We had a great time on the 9:30 manatee swim tour (we went in late November). The guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and went the extra mile by giving us hot chocolate and water bottles. Everything was on schedule and happened as expected, and it was a really cool experience to have the manatees swim right beneath you. As others mentioned, the water is kind of murky so if you're looking for amazing photos, you might not get those. And there's such a small area to view the manatees, so it gets crowded with all the different tour companies going to the same spot---lots of accidental kicks to the face and limbs flailing as people try to stay afloat with the current. But Explorida was definitely the best run group out there and they made sure we had fun! read more

First of all, this was a Christmas present to my Wife; a bucket list adventure if you will. Fortunately, we were bumped from a competitor at the last minute and were able to hook up with Explorida on short notice. The shop/muster area is top notch! Clean facilities and extensive memorabilia. Top notch wet suits and snorkeling gear. The Staff is friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. The shuttle to the harbor launch was comfortable; the boat ride to the Springs was comfortable and educational. This is where Explorida's tour turned to chaos, but by no fault of their own! OTHER PEOPLE!!! The worst on the planet, the entitled of society, the rudest bunch of ass hats I've never seen before!! There were motor craft, kayaks, transparent (NOT) kayaks, unaccompanied people, out of control children, pre-invalids in this reserved space for manatees! A lone Fish & Game Ranger in a kayak was constantly telling people to give the manatees room! I don't envy THAT job! People that couldn't swim in a wet suit walked their way around, stirring up sand and silt so as to impair vision. I had a digital underwater camera that took 26 images of cloudy water!!!! The visit to an underground spring crate was, eh, a hole with warm water. I had warm water around me several times, but not from a spring! Back to the boat and boarding and looking out at this conglomeration of watercraft and people was complete and utter chaos. The poor creatures couldn't move in peace. We moved on to another spot and several of the participants went back into the water but we had no desire. Inexperienced people purporting to be underwater savvy was disheartening. Back at the shop we changed and left without posing for pix; very disheartened and feeling bad for the manatees, having to put up with this intrusion into their world. If you MUST do a "swim with the manatee" adventure, use EXPLORIDA. Very professional. But mind the idiots when you get the the Springs..............disgraceful! read more

We had such an amazing manatee experience! From the time we walked in the door, everyone was so nice and welcoming. We arrived and got free hot chocolate and coffee! You can tell how much everybody really cares about the manatees which is wonderful. Our guide Marissa was so enthusiastic, informative, and helpful. She did such a wonderful job not only pointing out manatees but taking photos and teaching us great facts! The boat captain was wonderful too. We had such an amazing time. This was the best experience and we'd love to come back and do it again! Also great gift shop in the store. read more

See all

Can't recommend Explorida enough! Booked this experience for our high school students on their Junior/Senior trip about a month out. Communication with the company was clear and easy. When we arrived the staff was super friendly and helpful. Our captains located manatees quickly and our guides were extremely knowledgeable. Our tour was on a cool (for Florida) day and they had hot cocoa on the boat for when we got out of the water! Seriously a great experience from beginning to end--I'd definitely tour with them again! read more

Explorida - Heading out to find the manatees! - Snorkeling Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Wonderful trip for my daughter and me! Our captain, Steve, and guide, Dakota were fantastic in all ways. An absolutely incredible experience. read more

My wife and I had a great time with Explorida. You can clearly see the passion the team has for what they do. We will definitely be back again to swim with the manatees. read more

Absolutely an amazing adventure! We had Steve as our Captain and Amy as our guide, they did a fantastic job. They knew where to find the manatees and very knowledgeable about everything. The facility was very clean and the staff super friendly! We will definitely go back again. read more

We had a great guide and boat captain. They made our experience swimming with the manatees fun!

Super friendly staff and environment. Our tour guide Amy was super knowledgeable and made us all feel welcome.

Greatest experience I could have imagined. The whole staff was very kind and our guide Casey with Captain Mike were without a doubt the perfect people to show us the area and Manatee's. Thank you so much Explorida. read more

Our trip was amazing and Lindsey and Captain Tommy were phenomenal hosts! Definitely will be back to visit!

