Cancel

Open app

Search

Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures

4.4 (130 reviews)
Closed 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures Photos

More like Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures

Recommended Reviews - Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Manatee in the water

Captain Becky worked very hard to try to find unpredictable wildlife! At first the manatees were "hiding" and we only had a small glimpse. Then we headed out toward the island and we saw a mother and calf. We also saw a juvenile gator on the shore, juvenile blue heron, roesette bird, osprey, and dolphins. She was very knowledgeable and even adjusted plans when the weather patterns affected our tour. Overall - great experience- would have loved to see more manatees but captain Becky can't control nature!

Kristin L.

Highly recommend!! This is our second time going on this tour and it was just as wonderful as the first time. Captain John is AMAZING! The tour is that much more because of Captain John. We saw so many manatees, birds, alligators, a shark, and beautiful sites! We had the pleasure of meeting Captain Allyn who made us feel super welcome! We will definitely be back!

Wes L.

What a great time with Captain John! On trips like these habing a great Captain can really make it or break it. He was really fun to be around and knowledgeable on the area. Now... to the trip! - WE SAW MANTEES. We also got lucky and got to see a baby riding with momma! How cool! First time seeing wild ones! Pretty cool to be honest. Also took a trip to see BullSharks which we managed to see one! Oh yeah, on the way in we saw a gator! Lol. I love Florida.

Tiffany O.

This is probably the only or one of the only tours southwest of Ft. Myers focused on seeing manatees - at least out of the ones I could find. I had already gone to Manatee Park and saw a bunch of manatees (not too well), but wanted to see them out on a boat instead. We used a Groupon offer for this tour and followed the map directions to the address listed, but must have missed the building because we couldn't find it at first and didn't know the address is for a storefront. We ended up at the resort kind of lost and called the tour number, where we were told to go to the tables with the umbrella next to the store. It was just a bit confusing finding the place at first, since the person on the phone didn't tell us which dock letter to go to, as the docks were all lettered around the marina. Eventually, we figured it out and were surprised to find that we were the only ones on our tour. There was another boat operating from this company with a full boat, so we really were lucky to be on the private one, even though the captain might not enjoy losing out on more tips by having us 2 only. If I could do this again, I would go at an earlier time and also at a lower tide. We went at 2:30pm at high tide, so we ended up only seeing 2-3 manatees after searching for more than an hour. Wish there were mentions on the website of when the best times to see more manatees are (as in high sighting criteria and factors), but then this company might not get business during those worse times. I probably should have done the research myself anyway before booking. You're guaranteed to see manatees very close up on this tour. It's just the quantity and clarity that may be different for everyone depending on lots of factors. The good thing is that we were provided with polarized sunglasses, which we also didn't know was ideal for viewing manatees. If only I had known about this to pack a pair for Manatee Park... We also saw a couple alligators throughout the trip and tarpon movements in the water. I'm glad our captain made sure we saw some manatees at least, even though we were unlucky for at least the first hour. Because there was another boat at the same time, the captains worked together to communicate where the manatees were, making it easier/faster to find them once they were located.

manatee
Cara H.

I cannot say enough good things about this excursion!!! This sightseeing boat trip added so much excitement to our florida trip! Captain Allen was so informative and knew the best locations to look for manatees, alligators, and other wildlife, including certain birds, fish, and sharks! During our excursion, we saw over 6 manatees, many alligators, as well as a bull shark and other wildlife, like different types of birds and fish that are native to Florida! Below are many different photos that were taken during our boat trip including some photos of gators and manatees. The boat ride was 90 mins long (plenty of time to see different types of wildlife) and the boat has a fully covered top so you don't have to worry about getting super burnt during your trip. The price of the excursion itself is extremely reasonable as well. Most definitely recommend this wildlife excursion if you want to see some wild animals along with some beautiful scenery in the everglades!

Debra M.

