This was our second time using Birds to swim with Manatees and we will choose them every time now. Had an amazing experience with Captain Misty and Guide Gina. Highly recommend the 6am tour as you get viewing time before it gets really busy. I really appreciate Birds Underwater as they do a great job educating you about the manatees and how to passively observe. Made the manatees more comfortable and as a result we got to have some amazing interactions with them. read more

If you want to be the first on the water in the morning to see the manatees before the crowds of other people get out there, this is the place to come. We set out before sunrise and were ready to go once the sun hit the water in the morning. Our guide was the perfect mix of hands off and hands off. He showed us how to attract the manatees and interact/passively observe them, and created a shared group experience that you could partake in, but also let us wander about in our own and have intimate one on one time with the manatees, which I didn't see happening with the other groups that came out into the water later, they seemed more uptight and controlling of their groups. This was the highlight of our Florida trip and I'm so grateful we picked the best company to go with. They supplied snacks and drinks on the boat and a changing room after getting out of the water. The wet suits and snorkel gear they supplied was very quality and felt new. The main store we met at had lots of manatee goodies and snorkel and scuba gear. It was very cute and were pleasantly greeted by the boat captain when we came in in the morning. It felt like a big happy family of a crew and we had the greatest time out there. I will never forget having a manatee come hug me and try and eat my hair. We had a total love fest with each other for a solid 2 minutes, and the manatees were very interactive and curious and playful in general which made for a great experience. We were in silver springs that day and we saw so many manatees. This crew knows where to go and makes for the best experience. It's flexible to spend as much time as you'd like in the water and get out whenever you've felt you've fulfilled yourself and then enjoy sitting on the boat and watching the manatees go by on the beautiful morning. read more

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Thank you to Heidi and Andy for the awesome time! So special getting to swim with manatees, and thanks for answering all my many excited questions! read more

The guides (Kip and Amanda) were top notch. The outfit was clean and sanitary. The boat was in great condition as was the gear. They oriented everyone perfectly. They have drones to help find the manatee and are the first outfits on the water in the morning. We saw a lot of manatee and stayed with a mom and baby read more

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‍ Magical Day at Three Sisters Springs ‍ Yesterday was pure magic. Captain Will and his amazing coworker Kayla took my family out to Three Sisters Springs. Bird's Underwater and Dive Manatee Tours ensured we'd have a day we would never forget. My sis in law and I learned how to be mermaids with Kayla's instructions (dream come true!), my husband even got to scuba dive, and my parents jumped in and swam with us! The water was crystal clear, we saw a few manatees, and the memories we made... unforgettable. Kayla also ensured we had photos same day along with video of our adventure. Captain Will did a great job navigating the springs and showing us all the wildlife. Upon finishing our swim, it was quite chilly but they ensured we had coffee and hot chocolate as we got back on the boat. He and Kayla were excellent hosts. Grateful for the sunshine, the family time, and the little moments that turn into lifelong memories. We definitely recommend!! #MermaidMagic #ThreeSistersSprings #CrystalRiver #FamilyAdventure #UnderwaterDreams #MermaidInTraining #MagicalMoments read more

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Fantastic experience with the team at Bird's Underwater! From the start, Christian was incredibly helpful--offering solid advice on gear and sharing great recommendations for local dive spots. I met Mike at Rainbow Springs for my first dive, then headed to Blue Grotto for the second. He walked me through the dive plans and gave a great rundown of the wildlife we might encounter. Overall, an awesome day in the water. Looking forward to diving with you all again--thanks for everything! read more

Bird's Underwater - Rainbow river - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

We did a manatee snorkel adventure through our Girl Scout chapter with Birds Underwater and it was amazing! Cody got the group of mixed Scouts checked in and trained quickly. They were spot on with wet suit sizes and answered all our questions. Then we were off with Captain Mike and Manatee Guide Brian. Both were friendly and knowledgeable. Mike found the manatees and Brian guided us in the water so we could see them up close. It's off season so it was t as easy as season but we still had a blast. Prepare to be chilly, bring towels and blankets for when you get out of the water. When in the water, the wetsuits help and we acclimated quickly. Thanks for a great time! read more

