Swim with Manatees at Crystal River plus Everglades Airboat Adventure

Orlando, United States of America

Swim with the gentle giants of the Everglades, Florida's manatees, then take an exhilarating airboat adventure on the Homosassa River! You'll enjoy a day out on the water getting to know Florida's local wildlife.

Your day starts in Orlando with an all-you-can-eat breakfast. Then it's off to join a team of manatee experts for a narrated boat cruise on the picturesque Crystal River, home to one of the world's largest populations of endangered West Indian manatees. This large, harmless aquatic mammal (sometimes called a "sea cow") is under threat due to loss of habitat.

With mask and snorkel provided, you are encouraged to go for a swim and snorkel while under the guidance of certified dive masters. After your cruise, enjoy a picnic-style lunch overlooking this beautiful sanctuary.

In the afternoon the adventure continues with an exhilarating 45-minute airboat ride on the Homosassa River. Keep your eyes open for manatees and dolphins, as well as a host of other wildlife that often accompany the group.

To end your day, you'll visit Homosassa State Wildlife Park, famous throughout Florida for the rehabilitation of injured animals. You'll have the chance to see the current manatee residents during an informative and entertaining feeding session with a park ranger. You can also see bears, panthers, alligators and even a hippo as you explore the rest of the park.

Manatee season is from October to March. Sightings are very common however as the animals are wild, no guarantee can be made.

USD $118.99

Review by: ALICE N	March 2012
Good value for the money. Only suggestion to change is skip the breakfast or find another location. Breakfast ok but hard to get a cup of coffee and refills nonexistant. Would rather have met a little later and eaten on our own.

Review by: Cyril S	January 2012
Nous avons passé une excellente journée. Notre guide Madaline était très sympa et drôle. Nous avons eu la chance de trouver très rapidement des lamantins qui sont tout de suite venus nous voir: c'était super._br/_ Le tour en airboat (wild bill) était tout simplement génial. L'endroit où nous avons navigué était sauvage et vraiment magnifique._br/_ Le petit déj chez Sizzler était bien et le panier repas très complet (sandwich, chips, eau, jus de fruit, salade de fruits, cookies)._br/_ Seul bémol: les combis pour nager avec les lamantins doivent être réglées à l'avance (10$) et donc pas possible de se desister: mon fils de 4 ans a eu peur des lamantins et n'est pas allé nager avec eux mais nous avons payé pour lui.

Review by: Janice N	January 2012
This is a fabulous and unforgettable swim with magical creatures. Not to be missed!

Review by: Dennis R	October 2011
Everything went fine except I was charged 10.00 bucks for a wet suit that was supposed to be included. I did the self-drive option. Great experience.

Review by: shradhanand l	August 2011
Excellent day adventure with pleasant host and lots of fun for the family. Recommended trip.

Review by: paul o	August 2011
Fantastic trip from beginning to end. Seeing the joy on my husband's face when he was face to face with a manatee - priceless

Review by: Katie G	July 2011
Thoroughly enjoyed the trip... Great weather.. Great guides.. Organised and would definately recommend! Amazing sightings! Up close and personal. Staff have a wide knowledge, good length of time in water and with the manatees.

Review by: Nancy C	July 2011
This tour exceeded our expectations. The breakfast was wonderful, the bus trip was great and we got to swim with two manatees which was great because we knew there was a chance we might not see any at this time of the season. Loved the State Park and the Air boat ride was incredible. Loved the whole experience and would definitely do this again. Thanks to all who made our day so awesome.

Review by: arnold b	July 2011
water looked clearer then the actual river would not recommend to anyone

Review by: Michelle R	July 2011
Overall I really enjoyed this trip, even the bagged lunch was pretty good. I would like to do this trip again during the winter when the water is more clear.

Review by: Erin H	May 2011
We only swam with the manatees and did not do the airboat adventure. Loved the manatee swim!! It was so much fun to touch them and be with them. Very cool experience!! The Three Sisters Spring was breathtaking. The water was crystal clear._br/_ My only disappointment was that there were not a lot of manatees with which to swim. We went the first week in May, and since the weather was warmer, most of the manatees had left the Crystal River. There were not any in the Spring. If I were to go again, I would do it in the winter months when the manatees would be in abundance._br/_ This is definitely a worthwhile experience. I am so glad that we did it!!