I researched before I booked this tour, including how long it takes to get there from North Naples (about an hour) and what it involved. This is a guided tour in a pontoon boat with no more than six passengers. Now, I love manatees. I have an awesome manatee sculpture and my former brother-in-law spent a year in south Florida studying migration and breeding of manatees in rising sea levels and water temperatures for his PhD in statistics. Asleep yet? Me, too.... But these baked potato sea cows are gorgeous. The day before the excursion we got a text saying one of the captains was ill and offered us two optional time slots. It worked out fine for us to take a later slot; we easily made our dinner reservation. We had good weather for the end of April, breezy and warm with some clouds, so we packed up the camera and some water (remember to bring water) and headed South on 41. When you drive into the port and find a parking spot, you look for the manatee excursions. It was a Sunday, so the closed office had a sign reading "Manatee excursions meet by the picnic tables." RC and I sat at a table and after a few minutes we saw a returning pontoon. The captain waved us over and we boarded with a couple from Michigan. The four of us had the pontoon to ourselves and we quickly got to know each other. Our captain was Captain Storm, who proved to be a charmingly garrulous storyteller punctuating educational manatee facts with groaner dad jokes. It was delightful. Now the tour website and our captain made it clear we might not see any manatees. They're animals, you know, in the wild and may not appear on cue for your tour. The colder months are better for spotting them. That's not to say your captain won't do everything in their power to try to find them. We lucked out. Not only did we see A manatee, we saw three AGGREGATES of five manatees! Captain Storm kept remarking that he had never seen this many in one area. We actually never left the residential Bay Area nor did we head toward the gulf because all the manatees we needed to see in our ninety minutes were right there. It was spectacular. I highly recommend this tour if you want to kill a few hours observing nature at its finest. Captain Storm will educate you well on breeding, feeding, and habits of the manatees. Just don't forget to tip generously!

Manatees getting a snack!
Susan Z.

We are so grateful for Alan (spelling), and his intense desire to find Manatees for our grandchildren to see! He explained so much to them about the manatees, their needs and wants and the history of them. He told the children about their habitat, eating habits and so much more! After searching, he was not willing to give up until he found a family to show us! We calmly saw them as they traveled for a snack and then onward! Thanks for a great time Alan, if anyone wants a great captain, ask for Alan and book here!!

Captain Andrew was absolutely outstanding! We saw nine manatees, eight of which were in one large grouping, and an alligator. In between sightings, Captain Andrew educated us on the anatomy and behaviors of manatees, gators, and shared interesting information about the area. This trip was unforgettable and we would definitely go again!

Captain Andrew & First Mate Bella, telling us all about manatees!

See all

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Allison Z.

Allison Z.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Allison Z.

Allison Z.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Beth N.
0
43
18

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Allison Z.

Allison Z.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Tim H.
0
24
11

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of El M.
52
12
1

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Wes L.
345
358
258

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Cara H.
11
48
87

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Amy M.
72
10
17

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Captain Andrew was great. I've done this tour a couple times and am never disappointed. Thanks for the great tour. I'm sure I will return

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Captain was great. Only saw a mother and cub but was relaxing and great tour. Very knowledgeable guide and learned a lot of cool things.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 13
Thanks 0
Love this 12
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Allison Z.

Allison Z.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Dee C.
368
1179
424

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of J P.
0
49
20

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 4

Ask the Community - Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures

Review Highlights - Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures

Captain Storm was welcoming, friendly, and very knowledgeable of the local wildlife and marine ecosystem.

Mentioned in 12 reviews

Read more highlights

Just Add Water and Sun

Just Add Water and Sun

5.0(11 reviews)
0.1 mi

I'm a snowbird and live down here and have a boat, but unfortunately it was being repaired while…read morefriends were visiting, so I suggested taking a dolphin tour, before one of my guests had to leave that evening. So we hooked up with captain joe. I've taken tours before, and they have been on big boats, with dozens of other people, where you hope to get the right seat. And if you do, and see wildlife, the great masses will hover over you to see and take pictures, or you do that to the other strangers on the boat. So we were quite thrilled to find that us 4 were the only passengers. This is not a big boat. So if that's what you want, move on and share your experiences with the masses. We had 4 heavy duty chairs that were movable on the bow of the boat, so we could arrange as needed. Captain joe took us in the bay, including Hells Pickney Bay, and explained the route to me as I'm new to the area, which was helpful and appreciated. We saw a stingray, heard there were manatees in the area but didn't see them. Which is okay with me. They are not that exciting. But we saw dolphins. A lot of them. 3 different pods. We putt putted around and watched them play. When we took off, a pod of 3 followed our wake, jumping and zooming along side the boat. It was magical. My friends and myself throughly enjoyed ourselves and the experience. I will be using captain joe and his magical pontoon again! https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34231-d7254883-r564614498-Just_Add_Water_and_Sun-Fort_Myers_Beach_Florida.html#

It was so wonderful experience. I saw so many dolphins, they just followed the boat, were jumping…read moreand playing around the boat during the whole trip. Kids we so happy!! Captain was very professional and gave so many information about the flora and fauna and actually answered all our questions about Florida life.

Photos
Just Add Water and Sun
Just Add Water and Sun - Captain Joe's Dock slip.

Captain Joe's Dock slip.

Just Add Water and Sun - Heading back in from the gulf.

See all

Heading back in from the gulf.

Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures - boattours - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...