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Michelle and Kaylin (I know i probably misspelled) were phenomenal glad we went back for a second time all the way from Ohio. Definitely the next time down by / around here we will have to run it back thanks again guys read more

Bird's Underwater - Had to include our friend on the way back - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

My sister, husband and I went on this trip today and we saw SO many amazing manatees and it was just such an awesome experience. I went once before a few years ago and it was amazing as well. This time there were so many more manatees; they were everywhere! We had Jeanne as our guide and she was amazing. She was so nice and so informative and had so much information for our group. Michael was our driver and provided us with an awesome ride with hot cocoa and donuts to warm us up when we got back on the boat. Overall, it was such an amazing experience and I would recommend this to anyone looking to get real up close to these amazing animals!! Bird's Underwater is the place to book! read more

Morning trip got us out early to see the mom and pup. Pup was active playing with everyone and took time to nurse. Captain Mike and Amanda were amazing and fun to chat with and talk about other activities. read more

I did the swim with the manatees snorkeling experience and they did an amazing job. Our guides were Liz and Kayla and they were super friendly and knowledgeable about the manatees and other wildlife. Birds Underwater had all the gear we needed and they new right where to go. We saw several manatees very close. just remember to bring warm clothes to put on when you are done. They provided delicious hot chocolate but it was very cold when you get out of the water and it is nice to have a dry change of clothes. read more

We took two tours through this company. I called less than a month before and was able to get a 10% discount since I was booking two tours with them. This is not available online as there is no way to connect the two tours. We arrived for our first tour, which was a swim with the manatees tour, in the dark. There was only one other couple on the tour with us and two guides. One drive the boat and the other swam with us. We watched a short training video, suited up, and were out on the water in no time. The advantage was that they knew exactly where the manatees were. We saw about a half dozen and swam for a long time with them. We never felt rushed and the hot chocolate and donuts were a nice touch. The second tour we took was on another day with two different guides. We went scalloping and went out about 7 miles from where we started. We were warned that it was a slow season, so we didn't catch a ton but had a blast doing it. The adrenaline rush when you saw one was amazing and I am kind of glad they weren't just all over the place in plain sight, you really had to look for them. Our captain was helpful in showing were some were and got in the water with us. He also shucked them for us at the end, which I was told is the part you don't want to do. Again, we did not have that many so it only took him a few minutes to do. We took them to a local restaurant and they cooked them up for us. So fun and again, we were not rushed! The staff here was super friendly and I highly recommend this company! read more

They are my go to whenever I'm in the area. Absolutely the best! Friendly staff, great tours, and excellent service!!! This visit we rented kayaks the first trip out, and a manatee tour about a week later. Loved my tour guide Rosie and our Captain Owen. They provided laughs and were both very informative. Very thankful for the photos that Rosie took of the tour. Had plenty pics of the manatee, but very few of me with manatee, so was grateful for the ones she took. I know I will be back!!! read more

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We had the most incredible experience here. We couldn't find any availability with any other place. We were at sea food cellar and the beautiful waitress, Lovely, told us her husband worked here. We went there and Rosie told us she'd see if a captain would come in for us and he's close by. She called him and Michael came in and did a terrific job. We were so impressed with their customer service. I forgot to post this but I wanted to make a shout out about the incredible experience we had with this company. Thank you both. Amazing. read more

Went scalloping for the first time with my family! It was such a great experience! Shoutout to Ben! He is fun, Knowledgeable and patient! I was a little anxious and he took the time to make me feel at ease. Even though this season hasn't been great (scallops were hard to find) the experience itself was so worth it! See you next year! read more

