Private Tour
Private Manatee Swim for up to 6 with In-Water Divemaster/Photographer
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
There is nothing better than having the boat to yourself for a manatee snorkel tour! Swim alongside the gentle giants on our professionally guide snorkel tours. The price includes all equipment, full 5mm wet suits, mask, snorkel, towel service, hot chocolate, coffee, hot showers, boat coats and heated changing facility. This tour is for up to 6 people, call us for pricing on larger groups.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Wet suits available in children's size 6 up to 3XL
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Crystal River offers the best location to see and interact with the Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, also known as gentle giants. Unlike other areas of Florida, the federal government allows for "passive observation" in the water between manatees and people in Kings Bay. This allows face-to-face interaction with manatees. We provide pre-tour education on passive observation and how to get the best experience during the tour. We also offer a hotel package including accommodations and breakfast with your Florida manatee tour. Snorkeling tours Swimming with the manatees and exploring the greater Kings Bay estuary and springs is extremely popular. Manatee tour experiences are best done by snorkeling while wearing wet suits, making the interaction as silent as possible. This way the manatees are more inclined to approach and get close. We maintain new suits and snorkel gear, all included in our manatee tours, as well as full-service facilities for changing. Your in-water guide will be taking videos and pictures of your manatee experience, which will be available for purchase at the dive shop. All our tour boats are fully enclosed in the winter time to protect you from the wind and cold. We provide coffee, hot chocolate, water and dry towels on every tour. Summer VS Winter Manatee tours are temperature driven. The colder it is the more manatees we see, and the closer they are to the springs. During cold days in manatee season (November 15th to March 31st) Kings Bay could have over 700 manatees. Please keep in mind that even inside manatee season we may have warm weather (summer like conditions). We see manatees in Kings Bay year round. To some this is their home and they'll stay here their whole lives. In the summer months, and anytime we have warmer weather, the temperature of the water outside the springs increments. This makes the rest of the bay more appealing to the manatees. The 20 to 40 manatees that stay here year round don't move together, so they'll spread out in the 630 acres of Kings Bay. This is a wildlife experience determined by weather, tides, time of the day, and the behavior of all visitors. When we have "summer like" conditions you have the opportunity to see manatees in their natural habitat, and it is important to have realistic expectations. We are always happy to answer any questions about what you could expect inside or outside manatee season.
What‘s Included
Boat Coats for cold mornings!
US Coast Guard certified captain and Professionally Insured in water guide!
Use of Full 5mm wet-suits (for extra warmth), Mask & Snorkels
Towel Service
Coffee, Hot Chocolate, bottle water
Gratuities
DVD or Flash Drive (available to purchase)
Swimsuits
Options
Private Manatee Tour!
Reviews
325 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Stop reading reviews and book this trip!
francined677,,Jan 26, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful trip with Tyler and Captain Michele! They were both professional, knowledgeable and friendly. The group size was perfect (semi-private) and we really appreciated the hot drinks when we got back on the boat. The day we went out was about 70 degrees and sunny, we saw so many manatees and were able to witness two manatee stampedes. It was an awesome day and we had so much fun with Tyler and Michele. Tyler told us many wonderful things about his grandma. Hi, Tyler's Grandma:)
Kendra and Daniel A+++++++
jacquelyn213,,Jan 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A++++++ as usual. We did two days with Plantation Adventure Center and it was amazing as it always is!! We requested Kendra for both days and boy were we SO SO lucky to have her! We had Captain Daniel who was just as amazing as well. Honestly, it was like being on a boat with friends. Kendra and Daniel made us feel like family from the second we arrived and we truly had the best time. Both were so friendly and answered all of our Manatee/Crystal River questions. We got to see plenty of manatees and plenty of babies. Kendra took amazing photos and videos in the water and I always love having reminders of our Manatee swims. I highly recommend Kendra, Daniel and everyone at Plantation Adventure Center for the best Manatee Swims. They care about the animals first and foremost and I appreciate that so much. Thank you x a million to Kendra and Daniel for making our Manatee swims memorable yet again and I can’t wait to return. Y’all are the sweetest and truly the BEST!!! Highly recommend and make sure you request Kendra and Daniel.
Absolutely Wonderful Manatee Tour!!!