This was one of the best tours Everyone was very professional and knowledgeable. Can't wait to do it again Thank you Ashley and Mark for a wonderful day read more

From the moment we were greeted by the owner when we arrived with her bright smile ink ew we were going to have a fun day! The store front is beautiful and had lots of fun stuff to purchase as well. The boat ride was fun and we even saw a Calusa Indian Mound on the way out which was neat. Our every need was met refreshements were given as well as.safety rules and the First Mate was so sweet and showed us where to look for the scallops and The Scalloping was awesome and we tried a couple different spots. This was our first time trying it and it was quite easy! The scallops were beautiful and delicious! The owners recommended a local restaurant that would prepare them for us and the food was amazing. First class operation and I own a tour company as well and can assure you that you won't be dissapointed to go out with Explorida Adventures. We will be back next year for sure! Blessing, Capt Tammy Treasure Seekers Shell Tours read more

This was our first time snorkeling for myself and my spouse. We were in Crystal River for this experience. We went out early not knowing what to expect. Tom (captain) and Amy ( dive master) we're our guides who were so helpful on everythIng. At first we were a little freaked out of the unknown. Amy calmed us the water was only six feet deep and that helped. Once we were comfortable she guided us out a short distance from the boat. The water was warm and calm. Soon we found a cow with her baby and it was magical to experience. This is something that we were so happy to have experienced. This company was outstanding in letting us experience this one in a lifetime opportunity. We have pictures from this that will allow us to share our memories with others. The staff from beginning to end was professional and patience. If you are looking for a good outdoor activity this is the company I would use. December 18 2022 read more

Had an amazing time here with carrie! She was so informative and gave us the best tour. It was our first time swimming with manatees and explorida made it so fun read more

Maddy and Captain Chris the were great! Upon entering the "store" the atmosphere was warm and everyone was welcoming. Maddy provided some more info along the drive and while looking for manatees on the water. Captain Chris also provides answers to all the questions. They both provided guidance while floating along, easy going and light hearted. Highly recommended! LOL I will be back! read more

We had a great time swimming with the manatees. Even though it was not manatee season our captain and guide did not give up looking for the manatees. We ending up having an amazing swim with the manatee. Also, since it took awhile for us to find a manatee, they gave us free photos. We will be back again. read more

This was our first tour to swim with manatees but I'm convinced Explorida is the best in town. The kids loved it and I was amazed too. The clearest water you've ever seen, the beat guides you can ask for, and an experience second to none. We got the photo package too and I'll try to remember to attach a few once I upload everything. read more

These guys are great! Super friendly and informative. Made sure we got ample manatee time. Book these guys!

Amazing is an understatement! The staff here are so welcoming, knowledgeable, mindful & beyond helpful. They created the perfect experience for my family and I for our day of adventure swimming amongst beautiful manatees in crystal clear waters thank you so much to our tour guide Marissa, captain Tom & Kim for helping to make for the most perfect experience. 10/10 recommend! read more

We were warned that it is the "off season" for the manatees, being late August. But the guide and the captain found the manatees with no problem and we spent the entire time snorkeling with them. Had a great time and truly hope this will be a forever memory for me, my wife and our 10 y/o. read more

Had a GREAT day on the water with Captain Anthony and Ashley. Went scalloping on 8-4-19 (Sunday). We were told that this is not a great year for scalloping, but what the hell....how often do we get to Crystal River? So, off we went. Captain Anthony got out where he could open it up and he took advantage. Going fast on the warm gulf water with with music blaring was a blast of it's own. We dove in two different areas. I found one scallop on my first dive, within minutes. And that was that. My wife found none. Luckily, the erstwhile and aforementioned Ashley was in the water and looking also, she had more luck. Then we moved to another spot and my wife found two. Me, zilch. Eagle Eye Ashley was doing her thing.... We were getting tired, the tide was coming in and Captain Anthony asked if we were ready to drag up and go swimming at Three Sisters Lagoon. We all assented and off we went, us with three scallops. There were four other people on the boat and it seemed like they got more, but I did not see. Swimming at Three Sisters Lagoon was a great way to end the day. Beautiful place and must see if you are in Crystal River. Also, when we disembarked, Ashley distributed all the scallops she harvested, and we ended up with 12, only 3 of which we found. Very nice. Made for a super tasty snack when we got back to Blue Lagoon Bed and Breakfast. IF bucket loads of scallops are your only goal, ask around how the scalloping has been. Every local in town will know and tell you the truth. Or ask the fine folks at Explorida, they will too. In short, we loved the experience and would highly recommend it. read more