Bird's Underwater - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

We had a friend with up who had already done manatee tours with Bird so we followed her lead when she booked our reservation. We stayed at the hotel next door which was super convenient especially when we had to be there before 6am. The staff quickly got everyone suited up in wetsuits and passed out our gear. We all loaded onto the boats in the cold, dark, morning fog. There's a short ride out and they had donuts for us on the way. It was a chilly morning, but that usually brings in more manatees so we were all for it. Once day broke we got in and were the first tour group on the scene. We really lucked out because the manatees were on the move and over the course of our swim I probably saw 20 manatees. From giant ones to baby ones and one that even chewed on my beard! It was definitely the most ideal manatee snorkeling experience. Our boat guide and tour guide were both amazing and did everything they could to make sure the trip was enjoyable for everyone. Later that day we came back for a self guided kayak tour. We definitely planned it out the right way by doing the early morning snorkel with the afternoon kayak. We already had our up close and personal encounter and now we could just relax and cruise around at our leisure. The experience from the kayak is fun and we saw a good amount nestled in little alcoves, but if I were to choose one or the other, swimming with them is the way to go. By this time in the day, the weather was beautiful and the crowds were out. We saw other tours all hovering around one manatee to catch a glimpse. It really made us appreciate being first on the scene earlier that morning. After two experiences from Birds in the same day, I can easily recommend them as it was one of the most memorable days I've had in a long time. Already thinking about going back next year! read more

Unforgettable! We had an AMAZING time with birds Underwater our captain Glenn was Great & very knowledgeable. The Trip was very safe, clean & fun! By far the best tour I've ever taken beats a tour in Hawaii. Must try while in Florida, most memorable experience I've had on any vacation. We swam with about 10 manatees three were momma & baby. read more

Bird's Underwater - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Fantastic Experience Again! This was our second manatee tour with Birds Underwater with Captain Kip and Guide Ana! Second tour with Ana! We enjoyed the extra special hot chocolate and Chex mix offerings on the way back to the dive shop. Cap Kip allowed our kids ages 11 and 13 to be apart of the crew (passing out noodles). Very sweet folks- go patron this small business! Will be back again. family of 5 from Atlanta! read more

I'm so glad we swam with the manatees. It's was even better than my expectations!! The crew of Bird's Underwater team was perfect. Informative and helpful but at the same time gave you enough room to explore and enjoy the experience. My two 11 year olds had a ball swimming w these adorable giants. The water was pleasant even though we chose the 6:30a excursion in Oct. I would highly recommend this business! read more

Service was 5 star. Captain Paul went absolutely above and beyond. He is very knowledgeable and charming and Crystal was also a pleasure and was great with my daughter. Paul was honest right off the bat and said we weren't visiting any manatees in any clear spring water because they weren't there, and the water would be like "chocolate milk." Major bummer and we probably would have left then and there if we weren't hours away from home and had already stayed in a hotel. A friend that was there two days prior said they were indeed in the springs, but Crystal said the only manatees in the springs were sick manatees...? We would have loved to see the gorgeous Three Sisters Springs, but maybe next time.... So we went on a hunt to find manatees with a bunch of other boats, and Paul successfully found a few. We saw about five throughout the day, but unfortunately it was in that nasty water. Paul and Crystal did a great job staying optimistic throughout the day, and told us that the day we were there was the first of many hard days to follow. We bought the pictures from them, and they aren't the best, but are exactly what we saw. A handful of seacows in chocolate milk. I hate to break the 5 star trend, but the rule on Yelp is you have to compare the business to comparable businesses and this one falls short for two reasons. 1- Wetsuits were 3mm, at a nearby competitor they are 5mm. Those extra 2mm would have been nice and it also would have been nice to have a.... 2-Towel- No towels on the boat. Silly me had some in the car for after the trip and on the way home, assuming they would be like the nearby competitors and have towels available for when you get out of the freezing water. Nope. They didn't. So would I go on their boat again, possibly, but they surely need to upgrade those wetsuits. read more

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Bummed I didn't get pictures of Three Sisters but I'll never forget this experience. It was AMAZING to kayak to the springs. It's short enough of a trip for a newbie, like me, to make it comfortably. Sure I was a little bit sore the day after but it was really worth it (and the leg sunburn! Gah! Reapply sunscreen.) and I'm so ready to get home and go kayaking every free minute I get! The swim in three sisters springs was a bit crowded but everyone was really nice. I could've stayed in the springs all day! Easily. read more