Review by: nicola r	April 2011
This tour was the best part of my holiday, we got to swim with two manatees (we were told we might not see any, April is out of season ) the captain was great , the bus driver was funny and helpful, the breakfast and packed lunch were great, the stop off at homasssa park was lovely, the air boat ride was ok, had better and at 5pm at night getting wet before the long drive is not the best , but all in all a awesome day and one to remember for a long time. ( lunch was ham and cheese roll, crisps, cookies, fruit bowl, water and juice ) a nice normal pack up, and nice and cold, also I recommend the wetsuit keeps you warm and helps you float and bring a waterproof disposable camera made my day getting a full underwater face shot of a baby manatee , they swim right up to you if your quite and not splashing about .

Review by: Aude G	March 2011
It was an awesome tour!_br/_ Manatees are so cute and very well protected. It is necessary to be very patient as it can take a long time to see a few. But seeing one is a great experience. The Airboat tour was really excellent (ride and environment). Excellent day!

Review by: Peter M	March 2011
I have been to Florida 5 times and have been to all the theme parks and by far this was the best excursion I have been on !!! I recommend it to anyone. My husband and 2 children ages 13 and 19 thought it was great . Best bang for your buck !

Review by: Eva C	February 2011
One of the best experiences of my life. Totally recommended!_br/_ We got to see dozens and dozens of manatees, and even touched 3 of them. I though we'd be allowed in the water with them for 5 or ten min but we had nearly two hours and because we got cold, so we had to go back to the boat._br/_ The guide was really professional (and helpful), our group was fun, the airboat ride was awesome, and the homosassa park incredible._br/_ I'd repeat right now.

Review by: Ed F	November 2010
Although the weather the day we scheduled our excursion was not the best this was a very good trip. The boat captain wasn't sure we would see any manatees because of the rough water but he found us a mother and baby. It was awesome! The Everglades Airboat ride was a thrill. Our bus driver and tour guide were top notch. We will definitely schedule another excursion the next time we are in Orlando.

Review by: Robert C	November 2010
Enjoyed the day. Starting with breakfast the day was filled and scheduled well. Our guide did a very good job. Would have liked a better place to change into the wet suites. We had a great time, the weather on Nov 16th was not the best for what we did. We have told several of our friends about swimming with the Manatees. Keep up the good job. Margaret

Review by: Pauline N	November 2010
Unfortunately we didn't have the opportunity to interact in the water with the manatees as the water was very dark although we did see two manatees while on the boat. The trip to Homosassa Wildlife reserve was excellent and with it being a small & quiet reserve we had the opportunity to view the animals close up. The airboat ride was also excellent which although this was our third ariboat trip, this was by far the best as we got wet due to the tricks demonstrated by the operator. The best part of the whole trip and also what made the trip so enjoyable was Charles, the guide. He was very helpful and had lots of anecdotes to pass on which had all the guests on the bus laughing throughout the day. Thoroughly enjoyable day. Thank you.

Review by: Richard H	November 2010
Excellent trip well worth the money excellent staff, fantastic day can only suggest doing the airboat ride first as this gives you the rest of the day to dry off but no big deal really great day highly recommended.

Review by: Richard H	November 2010
Excellent trip well worth the money excellent staff, fantastic day can only suggest doing the airboat ride first as this gives you the rest of the day to dry off but no big deal really great day highly recommended

Review by: KINLEY M	November 2010
Had a really fun day...our guide was great and even took extra time to make sure we found a manatee,and in fact found a Mom and baby. The Manatee tour was the high point of our trip for my 11 year old.Well organized.professional and courteous guides....I would recommend.

Review by: Denny H	October 2010
The manatee swim was an amazing experience the manatees were very playful but extremely gentle it took us a while to find some mantees but it was well worth the wait. I would give the manatee swim a 5 star rating but the airboat ride was a bit disappointing as I didnt see any wild aligators and it was not what I expected.