We booked a tour to snorkel with manatees. The booking process online was very easy and we were able to fill our waivers ahead of time which was also nice. There are bathrooms to change in to swim suit if needed. The day we went was hot outside so we were only able to see a couple of manatees which was perfectly fine. The manatees are amazing and the other aquatic life around is like a little bonus. It's obvious that the staff are passionate about these animals and were able to answer any questions from our group. I would absolutely book with this company again. read more

We just had the best time with Kim, Kiersten, Maddie, and Captain Tom, swimming with Manatees! We weren't sure if we were going to see many since it is June, and that us off season, but we swam with six or seven manatees, including babies! It was such a great experience. Kim took our reservation, and was very friendly even though we called back three or four times trying to arrange schedules with friends. Kirsten showed us the video, pictures, and got us set in our wet suits and with the gift shop goodies we bought. She had a very fun personality. Maddie was our guide and took 106 awesome pictures of the Manatees and of our group. She was knowledgeable and very friendly. Captain Tom found manatees within about 5 minutes, and waited patiently on the boat for over an hour for us to come back. It was such a fun day. read more

We were out boating for the first time in Crystal River and pulled up next to Explorida. They were very nice and knowledgeable about the manatees. They had a group of snorkelers swimming with a mama and baby manatee. The guide gave us advice on how to swim with the manatees and even lent us a snorkel. Highly recommend you check them out when you visit. read more

Explorida - Swimming right next to two manatees! - Snorkeling Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Absolutely incredible. We had Tyler and Captain Brody, Saw a ton of manatees and got respectfully close, it was such an Incredible experience and you should definitely stick with explorida for manatee tours! read more

very professiona, fun crew.. very informative and I highly recommend these folks! if you've never swam with Manatees this is the group to do it with!!! i can not say enough good things about them!!!!! read more

WOW! What a great experience! From the moment we walked in, there were 4 in our party, we new we made the right choice. The staff made us feel like old friends. The lovely young lady who answered all our questions, explained what to expect on the tour and showed us a short but informative movie was very knowledgeable. (So sorry I forgot your name.). Anthony drove us to the boat and filled us with additional information. Then there was Ashley and Tommy B, the dynamic duo. Tommy and Ashley worked well together and with this crew of anxious tourists. WE SAW MANATEES! In there natural Enviornment. Lotsa Manatees. It was a day to remember. After our encounter the staff at base camp had warm coffee and tea waiting for us. We can't wait to come again! Thank y'all for an amazing day! read more

We had an outstanding adventure with the manatee! We even saw a mama and a nursing baby Manatee. The tour company was very professional. The water part is about 2.5 hours. We saw a short movie and donned a wetsuit. The water is nippy at 72 deg. They provide a mask and snorkel, mask defogger and water bottle. Remember glasses don't fit under a mask!!Wear contacts, bring your own mask that will fit over glasses somehow or get a mask with a prescription. Afterwards you can buy a USB filled with manatee photos and videos for about $28. Worth it, or bring an underwater camera. We traveled a very short distance by van (bring a covid mask) and arrived at our boat. A short while later we were at the cove, inlet, spring. Water is shallow in most spots. Maybe 10-20 feet deep. They said water was higher than normal. Didn't matter because the wetsuit kept people afloat. We were given noodles. I liked to use mine around my thighs. I didn't want to knock my feet into a manatee. The first cove we saw what was probably a teenager. At the second spring we saw a mama nursing a baby. That was so cool! During the tour we learned all kinds of things from our guide about manatees! When we got back to the shop, we were able to change in a dressing room to street clothes. No showers were available. For longer hair you may want to spray on a bit of leave in conditioner to comb out easily. read more

Explorida - Mama and baby manatee nursing! - Snorkeling Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

It was amazing experience with manatee tour! Guys at Explorida are extremely friendly and helpful. Our tour guide - JJ deserves separate appreciation! He even brought hot cacao on the boat since it was so cool at 6:30 am in the morning. So we highly recommend this company if you decide to swim with manatees. read more