Bird's Underwater - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Wow! Rosie and Owen were the best! We had an amazing trip on 2/20/24. We were the first on the water and had an entire 30-40 minutes by ourselves before the other tours showed up. In the water Rosie was very polite with her instructions and I only say this because we heard other people that were not so polite giving directions. They took pictures so we could take it all in! I just can't say enough! Thank you guys! It was magical! read more

I can't say enough about this shop. Was able to sign up last minute during spring break. We happened into a random shop that was booked and they handed us a list of other shops and said start at the top. Bird's was at the top and they had 3 spots left, 3 of us so perfect. While killing a couple of hours for our 11:00 trip we hit one of the local parks and met up with a local. She asked who we were using and had nothing but good things to say about Birds. She said he was a local, not someone who comes in from Orlando during the season. The experience was nothing but fantastic. We had 7 on our boat, 2 families with Jasmine as a guide (sorry don't remember the captains name :( ). Both were as nice and friendly as they could be. We made 2 stops, one at Three Sisters where we saw a bunch of manatees. We spent quite a while there and then Jasmine gave us the option of staying there longer, going to another spot with no guarantee on visibility or a sighting or heading back to warm up. We all decided to try the other site. Unfortunately for most, as we traveled to the site one by one everyone but my daughter and myself decided they didn't want to go back into the water. In all fairness the air is colder than the water right now and getting out is not that pleasant but they missed a treat. When we arrived at the second site there were 2 manatees and right as we got there, one decided to wake up, look us right in the face to say hi, then head off to feed. Great experience all around and I cannot stress more how friendly everyone was. read more

Bird's Underwater - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

What a fantastic tour!! We took a tour in mid March @ 6:30AM. We had Jasmine as our tour guide and it was so much fun. She was informative and approachable - she made me feel safe and gave us great guidance while in the waters. The manatees are so friendly and active - definitely a beautiful experience. We got doughnuts, coffee and tea. The boat had a small changing area and bathroom, once you're done you have a bit of personal space squeezing out of your wet suit. word of advice be one of the first to get back on the boat since it may be freeeezing and you want to be out of your wet suit ASAP. otherwise you'll be waiting in line for the change room. Overall. Amazing staff and experience. read more

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Amazing place, very informative and friendly people, lots of manatees. Hot chocolate and donuts provided. We also loved swimming in the cove. Beautiful, friendly manatees. Amazing! read more

Beware. If the water has 0 visibility they will still do a tour. I went in late February. Trying to swim towards a manatee in 0 visibility without fins is a pain in the ass. That being said I do want to give them the benefit of the doubt. They might be wonderful when there is visibility. read more

Birds Underwater swim was amazing! The tour guides were funny and knowledgeable and got us to a great place to swim with the manatees. It was so fun to literally have the manatees swim right under you! read more

Bird's Underwater - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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We booked the manatee tour on Monday at 6 am, which initially sounds pretty ambitious. However, that was probably the best decision beside choosing Bird's. The tour was amazing. Bree and Brody (sorry if I spelled the names wrong) did an amazing job. We saw several manatees and swam with them for almost 2 hours. After that we went to the 3 Sister Spring, where the water was super clear. Thank you guys for the experience! BUCKET LIST: swimming with manatees read more

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Michelle the tour guide from Oregon, ruined our trip. Constant nagging about how we should wear the goggles, which way to face, where to place our arms. Scolded my son for saying the water was too cold. Asked me to translate her scoldings to another guest, in case they didn't understand. Every 30 seconds you can expect to hear some negative comment from Michelle. Give some "Karen's" a tiny bit of power and it goes to their heads. This was my 3rd time with Birds and it will be our last. She also cut the trip about 30 mins short. No she wasn't upset at us, she had a great time, and was ready to rest before her next trip out. read more

Captain Kip and Michelle were absolutely amazing. They were both so kind and knowledgeable and made sure we had many opportunities to see the manatees. We enjoyed great conversation and look forward to coming back! We HIGHLY recommend Birds Underwater to anyone looking to see manatees, underwater springs, and to overall have a fantastic time on the water. Thank you again!! -Lina & Ashley (NYC/CT) read more