Review by: Anonymous	July 2010
Everything very good, just bit unfortunately that for the manatee tour the water was not very clear so manatees were only seen from a distance, and not while in the water ourselves. Airboat ride is highly recommended, everyone should have done this at least once in a lifetime

Review by: Terri E	July 2010
This was an awesome trip from the beginning to the end. Staff were great and funny and the bus very comfortable. The boat captains knew where to go and we did get to see manatee. Tough time of year, but fun none the less. The park was so beautiful and relaxing. If you do the airboat ride, hang on and enjoy the ride. Be prepared to get wet and laugh! We would definitely do this again....no question!

Review by: Christopher C	June 2010
Very hit and miss. Saw one manatee from a distance. On airboat ride saw one alligator from a distance. Expected better. Overpriced for what we got.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	March 2010
My family and I had a wonderful time, it was a great experience right from the pickup in the morning. We saw dozens of Manatees and I will never forget the look on my kids faces when they were able to swim with them. The airboat ride was impressive and it was amazing to go right up to an area where there were alligators living.

Review by: Sherri B, Canada	March 2010
The swim with the Manatees was a birthday gift for the young lady that I took with me. All the guides, our bus driver, our captain on the manatee boat and our airboat captain were full of information and very helpful. It was great having some relax time at the Homosassa Park for lunch - we both enjoyed our day! Very good value!

Review by: SUSAN B, United States of America	December 2009
This was a incredible experience, and a great value. We had a delightful day from start to finish. The breakfast at Sizzler was good. Then it was wonderful to sit back and watch a movie on the bus while someone else drove to Crystal River. The bus driver and guide were very personable. The only tiny downside were the dressing rooms at the dive site, but well worth the akwardness when we got on the boat. Our captain was knowledgeable about where the manatees were that day and found two spots where we snorkeled with the manatees. It was magical to be floating in the water and have a baby manatee swim right up to me! Lunch was good and the state park was fun. The airboat ride was a blast, once again with a great captain who knew the river and found several alligators even so late in the day. I also got to hold a baby gator. I would highly recommend this trip.

Review by: Paul W, United Kingdom	November 2009
Well organised. We did not feel rushed and had plenty of time to take part in all the activities as described in the itinerary. Well worth the money.

Review by: Nigel L, United Kingdom	April 2009
Had a great day, pity that we only saw one manatee but knew when we booked that it was late in the season. The only downside was that we were not informed of a pick-up time or sent any confirmation, on the website it said pick-up at 6.45am from Cirque Du Soleil, so we were there for that time and the actual pick-up time was 8.15am!!!

Review by: Vickie M, United States of America	January 2009
I enjoyed the trip, I thought the water was overly crowded at that time we spent with the manatees and I wished there could have been a little more time. The airboat ride I thought could of been more scenic or adventurist. Overall I would go again.

Review by: Ellen M, United States of America	November 2008
This has turned out to be one of the highlights of my life! What amazing animals, how absolutely gentle and kind! My complaint would be not enough time swimming with them. The airboat ride had to be cut short due to high winds and lunch was really late, but the manatees themselves make it more than worth it! Forget the rest of the tour and spend all your time with some remarkable creatures.

Review by: Hazel H, United Kingdom	November 2008
My husband and I loved swimming with the manatees, the trip was perfectly organised, from the breakfast buffet at Sizzlers to the excellent packed lunch. There were lots of manatees at Crystal River, so we got plenty of chance to get up close and actually touch the manatees, one of which rolled over for us to stroke his tummy. The airboat ride was wonderful too. We also visited a national state park and listened to a talk all about manatees, and saw several more up close, there were all sorts of other animals to see there too, a brown bear, a hippo and lots more. This is a fantastic trip, and well worth the money.

Review by: MATIC B, Slovenia	November 2008
Was really nice, the tour guide was nice, gave us a lot of information, however the bus driver was a bit patronizing on how ladies and gentlemen should behave when they use a restroom in marina. People were giving comments at the back of his bus never to do a tour with this operator again.

