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    Nature's Discovery

    5.0 (33 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Sue S.

    came here for my birthday because i've seen videos of people swimming/kayaking with manatees. this is one of the few tours where you dont' have to pay to park at the pier. you park at their shop and they take you to the pier (very short ride away). they provide the wetsuit, snorkel, water and noodle to float. the staff (stephen) were very sweet and friendly-they even take pictures of the manatees for you. we were able to see 3+ manatees during our trip - all very unique and different. it was very cool seeing them in their environment and to see them up close. i do wish we were able to stay out longer (3 hour tour but only stayed in the water roughly about 1-1.5 hours) but it was a bit chilly in the water (70's where it was 80's outside). overall, highly recommend! the store has cute souvenirs as well if you were interested!

    Family before!
    Caroline K.

    This was our second tour with Nature's Discovery, as my husband and I swam with the manatees last February with them. We came back and brought our 9 and 11 yo last weekend! They had wetsuits to fit everyone. Mandy was a great guide and even kept a watch over my eldest when we went back to the boat. My youngest froze out early (30 outside, so no shame in that) and the boat captain welcomed her back with hot cocoa so I could return to the manatees. It was safe and fun and the van was waiting with full heat on blast when we got back. Highly recommend!

    As you walk in. They will treat you like family
    Giulliano P.

    This is why we chose this outfit for our Mantee discovery adventure!!!.... Extremely family friendly ! Everyone was so nice !! Our captain Evan and lead swimmer Sam were amazing! They were very professional and all at the same time genuinely sweeter than you can ask for. Our family was looking for: Family friendly Great reviews Truly Free Photos Fair Price Captain Evan was very knowledgeable and was extremely resourceful, utilizing other captains to crowd source information about where the manatees are located. Sam was amazing as the lead swimmer and was constantly helping our group to track them. She also was great at taking pictures if you asked at anytime as she has a waterproof gopro. We will definitely be back!! Best time to come is when the water in the Gulf of America is colder than 65 since this bay has springs at 72 degrees year round. We are here in July and we still had great viewings!! This experience was exactly what we were hoping for and highly recommend other families that prefer small intimate groups. They limit their groups to 6 people and truly only had 2 other people with us! Thank you again guys!!! Can't wait to come back with more family and hopefully in the winter!! All the best!! And hope everyone gets to have the same experience we did!!

    Manatees surrounding the boat as we were getting back on

    If I could give 100 stars I would. Truly the best animal encounter I've ever had in my life... and I've been on Safari in Kenya! Maya and Evan were incredible; It was clear they truly cared for the manatees and respected the environment. If you're looking for a family owned business, smaller personalized groups, and people who care about the wellbeing of these docile creatures, this is the place.

    me on nature discovery tour
    Jay G.

    We had an amazing tour with Gary and Dylan. The guide and captain were very knowledgeable about local wildlife and curated a safe and fun trip! 10 out of 10!!! MUST DO!!!

    Baby with hubby behind.

    John, our boat captain, and Karizma, our hostess, in water guide, and chauffeur, were fantastic! We booked the 10:30 trip and left at 10:29 for the short trip to the docks. Although the trip could have up to 12 ppl, we had a private trip. Quite impressed that they still ran the trip with just the 2 of us. Anyway, once at the docks, we met up with John who took us to the boat and got us set up with masks, a safety briefing, and then we headed out in search of the manatees. Within a short time, we found other boats with large groups (glad we were not with them - too many people) in the water. We got in line and another boat with a "smaller group" was kind enough to let us join their group. Once we could move in to see the manatees, Karizma, was amazing. She reminded us what we needed to do, guided us toward the manatees, and took great shots while we relaxed and followed the manatees. In fact, she did way more than the other group's guide did for them and she helped their group too! We were in the water for about 45 minutes and really enjoyed our time. I am not sure where else you can get SO close to a creature in their natural habitat! What an experience! Karizma took great photos and she emailed them to us before we even got changed and left the building. Even better, the photos were included in their very reasonable price! If I could give more than 5 stars, I would!My husband and I highly recommend Nature's Discovery!

    Boat that took us out.
    Lulu B.

    What an unforgettable experience!!! We rented 2 boats for a private tour since 1 boat max was 6. Jake, Shane, Hina, and Evan were all very informative, friendly and fun to be around. They took an insane amount of pictures for us so we could just enjoy the moment. I was surprised how clear the water was and if it weren't raining it would've been even better. The water was also cooler than I expected but refreshing. You feel cleaner than you do when getting out of saltwater or a pool. The manatees were larger than I imagined and so calm. You could hear them chomping away on grass under water too. So amazing.

    Polly M.

    HINA is so sweet, great person and our captain was Carlos. Well, the water isn't really blue like the pictures on other sides but these people are very honest and they were very helpful. We did get to see a manatee.

    Manatee!

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    4 months ago

    Guide Steven and Captain Jake were great. My daughter and I had a fantastic time and saw A LOT of manatees.

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    Great guides and staff! Wonderful experience we highly recommend. Very smooth checking and transit to boat.

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    Review Highlights - Nature's Discovery

    Hina was patient and she and Carlos kept an eye out for other manatees and she guided us to them without crowding others.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Crystal River Boat Tours - Captain Wayne is ready to take you on an adventure in Crystal River

    Crystal River Boat Tours

    5.0(3 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    Friendly staff. The boat captain was knowledgeable. Loved that he plucked plastic bags out of the…read morewater. It was a beautiful, relaxing trip. Saw many manatees!

    Oh Lordy, where do I start? I was raised in the area and…read moremoved away 40 years ago. My bff and I were on a road trip tour of my favorite places. Crystal River was always one of my favorite places to play in the water. So during our "drive by" selected to do Captain Wayne's 2 hour manatee tour. I knew it was a shot in the dark because,well June, they are rare in the rivers this time of year. My BFF was hoping to see dolphins (also rare in the rivers I know). When we boarded first thing he asked was what we wanted out of this journey, we told him our hopes. We set sail in his wonderful pontoon boat completely shaded in the hot Florida sun. He told stories and provided information and answered all our silly questions with such importance we felt valued for our interests and not silly for asking such question. We happened upon ( I'm sure he did the searching but we never saw) our first pod of manatees coming up and diving so wonderful we were thrilled. After a little bit we came up on yet another pod of manatees. The respect and distance he gave them while insuring our amazing views was the marks of a caring and mindful captain. We were heading back in and time was short. But then Captain Wayne's spotted some dolphins getting ready to feed. He explained the process and what we could expect and it was AMAZING! Watching them circle the school of fish and watching them catch in midair was just a once in a lifetime experience. We stayed and watched the whole thing, running our time over by almost 30 minutes. He never rushed or even noticed that I could see. I have seen many places touristy (cattle feeds I call them) rushing in and never connecting. I can promise you this is not that. If you have time and are in Crystal River - Take this cruise with Captain Wayne, I believe you will not regret this decision! Captain Wayne's, if you're reading this - thank you thank you thank you for everything, you made it so special. A day we will not forget.

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    Let's get out there and enjoy the scenery!

    Crystal River Boat Tours - Shrimp trawler at daybreak on Kings Bay in Crystal River

    Shrimp trawler at daybreak on Kings Bay in Crystal River

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    Nature's Discovery - boattours - Updated May 2026

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