My family and I went on a private manatee tour April 28th at 0630 with Lindsey as our in water guide and Tom as our captain. We started the experience by being greeted by Lindsey in the store and directed to watch a short safety video on how to interact with the manatee, then changed into provided wetsuits. After some pictures in our wetsuits, we loaded into a shuttle and took a short drive to petes pier where we met up our Captain Tom and the boat. We first went buy Three Sister Springs in an attempt to locate some manatee. Along the way Tom and Lindsey gave us a lot of information about the area and the resident manatee populations. We anchored down and entered the water and soon saw our first manatee. Boy was she HUGE. Tom and Lindsey believe that she was pregnant and was due any day. After floating around that area for a while we boarded the boat and headed to Hunter Springs to find more. At Hunter springs we found a mother manatee and her 1 1/2 year old calf that Lindsey called "Crinkle." As soon as our boat pull up crinkle broke from her mother who was eating and started to play with us. Crinkle at one point wrapped her flippers around my arm and held on to me for about 10 mins all while nibbling on my face and shoulders. After about 30 min Crinkle had enough playtime and reunited with her mother. We soon headed back to the dock and finished the tour. This was an experience of a lifetime and will now be added to our yearly Itinerary when we visit central Florida. Cant wait to try the Scalloping Tours. Thank you guys for the wonderful experience. read more

See all

What an awesome way to end my trip in Florida! I always knew that the manatee is a protected mammal but never knew we could swim close to them. Explorida is the place to choose when one wants to learn more about these gentle giants. From start to finish, the staff, the crew was very professional, nice, polite and courteous. They have a mission to educate us the humans about this very special mammal. You can see that they really care and that they are passionate about their cause. Everything went well and we had a blast swimming around looking for the manatees. It's really impressive to be able to see one swim so close to you. I tried to stay as far as I can so I don't disturb them but I was still close enough to be amazed. Our guide Dylan was very cool and took so many pictures for us to take home (about 30$ for a USB key). I will try to come back in July/August to try out their other activities such as scalloping. I highly recommend this place! This was the best day of my 10 days trip in Florida. read more

Anthony and Ashley took out our families today and it was such a great experience. We harvested some scallops, snorkeled with fish, and visited a local spring. They were super professional, accommodating, and knowledgeable. Even with our large group, they kept an eye out for all the kids and ensured our safety while scalloping. We 100% recommend this company for all your ecotourism needs. read more

Explorida - Snorkeling Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

See all

Explorida is a fairly new company started by Kim and Anthony. My husband and I recently booked a Manatee Swim Tour with them. It was the highlight of our ten days in Florida. The team shared their knowledge of the manatees and their habitat. They went above and beyond to make sure the experience was a memorable one. We are so thankful that we did our swim with them. If I could give 10 stars I would. I promise you will not be disappointed! read more

Went on the Manatee excursion for my wife's birthday, with Captain Anthony and Ashley. They are both very knowledgeable of where to locate the manatee for a wonderful experience. My wife was very apprehensive to begin with, Ashley took extra care to calm her, while also taking time with everyone else on the excursion. Ashley made it a very personal experience for everyone. Captain Anthony was very informative about the area and how they have restored it into a tranquil area for these wonderful animals to live and thrive in. Their retail shop is full of local handmade merchandise. We purchased a go pro for the outing, but I felt like I missed a lot trying to get that perfect picture. I ended up purchasing the photo package as the pictures were awesome. All in all I will go back, this was one awesome excursion. read more

1000% reccomend Explorida!! Such a fun and friendly experience for a first timer swimming with the Manatees! There building is comforting and the crew offer such great knowledge of the manatees which is also perfect for first timers before going on a trip. The on board crew also let us know of where manatees would be and gave local knowledge as well. So please with the service here and would recommend to anyone and everyone! read more

Great experience! We knew as soon as we spoke to Kim that Explorida was the company we were going to book to snorkel with manatees. Weather was up in the air when we were in Crystal River and Kim was so helpful. We went out earlier and the team was awesome to identify where the manatee was and when to get into the water to see them. They made it interesting and fun. Although we went in April we still got to see two manatees up close. Awesome experience and highly recommend Explorida! read more

love this place!!! staff is so friendly and accommodating. do a very good job of answering questions and making you feel safe. the boats are heated and they give hot chocolate to keep you warm when you get out of the water! 10/10 recommend. read more