Our family - ages 4 - 70 swam with the manatees at Bird's spring 2023. Their kindness with children, knowledge, and professionalism made our trip a lasting memory. we will be back again next spring. Roger Murphy - Tennessee read more

My entire family (Ages 10-80) did the 6am Manatee tour during what is considered the slow season and despite not having a ton of Manatees in the bay We still had an amazing experience. We saw a large manatee while on the boat, we had a mom and calf swim by us while we were snorkeling and we spent about 40 mins watching another manatee feed. After spending some time with the manatee we went to a near by spring to swim and dive. Our tour guides Andrew and Jasmine were very knowledgeable super friendly. read more

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Wow wow wow! I would give Birds 10 stars. We took the 6am tour to swim with the manatee's. It's not considered manatee season but, we had a blast. Out Captain Andrew was very knowledgeable and professional. He seemed to really care about Crystal River. I can't brag enough about this facility and our tour! Thanks again for a great morning! read more

The girls booking the tours were super friendly and handled the busy hour before the tours started like champs! our tour with Owen and Joe was amazing! Owen was a great captain and very knowledgeable. Joe gave us amazing guidance while in the water. If I could have given more than a 5 star I would have!!! read more

Wow, what an amazing experience! I called the day before and the person I spoke with was very friendly and helpful! He recommended the early morning tour so we made a reservation for the following morning. It was my husband, our two kids (5 and 8), and me. Captain Loopy was our captain and Jessica was our in-water guide. They were both knowledgeable about not only the manatees but the other wildlife in the area. We were lucky enough to swim with a mom and her calf. I can't even begin to describe the experience. It was awe-inspiring. Our guides were very respectful to the manatees and put a huge emphasis on using our manatee manners. We also got to swim to Jurassic Spring, which is what feeds the area with 72-degree water year-round. I highly recommend this tour to anyone thinking about snorkeling with manatees. read more

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We went on this tour and it was fantastic! The weather was not the greatest and we had plenty of warning in advance that there were no guaranteed manatee sitings so, seeing some was amazing !! Thank you to Rob and the team for being so knowledgeable and funny! I'd go again! read more

What an AMAZING experience. Rob, our guide, made it extra special with his jokes and banter. DEFINITELY recommend! Their building is right by the dock and doesn't have a lot of signs - but it's there! read more

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Took a tour with Rob as our guide today to float with the manatees. It was truly amazing, if you are looking at this I don't need to tell why you need to go to see the manatees you are just trying to figure out who to go with. So, I went winking with the manatee the day before with another company and I also had a great time on that tour. That said if I do it again I am going with Bird's as I felt Rob went to extra effort to be sure that we were in a good location to see the manatee and still be very respectful of the animals, which is important. Rob also made sure we were all safe and comfortable as we could be in the cold temps. What I also loved was that we were the first group to arrive at the spring that was chosen to swim in that day. Their office is right at the dock so you just jump on the boat, super easy. It was also great to have a changing space on the boat to get out of the cold swimsuits. Go with Bird's you will be happy! read more

A bit of a cold day, but still a fun and excellent day. We enjoyed a fun dive by the three sisters spring. Saw 5-6 manatees with their calves. Jasmine was an excellent guide. Our captain was very knowledgeable and helped us get warm after the dive. Worth the experience!!! read more

Bird's Underwater - Following the manatees out of the canal - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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I wasn't going to write a review. However, upon thinking about it I really needed to. 3.5 years ago I came and took an off season Manatee Tour by myself. It was amazing and I loved it. 3.5 years later I brought my husband. And we had an epically equal awesome time. What I was most struck with was that while what the manatees do and where they are is out of human control. However the consistent quality of the Dive Leaders and Captains is over the top and we will return again for the bad jokes and bubble circles. That is the big detail. How often after having an amazing experience do you return to be underwhelmed? Not here. Maybe next time I will stay long enough for dive certification. read more