Snorkeling with Manatees! William L Schams and I had a fun encounter with many manatees at Crystal River, Florida. Salty Siren Tours and Charters was our tour guide. Our guide, Tyler, was so fun and made sure all of us had the best spot to have clear water and positive encounters with the Manatees. He also made sure we were safe, had pictures and videos. A really nice and thoughtful person. Our captain was Captain Randy. He was very knowledgeable, kind and fun. He made sure we had hot beverages after we got out of the water! He was a very experienced captain. William was loved by the baby Manatee so much. It constantly sought him. It was adorable. Our guide, Tyler, had a really close encounter with the Manatee nibbling his facial hair! Lol. The whole experience, we maintained our instructions to not touch the Manatees. They could touch us, but was had to stay still and be respectful. The Crystal River Community is doing everything they can to protect the Manatees and educate us humans how to respect them. What a beautiful place. read more

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Just an absolute first class experience. From the time we stepped into the shop until the time we left the shop after a great tour we just felt like friends and had a wonderful time. The effort of Captain Ed, and our guide Tyler was unmatched. Using the drone to find manatees as well as take really amazing photos and videos of our experience is unmatched. There's nothing I could say bad in anyway and I would recommend this company to anyone, especially given the smaller size of the tours read more

I took my group of friends from out of town to Salty Siren. We swam with the manatees and had a terrific experience. One friend was a little afraid of swimming and they helped her feel comfortable. She had a terrific time. We all got the hang of snorkeling and swimming. They got good pictures of us too. read more

This was an absolute wonderful experience! Our group did the manatee swimming tour, and it was one of the greatest experiences! I have to start by saying that the people working at the Salty Siren - from the wonderful owners, to the captain, to the guides - were the absolute best. Very attentive, caring, and informative. They allowed our experience to be comfortable, unique, and fun. The guides are very informative in helping you gear up, letting you know what to expect, and guiding you in the water. We saw several manatees, and our wonderful in-water guide made sure that everyone in our group was able to view the manatees. Our boat group consisted of no more than 6 people, which allows for a personable, 1 on 1 type experience. I cannot recommend this company enough! Was a fun experience, and we will absolutely be returning to go on the scalloping tour! read more

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What a fantastic group to tour the springs with! Captain Ed and Jessica were so wonderful and I'll cherish the photos forever. My mom is visually impaired and our guides were great about making sure she was safely walked from the shop to the van, down the dock and onto the boat with no issues. In the water, Jessica was so descriptive verbally of where the manatees were and how they were moving so my mom could get ready to watch them as they got near enough for her to see. The shop itself is so cute, so many manatee items for sale for very reasonable prices! We loaded up on souvenirs, earrings and shirts etc. The wetsuits we rented were super nice quality and the boat was also great with the heater cranked up before and after we got in the water. They even had coffee and hot chocolate for us post swim! Captain Ed had a drone taking video and photos of us while we were in the water and Jessica had an excellent GoPro and took fabulous pictures. The photo package is so worth it! Come give them your business! I'm the summer they do scalloping tours so I'll definitely come back for that :) read more

Salty Siren Tours and Charters - Boat - Snorkeling Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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Best tour for manatees in Florida! We had a great time with our family, Tyler the tour guide was awesome. 5 stars.

If you're looking for the best possible manatee encounter & all-round experience, look no further than Salty Siren! Hands down THE coolest, most ecologically responsible, and comprehensive captains and guides you'll ever find anywhere. From the heated boats, to on-board bathroom facility, hot cocoa & coffee, and most chill and engaging manatee whisperers - you'll not be disappointed! One of the coolest things I've ever had the opportunity to do! Thank you Captains Kim & Ed, and all the rest of the crew! You're the BEST! read more

Salty Siren Tours and Charters - Snorkeling Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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One of my favorite tours I have done! Our in water guide Tyler and Captain Randy were so funny and kind. Everyone was so informative and friendly. Even though it was cold outside, the heater and Captain Randy's hot chocolate helped so much. The shop was full of local artists which is incredible. We had so much fun and will absolutely be recommending this tour to our friends and family! read more

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Our guide Tyler was incredible. Owner was so kind and generous. We had a great time and had lovely pictures taken! Highly recommended!

