They are located right behind the Days Inn. Had I known this, I may have booked a trip with them. (Instead, I booked with River Ventures and had a good time.) Still, I went there because I needed to refill my scuba tanks. They charge $4.50 and the turn around time was under 30 min. Very reasonable on both counts. read more

Florida Manatee Tours is awesome. I recommend taking a tour with them because the price is great (includes all your gear), the groups are small (5 people in our group), the captain swims with you and takes photos (which are available to you for free via facebook) and because the entire company has a lot of reverence for the manatees and conducts its tours with respect for the wildlife and the environment. We stayed at the Day's Inn (with a discounted tour rate) and walked the couple hundred feet to the dock for the early morning tour. We were provided with wetsuits, snorkels, and flippers and watched a video on how to interact with manatees. One of the things I liked most about the company was how much respect they have for the manatees. Especially after seeing other groups out in the water with noodles, splashing about, and disturbing everyone - humans and manatees! I felt proud to be with the Florida Manatee Tours group. On our boat ride out we saw countless birds, wild pigs (even one swimming!), dolphins, and manatees. Captain Adrian is experienced, smart, and very kind. We were lucky because it was an uncharacteristically cold December morning so the manatees flocked to the warm springs. Captain Adrian swam with us the entire time and while we snorkeled around dozens and dozens of manatees, he took pictures of us. All the photos were posted to Facebook! It was a nice treat to have photos of the experience without an additional charge. The day was truly magical. We lost count of how many manatees we saw because there were so many! On the boat ride back we were given hot chocolate. I think we all felt really lucky. When you're making your plans, remember to do your best to create a successful situation. I can't help but feel some of the bad reviews folks give on yelp are a little unfair. (I'm looking at you- guy who bought his own wetsuits and then was grumpy about it.) There can be very few manatees in the summer, so when you go is important. (You may have to adjust your expectations based on the time of year.) If you have questions: call- everyone is really nice. We called to ask which tour time offered the greater chance of seeing more wildlife, confirmed we did not need any additional gear, and I asked about wetsuit sizes. (I was nervous they wouldn't have larger women's sizes- but they did!) It was a perfect day. I plan to visit again! read more

We visited Crystal River in December of 2013 when it was chilly out and manatees where everywhere. We had the BEST time on our tour with Florida Manatee Tours, and the staff and guides did everything possible to inform us, make us feel comfortable, help us find the best wetsuits and gear for us, and show us tons of manatees - literally. The guides took pictures of us in and out of the water and sent them to us online. The other visitors on our tour were super fun and relaxed, and we had a great time chatting with the guides and learning about the gulf coast. In addition to manatees, we saw lots of cool birds, dolphins, and wild boar swimming. Wish I were back on the boat right now. read more

We had an exceptional experience with this company. My girl and I had 6 others in our group and everyone was super friendly. We watched a video and the lady at the counter explained the do's and don'ts of interacting with the manatees. We left on time and because the captain (Jay?) had just returned from the a.m. tour, he knew exactly where to go. it was 1/2 hour to the swimming area and we saw tons of manatees! mom's and babies were all around us. He took the time to help my girl learn to snorkel and kept an eye on her most of the time to ensure she was doing ok. A baby came up to us right away to have its belly rubbed and we saw at least 10 if not more adults, some 10 feet or longer! The water was very murky as the captain explained the tide had come in and stirred up sediment. He then took us to a small area near a hot spring and the water was as clear as the sky!! We saw a couple manatees that interacted with us a lot and saw a multitude of fish in the small lagoon off the river's edge. On our return after swimming for over 2 hours, we witnessed a small pod of dolphins swimming and fishing by the docks. Lots of birds too. The captain was very informative and told many stories relating to the manatees and the surrounding environment. We were glad we went in the peak season, as up to 200 manatees can fill the river at this time. You can bring snacks on the tour, but they have some in the store if you forget. They sell equipment as well as rent. We paid $35 for the tour including equipment which is a great deal! Definitely do your research as to when the peak and off seasons are for the manatees to ensure you get to view these gentle, magnificent creatures up close. If you have older children that are behaved and can swim, this would be a great experience for them. I say this because you have to be a calm, quiet swimmer with little splashing, as this will startle and scare the manatees away. read more

We were excited to have a day swimming of with manatees, which for us, included a lengthy 4-hour drive to and from Crystal River. When we arrived, the owners showed us a half-hour video on how to interact with the manatees in the water. We also purchased wet suits and snorkeling gear to prepare for the swim, as we thought they were required (which they are not). The tour guide led us on a boat through a canal, where we briefly saw the tail of a manatee, making us excited for what was to come! We then proceeded to spend 3 1/2 hours in that boat, never swimming, because there were NO manatees anywhere! We did this tour in July, and while we were on the boat, the tour guide actually said to us, "Yeah... usually in the summer there are about 20 manatees in this entire river." We spent the entire tour searching for a needle in a haystack, NEVER seeing, let alone SWIMMING, with any manatee. It was a huge disappointment, and a waste of $140, which included an underwater camera. When we asked for our money back at the end of the tour, the company gave us a lot of slack, even though their website specifically says, "We Guarantee Seeing Manatees! Yes, there are manatees in Crystal River all summer." (http://www.floridamanateetours.com/). We will NEVER go back to this company, and do NOT recommend it to anyone. We feel conned and angry. read more