We had an amazing time on our manatee tour! We got to see several manatees up close. Our guide,…read moreJohn, was fantastic. He was funny, informative, and just an awesome guy who clearly knows how to make the tour fun for everyone. He shared so much interesting information while keeping us laughing the whole time. Highly recommend this tour, especially if you get John as your guide!

As a Florida native, it is absurd that I have never had any sort of manatee interaction! My…read morelongtime friend booked us a semi- private tour for my birthday and we could not have had any better of a time. As luck had it, we were the only ones on the tour! Even though we went during the low season (August) when not as many manatees are present in the water, it also happens to be the time of year where the babies are around. Our Captain used a drone to locate a mother and baby manatee where no other tour groups were located. We were in very shallow water, and the manatees literally swam underneath of our bodies, pushing us up to the surface and rolling us around where we were completely powerless and stuck within the mangroves. It was absolutely amazing and brought tears to my eyes! Our guide Zach and Captain Ryan we're fabulous and I really look forward to doing this again. I cannot recommend this company more and I'm so glad that we booked with them!

Garrett was a blast! We are just coming into the warm season and most manatees are back in the…read moregulf, he still got us to 7 manatees, 2 gators, and we caught a dolphin in kings bay towards the end. He gave us plenty of time to look for things to come up out of the water which was great for my 2 year old. Boat was shaded and was enjoyable even with a small child. Other tours wouldn't let me book because she was under 3- we brought our own lifevest but they did also have some on board that were her size.

I don't know where to start…read more This was the absolute best day. We started at the River Ventures Dive Center at 6:30AM, where we were offered coffee, tea, hot cocoa and snacks, and spent the next bit with an educational video and a wetsuit fitting. From there, we took a bus to the dock, in the most gorgeous sunrise light. let by our Guide Nat. Captain Emerson met us at the covered, heated pontoon, and our group set off through the water, for the protected manatee zone. The water was FULL of our sweet sea potatoes... in fact, it was difficult to even get off the boat because our new friends swam right up to the ladder. Nat had given excellent instructions. We immediately leaned into our pool noodles and gently followed her lead through the water. It took just moments before manatees were all around us. We stayed calm and quiet, and they either continued snoozing, or swam up to investigate us. Nat was on point with the camera, and with showing us things like the tarpon and sheepshead fish, and she was also shared little details about the manatees as we floated. Of course, with nature, there are no guarantees, and I really had no idea what to expect, but I was absolutely delighted by the interactions we had. The cold snap absolutely played into our favor, and I am so glad we showed up with our adventurous spirit. When we returned to the boat, there were more snacks, as well as hot cocoa, coffee, tea, and a variety of drinks in the cooler (water, beer, wine, soda, and white claws). We were so grateful for the boat covering and heater as we made our way back to the dock, and we had great chats with Nat, Emerson, and the other group on our tour. Was it cold? Sure. But the water felt great at 72ºF, and our wetsuits did a wonderful job of protecting us and keeping us buoyant. Our experience was incredible, from booking, to engaging with the staff with any questions we had, to the actual tour itself. The photos and videos were absolutely phenomenal, as well, and we were happy to purchase the package, as well as some gifts from the souvenir shop. We will be back for more manatee viewing, or to try one of their other tours. Thank you so much for the best day!

Pros: easy online registration and scheduling; Front desk…read moregirl for check in was great super sweet. Very nice and informative. We were a bit late and she extended our reservation. I was quite thankful. The kayaks were fun and we were left to our devices to explore. Isaiah was cool and very laid back. We were also a half hour late coming back and they were totally cool with it. Thank you! I can't believe I saw the baby manatees. I literally cried. Cons: I was surprised they just let us out with no real guide! It was cool but I'm surprised they trusted us. We kinda got lost the first 90mins and didn't know where we going but eventually we got to the area where the manatees were gathering. A bit crowded and I felt bad everyone so close to the protected species. Overall a super a cool experience. We went during manatee festival in January so it was a bit crowded but not overwhelming. It was a beautiful day with beautiful site seeing. Def recommend!

The girl at the front desk was an air head when I first arrived I went inside because it was…read morefreezing and she made me walk around to the outside front of the building so that I could grab a clip board and walk inside which she could have easily handed me. That was weird Then she didn't tell us we had to pay for parking at the dock neither did the guy that was at the dock when we got there! I overheard him telling someone after we were done for the day he said that they can park at the rental place and walk so they don't have to pay but we were already unloading and done with our rental. We got back to the car and had a $50 ticket. I would be fine with paying but I didn't see any of the signs or where to meter even was. I also told her I wasn't swimming and she said to get in the water you have to have an wetsuit which costs extra and I kept saying I'm not getting in the water but I she just ignored me and then I saw SO MANY PEOPLE not in wetsuits so that was irritating. And the wetsuits were in terrible shape they had holes and stains all over it she handed it to me and I was like thins is what I paid $100 for ? And she was like yeah they are all old. This is a CRAP Buisness!!! Especially what you get for the price!! The manatees are cool and I recommend doing it but NOT using this company.

This gift shop is where we booked our Manatee Tour…read more Gift shop has all kinds of manatee souvenir merchandises from Magnets, key chains, stuffies, shirts... and many more!! Purchased ref magnet and couple shirts for hubby and myself!!! Very cordial staff who attended to our transactions !!! Awesome !!!