Had an amazing time with Captain Ed and Tyler - the manatees were amazing but so was their knowledge and friendly attitude. A must do whenever in Crystal River! read more

What a fantastic experience with this tour. They had enclosed boats and heaters so we can stay comfortable throughout the journey. The staff were lovely and fun! They had hot chocolate and coffee for us too which was so nice! Would definitely use them again. read more

Absolutely excellent people and business. Here's the two key things which stand out to me: 1. The owners, both military vets, are super-nice but also no-nonsense and passionate about their business they've opened in retirement. You have to have that type of passion because lots goes into running a tour service like this--certainly not an easy thing to jump into when you retire from defending our country. It's clear their hearts are in the right place. Also, one was Coast Guard, so he knows the water and water safety like the proverbial back of his hand. 2. They were very willing to work with me on getting the experience I wanted. This is tremendously important for me. I am a very experienced freediver and have specific things I want to do with underwater photography and otherwise. I'm in the springs diving nearly every day, so my question for these fine folks was "can we do a tour that lets me do things I'd not be able to access by myself?" and they were immediately willing to work with me. Other tour operators in Crystal River, not so much, as many seem to take larger boatloads of people out (more clients, more money I'm sure) and cater to people who may not have ever snorkeled before and may not even swim. That means they may be babysitting a bunch of tourists from Ohio which, I totally respect those tourists for embarking on a new adventure, but you can't get the same type of personalized, nuanced, experience when the captain or other staff have to foremost ensure no one drowns and constantly explain things to novices. Salty Siren made clear instead that while I am sure they can also offer that type of service, whatever I wanted they would and could try to do. That's incredible from a tour or dive charter service. They also have a storefront business in a strip mall (right down from a very interesting Chinese restaurant and a highly-recommended Mexican restaurant), so you have a place you can go and chat with them if needed in person. I just like that: many tour operators have their boat off somewhere and operate the office from their back porch or whatever, but this feels more professional. A class act through and through. read more

Absolutely stellar service! Of all the manatee cruises/dives etc I highly recommend this one. Ask for Tyler

I highly recommend Salty Sirens for your manatee encounter. Professional and knowledgeable staff take you out to meet the manatees, while maintaining respect for the manatees and their environment. read more

Smaller groups (was able to go with just my family) makes for such a more enjoyable, personable experience. The captain and in water guide, Tyler, were so knowledgeable and friendly! The drone footage was awesome, as well as the in water photos. Overall a fantastic experience, would highly recommended! read more

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Marissa and Captain Ed were awesome. Basically a private tour. Small group = more intimate/tailored experience. The drone and drone photos were over the top. read more

We had the best time and got to see a baby manatee. Not to toot my own horn but the baby manatee game me 2 kisses! Best birthday ever!

We had an AMAZING day with Salty Siren tours yesterday. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience and we couldn't have possibly been any more satisfied with our tour. My mom is not a good swimmer by any means, and she's honestly pretty afraid of the water. Captain Jessica and in-water guide Tori did an exceptional job of making her feel comfortable and helping her to have a great experience in the water with the manatees. They were also absolutely fantastic when dealing with my 7 year old daughter. Tori stayed right by her side and helped her to stay calm throughout her experience with the manatees (she had manatees coming up and putting their face right in her face, and she even had a piece of sea grass stuck in her hair they were trying to eat )! They stayed patient with her even though she was in and out of the water quite a bit. They were very quick to find manatees, very knowledgeable in educating us about manatees (Tori had a plethora of facts about manatees that I never knew) and they taught us how to have a safe and memorable experience while in the water. If you just remain calm, the manatees will come right up to you!! Tori did an amazing job staying by my side when she could, and keeping the camera close-by getting some of the best action shots and videos! I even got to experience double manatee kisses. I could not have been more impressed with our experience. From start to finish it was beyond amazing. They were extremely accommodating and they made it feel like spending a day on the water with good friends. The small group sizes really help you and your family to get the attention and experience that you would desire for an incredibly fair price. I cannot WAIT to come back. I know exactly what company I will be booking with, and I can only hope to have half as good of an experience as I had this time. We definitely got lucky with all the manatees that flocked to us yesterday! read more

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First the employees are AWESOME! Myself and Fiancé went on a 9am manatee snorkel tour Oct 7, and what an amazing experience. This was a last minute booking and we were welcomed and amazed at the customer service we received. Captain Kelly set up the trip and we were met by Captain Ed and Jessica as well as the manatee expert ( I forgot her name ) HOWEVER she is a marine biologist and KNOWS her manatee stuff! Good educational information about conservation and about the manatees themselves. Although this is not manatee season and there was just a hurricane Captain Ed knew where to find the manatees all were experts on the interaction. We had the opportunity to swim with a massive female manatee and her calf as well as another female. The guide knew how to interact and maintain the rules. We were blown away by the experience. If you have the chance do this!!! And book with this company you will NOT be disappointed. read more