Crystal River Watersports — Local services in Crystal River

Swimming with the manatees has been a bucket list item for me for years and today I took the plunge.

I booked a tour in advance and when I showed up today, everyone was very helpful and friendly. After a short video about what NOT to do to the manatees we donned wetsuits and headed to the boat.

Mark, Sandy and Leah were the crew for my cruise and they were fantastic. Their combined experience and knowledge was impressive. Because of the small tour group size (4) it really felt almost like a private tour.

Unfortunately, the manatees didn't get the memo that I was coming today and we had a hard time (as were all the other tour operators) finding some that would sit down and let us see them.

However, it was not for a lack of trying on the part of our crew. They went and checked out all the usual hangouts plus a couple more. We were out of the boat three times but all I managed to see was a tail as one swam below me. The crew continued to look for manatees until everyone in the group was too pooped to keep going and threw in the towel.

I was really upset that I didn't get to see one of these magnificent creatures face to face, but because of the high tide and windy weather the water was deeper, chopper and cloudier than good viewing requires. The manatees were skittish because of the conditions. I still would like to see a manatee and I would definitely chose Crystal River Watersports again. Even though the manatees didn't cooperate, it was still a very nice...

Man, what a trip with these folks. I booked and took the VIP Manatee snorkel trip just after new year's. I called in to see if there were any spots for the following day and the staff that helped me book were awesome. They took good care of making sure I was prepared for the trip, knew how to get there, and what to bring.

The next day, I was assigned to my tour group and Kevin, the captain, and Michelle, the lead guide for the day, were amazing. They were an awesome crew. They were super friendly, made our trip out and back and our snorkel time a first class experience. Kevin pointed put tons of habitat, gave us stories about experiences about being on the water there, and really showed us his passion for the stewardship they provide for the area they work in.

Michelle really put us on the manatees and was truly awesome as well. She has what it takes to get you a real and up close experience with the manatees there. I, and we all, felt super happy we had her as our guide and thanked her for putting us in great position for a great experience. I recommended Crystal Water Ports to a friend the next day and told her to request a trip with Kevin and Michelle as they provide an experience you will want more of, of which includes the staff you meet and work with along the way.

Thank you to all who made me have such a great experience and making my...

My husband and woke up at 4:30 am And drove almost two hours from St Pete to spend the day with Crystal River Watersports. Not only was it incredibly worth it, but it was one of the best parts of our entire vacation!

We started the morning off with a manatee swim with Captain Kevin and Guide Adrienne. To say they were amazing would have been an understatement. They were so personable and taught us so much about the beautiful creatures. I could tell that they really care about the environment and protecting the manatees. We only saw one manatee, but we probably swam with him for over an hour. We got to see him up close. It was amazing.

After lunch, we returned to the shop and met up with Vince. We drove about a half hour to Rainbow River, where my husband did a drift dive with Vince and I snorkeled. Vince was so great and he was so patient with us! He showed us so many cool things. We saw a trifle, lots of car, and so many kinds of fish. The River was so clear and beautiful. I’m not the strongest swimmer, but it was actually super relaxing to just float on top and let the current carry me along. In November, the water was not very crowded with other divers, kayakers, or tubers.

Anybody that is even slightly considering either of these two experiences should book. I would say it was a once in a lifetime experience all around, but we will...