Explorida - Manatee Swim Tours - Crystal River, Florida

Liz W.

It's sometimes hard to know if highly-rated places deserve the hype, but this really was a beautiful experience, and Explorida did a great job. We did a morning tour (10:15 am, but they say to get there early, so I wish they'd just put the time as 10 am).

Tour Experience: We went in February, during peak manatee viewing season. Our first spot we went to was a bust, but that was okay, we were "on a safari" as they said, it's not a zoo where animals can always be found in a specific location. Our next spot, we hit jackpot. The manatees are indeed just giant, gentle, sea cows. That resemble gigantic floating potatoes. They were adorable and just didn't care at all that we were there. I will admit, as a first-timer who doesn't swim a whole lot, it's difficult to maintain your position in the water. They give you pool noodles to stay afloat, but it's hard not to drift too close to the manatee or too far away. But eventually you get a little better at it. And it was all worth the effort of the swimming. The water was quite chilly, and the hot cocoa they gave us when we got out of the water was much appreciated.

Staff: Our guide and boat captain were both incredibly friendly and knowledgable. They seemed to genuinely care about the wildlife, about their jobs, and about our experience on the tour.

Store/Shop: My one complaint is the changing area. I wish they had better changing areas with more privacy (and not just dark stalls with curtains that don't fully close). And I also wish they had an area to lock up your possessions. We had to run back out to our car to put our clothes up before we left for the tour. But their shop is quite nice. Lots of fun merch that is mostly manatee related.

Patrick S.

This place has 5 stars for a reason! We were basically the first group in the water (don't wait!) and wow the manatees were so curious! What an amazing time and our guide Faith took fantastic photos and Kelly was a great captain. There is nothing like swimming with these amazing creatures!

Jesse H.

I can’t say enough good things about this experience! The team was fantastic, highly skilled and professional. The difference between our tour and the other groups we saw was undeniable. We encountered numerous manatees, learned a lot about them, and had an amazing time overall.

I recommend bringing your own snorkel and goggles, though the provided gear was perfectly adequate. The wetsuits they supplied (3mm) were excellent quality, not worn out or past their prime. If you bring your own wetsuit, note that it must be a full suit.

This tour stands out significantly from the rest, highly recommended! 10/10!

Tanya D.

How do you add more than 5 stars? If I could I would. Topher and Rhonda are all-stars and the reverence and fun this tour had was amazing. It was the highlight of an already amazing trip. I cannot recommend this company enough. Don't just go swim with the manatees in Crystal River...Swim with the Manatees with Explorida at Crystal River, you will not regret it.

Lindsey D.

After researching and reading many reviews, I decided on Explorida for our family and it was the right choice. The price is reasonable and the guides are knowledgeable and friendly. Our guide was able to capture some great pictures of the manatees we encountered and of our tour in general. Again, the price to buy all pictures was extremely reasonable, so definitely consider that instead of trying to capture your own shots. I have no complaints or recommendations. Highly recommend!

19 8.

Very cool experience, super friendly guide. The ladies at the cash register/store are a bit much, everything is “sooo exciting” and “sooo cute”, that they get us hyped up for an experience that fell a bit short of our expectations. Not their fault, but we didn’t get to see many manatees since they’re in the wild (how it should be), and I wouldn’t especially recommend this activity for young kids who can’t swim, as it can be a bit intimidating. Don’t pay for pictures, expensive for not much. Overall, we had a great time, just a bit pricey for what it was.

S. J.

Our 1.5 hour 7am tour today Feb 12th was excellent! John our captain was very knowledgeable and found us 2 sitings of manatees. There aren’t too many manatees around like a week ago so we feel very lucky to have seen 2 today, we were also lucky to see dolphins, a great morning and I highly recommend Explorida tours at Crystal river

Chuck S.

I had an awesome time. Our guide was awesome, the boat Captain was awesome, just great time all around. Would definitely recommend. Half our party stayed in the water with Tofer(I hope thats right)(funny guy with the beard) and the other Half on the boat with the young Mustachioed Capt. We all had a great time. Seen several manatees, got pretty close. Seen a couple clear spring areas. It's was awesome. All around good time. 5 star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