all of a sudden another manatee named Charley approached us to come hang out with Gloria, there in front of our faces we watched the manatees hugging each other, rubbing each other’s backs, and swimming under us, occasionally even bumping into us because of how playful they were. I’ve never been so astonished in my life. I’m sorry for the book but this was hands down one of the most memorable and exciting...