TonyEatsPizza,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Just AMAZING!!! We had a great time building a core family memory with Plantation Adventure Center! It’s my daughter’s senior year and we wanted to let her pick out a trip and swimming with manatees was the choice! Captain Daniel was great and parked us as close to the spring as he possibly could. That man loves some fishing! Kendra (@kendraunderwater) was our guide and was absolutely fantastic! She said she’s been guiding the manatee swims for 4 years and I swear she is having as much fun now as when she started, she was a barrel of excitement! There are a bunch of highly rated companies for manatee swims, which is awesome and great for Crystal River! We chose Plantation for two main reasons, 1) Easy Parking. We parked and were 50 ft from our check in spot for the excursion. 2) No shuttle down to the docks, you literally leave from right behind the building/gift shop where you check in. There were six of us, and our eldest son is nonverbal, so we went with the private tour (up to 6) and I’m glad we did. If you have 6 in your party, it is a no brainer. 1) Pictures and videos are included! 2) Boat coats are included. We went in January and there was a cold front coming through (low 28/high 56) and we were a bit scared that we were going to freeze, but it was not bad at all, with the wet suits and the water temperature in the spring. We were lucky that it was a sunny day. So hopefully this will put someone’s mind at ease if they are reading this and going on a cold day. We did the 10am time slot and were very happy with our choice. Facilities, bathroom, gift shop, docks were all clean and well maintained. Just an absolutely wonderful experience. Thanks to Henry, Daniel and Kendra for a fantastic experience!!!
An unforgettable time!!
Y7311JYlauram,,Jan 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My husband & I just did a snorkel trip that was set for semi private and ended up being private which worked out amazingly because we had the best Captain....Captain Michelle along with the hilarious Kendra. Our afternoon turned out to be perfect and it was because of them. We did get to see manatees but we were able to see other parts of the springs like Three Sisters and swim it and House Springs along with other beautiful spots. Not only did they do a great job taking us to spots but they both are so informative and we learned a lot about the Springs and manatees and in general the surrounding area. We will definitely be back and it's because of them. The day felt like being on a boat with friends instead of just being on a tour/tourist. Thank you Plantation Adventure for an afternoon of fun and adventure along with a memory we will never forget!!
Great experience! Great staff! Would recommend!
faithhF9584PI,,Jan 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our family enjoyed our experience swimming with the manatees. We went at the end of December at 6AM and would say the earlier, the better when it comes to avoiding crowds. Although it was a very foggy and chilly morning, our captain, Dan, and our guide, Aubrey, did their very best to find manatees for us to swim with. They were welcoming, kind, and conversational. Aubrey captured some great photos and videos, and Captain Dan was extremely helpful. We would definitely recommend this experience!
Coolest experience ever!!!
GoPlaces12468986638,,Nov 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Your North Dakota friends loved the experience! Dive master Laura and Captain Dave were awesome! One of the coolest experiences I’ve ever done! Look forward to coming back and doing it again!
5 star experience
R7282WJlaurieb,,Nov 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Such an amazing experience! Our dive master, Laura and our captain (sorry, I can’t remember his name) were phenomenal! They provided so much information about the manatees and the area. They made this experience far exceed our expectations! We will definitely be back to do this again!
Amasing guides and upclose with the manatees!
Camilla F,,Aug 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very pleasent trip with our captain Daniel and mermaid Amanda as swimguide. They were friendly and helpful. Fantastic!!😁
YOU WILL NEVER FORGET THIS EXPERIENCE !!!
N3676MWjolantam,,May 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00For an unbelievable experience, book your next trip with PLANTATION CRYSTAL RIVER ADVENTURE CENTER. Their team of Captains and Dive Masters are all Fabulous about finding where the Manatees are for our SWIM WITH MANATEES TOUR. Laura found us 2 babies that just loved people and wouldn't leave us alone. This experience for our out of town Family that came along, was tremendous! Henry and Laura made it a Fantastic Experience that we all know we will do again soon ! The BEST TIME TO VISIT is right now in the summer months. The crowds are small and you get much more time with the manatees. I can't wait to go back !
5 stars
beckykD12BO,,Mar 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing experience and a great company to do it with. We saw many manatees and the dive master and captain really made sure we got the most out of our trip. It was clear how much they cared for the manatees, and other wild life, and how they just wanted to share their enthusiasm for them with others. The dive master and captain were both very knowledgeable, friendly and happy to answer any questions. The coats and hot chocolate on the way back were much appreciated extra's. 100% recommend.
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