Review by: Richard M, United Kingdom	September 2008
Awesome! Even though we were concerned about the time of year being out of season, the Viator staff were fab at their jobs and spotted the manatees very quickly. Saw many that day and even saw mum, dad and baby manatees!

Review by: John M	August 2008
I very much enjoyed the swim with Manatees portion of the tour. The boat captain was friendly, knowledgeable and keen to make our experience as full as possible. However, the Everglades airboat adventure makes that portion of the tour sound very exciting, unfortunately nothing could have been further from the truth. An oversize cumbersome barge that was too heavy to travel down the many tributaries we could see or to cross the reeds as I had expected. Members of our party who had had an airboat ride on a previous visit to the Crystal River said that there experience had been much much better. I was left feeling very disappointed as I had been looking forward to this portion of the tour.

Review by: Mike T	July 2008
It was a good trip. Thought we would get to see alligators etc while on the airboat ride but did not. For the Manatee swim the water was very murky so the manatees were just a shadow. Could not take a good picture. Definitely need to be able to swim to move in the water due to current. From Orlando to the Crystal Springs was longer than expected. Not recommend with children. REALLY liked the Nature Center, they need to have alot more time there.

Review by: Jan H	July 2008
The airboat ride was fun, but we only saw a fin in the water. When we went on the boat to see the manatees, the boat broke down. There were too many people, and I could not get close to the manatees, and then it rained. The people were great. The trip was well organized. I would go again, but in a smaller group.

Review by: KERRI M	July 2008
Although the tour rep was very helpful, the tour itself was awful. The airboat ride was not what was expected. Too many people were crammed into the boat, and there was nothing to see. The manatee swim wasn't much better. The water is too murky; you can barely see anything. Our experience was cut short due to the breakdown of another boat, the other people had to be rescued. I would not recommend to anyone.

Review by: Carl C	June 2008
The trip itself was good; as with any tour including animals in the wild, it kind of depends on the animals. Difficult in the summer season to observe the manatees as they move very quickly. If you are looking for a faster airboat ride, try the Everglades airboat. The tour company guides were exceptional.

Review by: Anonymous, Ireland	April 2008
Amazing creatures. So gentle and peaceful. A real taste of Florida.

Review by: Richard K, United States of America	April 2008
Wonderful trip. Our 12-year-old had a great time. Tour guide and bus driver very professional.

Review by: ANDREW S	April 2008
The swim with the manatees was fantasic. The airboat ride was ok, have been on better ones. The national park was fantastic could have done with more time there as an hour is not enough. All in all definitely worth doing.

Review by: Matt S	March 2008
This was a great trip. Interaction with manatees was slim that day, but everything else, including the staff made up for that. Great snorkeling in a quiet lagoon on crystal river, airboats were fun, trip to the park was also nice. Great packed lunches. Wish there was more time! Travel takes up about 3.5 hours of the day, but definitely worth doing! Great value!

Review by: Alexei G, United States of America	January 2008
It was fantastic! Absolutely a must-do trip if you are in the area. Highly recommended!

Review by: Anonymous, United Kingdom	December 2007
Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Review by: Linda B, United Kingdom	November 2007
What value for money!!! The tour guides were very friendly and informative and having manatees swim up to investigate you is amazing. They are just so graceful for large animals. A must if you are in the area.

Review by: David S, United Kingdom	July 2007
What a lovely day out. We started with a buffet breakfast, which was included in the price. Then we had a coach trip to Crystal River. Our tour guide was very entertaining. We went on an airboat ride around the area and saw some lovely wildlife. We then had a packed lunch, which was good. Then on to the hour and a half boat trip, snorkeling with the manatees we saw about three, but they are so quick you lose them within seconds and the visibility isn't that great. The Crystal River area, however, is lovely. We then went to a local natural park which was good but we only had one hour there, which really was not long enough to enjoy it, half an hour more would have been better. Overall, a lovely day out.

Review by: Katrina R, United States of America	December 2006
We had a blast and our tour guide and bus driver were a laugh a minute. It was an unforgettable trip.

Review by: Philippe B, France	November 2006
Friendly tour with a fabulous experience in Crystal River. A great time with the manatees. Great airboat tour.