I have to give 5 stars with the situation given to us at hand. I think my expectations going in…read morewere way too high unfortunately, but I had zero issue with the company or my experience with them. Everyone was so friendly and our tour guide Adam was great and funny. I have wanted to swim with the manatees for years and finally decided this was the year, and I have researched so much about best time to see them (November to March and early in the morning when they're "most active") Given my birthday falls in early Feb it was perfect timing I thought and we got on the 7:15 am crew. Well that week Florida was a bit warmer than usual, but I think the main issue which we found out during the presentation was how much the back to back hurricanes in October had affected their food supply which means they were migrating out to colder waters to get food but have to come back to survive. This meant (I guess) WAY LESS manatees than I expected. Every picture you see on the internet is not accurate for the "winter" time lol. I definitely thought I was gonna be in a sea of manatees when really only ONE seam under me. I did see a baby and a mom which is always super sweet, and others on the boat (7 of us including my best friend) had a little bit closer encounters than I actually did. So it's kinda like right place right time. I did happen to be right next to Adam when one swam right up tp him and looked at him (there's a beautiful pic attached he captured). It gets cold lol. It's actually not as cold as I thought it would be getting into the water but being in there for 35-45 minutes my teeth started chattering lol. They provide the wetsuits and unsure if water shoes would help your toesies. My only suggestion would be to make sure everyone has used a snorkel mask before cause I actually never have and when the manatee swam under me I actually inhaled water and couldn't enjoy seeing it all the way since I had to get my face out of the water, I didn't realize you had to really clench your teeth and mouth around the mouthpiece I guess. I understand seeing manatees is out of any company's control (we prob saw 8-10) and everyone seemed to have an amazing time, and don't get me wrong it was a super cool experience and I would absolutely do it again. Also I was afraid of alligators but I guess that's a silly fear that they put to rest. And another side note, there's a lot of companies and a lot of people out there which kinda sucks but I know I'm one of them haha. And last but not least their gift shop is so cute and you can definitely find a nice memory piece to take home.

We had an amazing time with Mandy and Captain Henry! Mandy…read morewas very knowledgeable and guided us through this first time encounter. Actually the whole crew made sure we have a wonderful experience! We managed to see 5 manatees and 2 dolphins in shallow waters and to swim in a crystal clear spring water. Highly recommended!

This was one of the highlights of our Florida trip! Kia and Jake made an amazing team. Kia was our…read morein-water guide and Jake captained the boat, and both were friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what they do. We were fortunate enough to get up close and personal with Triangle the manatee, and Kia made sure everyone in our group had an opportunity for a face-to-face encounter. Along the way, we learned a lot about manatees, their habitat, and the importance of protecting these gentle giants. We also got to explore a beautiful natural spring tucked away in the back of the bay, which was an unexpected bonus and absolutely stunning. Kia took some fantastic underwater photos during the tour and had them sent to us before we even left, which was a wonderful touch and gave us great memories to take home. The small-group atmosphere made the experience feel personal and relaxed, and Kia and Jake worked seamlessly together to ensure everyone had a great time. If you're considering a manatee tour in Crystal River, this is the one to book!

MANATEES ARE MAGICAL! We saw well over 30+ manatees on our late January kayaking outing. We rented…read morea 2-seater top kayak (comes w paddles and life vests). And from the staff to the dock hands, to the quality of the vessel and cleanliness of the shop: 10/10. A guide handed us a laminated map (nice touch) and told us where to head for manatee sightings. And even pointed us to a cove that homes a lot of turtles and alligators. We saw it all! They have volunteers overseeing the 3 sisters springs, to help monitor the safety of the manatees (and scold ignorant people lol). Great time! If you're unsure, let me assure you.. just book.

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff, easy entry point for a day on the river. Great time…read morekayaking with the manatees!

My girlfriend and I came to the port not knowing what to expect, being from Chicago. We met Sandy…read moreon the pier and found her to be both knowledgeable and extremely personable. Once on board, Captain Jake led us to all the popular hang-outs to see Manatees up close and personable. In a nutshell, the three hours we spent with Jake and Sandy was truly an enjoyable experience. If you want a personal tour and not the big business rush job, book these people!!

Awesome time Casey and Jake went above and beyond to ensure we all experienced the manatees…read more They also gave us the history of Kings Bay and explained the conservation efforts taking place Highly recommend

Do you want to see Manatees in the wild? Come here!…read more Late November to early March these wonderous creature come to the warmer inlets of the gulf and like to habg out here at the 3 sister's spring, where the water is 72°F year round, and crystal clear. The grounds of the spring head are nicely kept, and contain a nicely informative walk. Come see the floaty potatoes!

I loved seeing the manatees. The water is gorgeous and boardwalk is well maintained. It was an…read moreunforgettable experience seeing the calf manatee. The parking is near the ticket purchase area and is a bit of a walk to see the manatees. There's a closer lot but its get filled up during the peak season.

This was our second time using Birds to swim with Manatees and we will choose them every time now…read more 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.

If you want to be the first on the water in the morning to see the manatees before the crowds of…read moreother 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.

Well our captain John surely gave us an educational tour on the freshwater marina hoping to see…read moremanatees... We had the chance to glance a couple of them ! But only one barely surfaced while its mouth was munching on the grass above the water!! Manatee Season is actually in November thru March... have to come back to experience such encounter!!

It was amazing. You actually swim with the Manatee. I took my husband for his birthday. It was on…read morehis bucket list. He said "It was exactly how he imagined it."