Me and my family had a wonderful tour with Captain Angelo. He's so knowledgeable about the area and fun to chat with, and took special care to make sure we saw some manatees during the trip! Hoping to come back during scallop season and enjoy a session with this place again!! read more

This was so much fun!!!' Rented a pontoon for roughly around $300 for 4 hours. It was for 11 people but we had 7. I originally had a pontoon for up to 6 and it was only about $157 for the 4 hours. We were pretty comfortable and got to see a bunch of manatees. We even got to swim with them! It was nice to explore without worrying about a huge group, we got to go where we wanted. Susan and Joe (??) were so nice and helpful. I highly recommend this place. read more

River Safari - Boat Charters Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

Took a trip with Irish Dave for scalloping. He was friendly and fun. It was my first time scalloping and I look forward to going again. read more

River Safari - Scallops, not bad for my first time. - Boat Charters Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

Exciting tour with Irish Dave. He was very informative about the wildlife in Homosassa and made it a fun trip. We saw dolphins and manatees read more

River Safari - Fantastic airboat ride with Irish Dave!!! He was very informative about the wildlife in Homosassa waters - Boat Charters Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

10 out of 10!! I've never snorkeled before and was quite anxious about going swimming with the manatees but Captain Emerson & Irish Dave made sure everyone on the boat was comfortable, prepared, and had an excellent experience!! There were other tour groups out there and although already impressed, I was even more thrilled to have chosen River Safaris & Gulf Charters. This team was SO SO much more informed, engaging, & professional than any of the other outfits on the water today by far!! Don't hesitate to book a tour here!! You'll be glad you did. read more

River Safari - Captain Emerson - Boat Charters Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

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This airboat rides was a special treat for a friend and I. We decided to go out and enjoy the day. Irish Dave made it an informative and fun trip. The ride out was exciting-- with hairpin turns through the mangroves, we had a blast. I have already made recommendations to some of my local friends to get there for a great day trip. Thanks for the adventure. read more

Irish Dave the captain was a real treat! We did an early morning airboat tour and had a wonderful time. Our group of 6 filled up the boat and set off at (what felt like) high speeds. The hairpin turns were fun, like a horizontal rollercoaster. We learned about the local community and wildlife on our trip and got lots of time exploring the creeks and glades. I recommend this tour for those checking out the area who want some fresh air and fun views. Thanks Irish Dave! read more

River Safari - Airboat tour - Boat Charters Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

What an amazing trip. We went on a private boat to scallop in the bay. Wow. We had no clue how fun it would be and also a great boat ride on the way to the gulf. River Safaris did great from our first phone call all the way through. Savannah at the front desk when we called was so helpful. Immediately we knew we wanted to use River Safari. Then arrival was very mellow and we met our captain and guide (Which I recommend using a guide, very helpful). Captain Melissa was fantastic and our guide Mike was in the mix with us collecting scallops and showing us how. It really is like finding easter eggs. It is not easy but very rewarding when you find one. A great trip and we want to come back. Thank you River Safari for a warm welcome to your neck of the woods/river/gulf. read more

Great manatee tour boat ride with Captain Ang on a pontoon boat. My family booked the tour one day in advance and had the boat to ourselves! Great 1.5 hour tour. We saw lots of manatees and our Captain knew a lot about the homes and businesses along the Homosassa River. Great trip and worth the money. read more

We reserved the Semi-Private House Boat Manatee tour for yesterday and it exceeded our expectations. We have done these tours previously, but this is the first time with River Safaris and also doing the manatee swim in Homosassa. River Safaris is a very professional outfit. Capt. Fish and our guide, Lindsay, were the best of the best - they were very knowledgable of the subject matter and also created a fun environment. The heated boast kept things quite comfortable in the cold weather - ideal conditions for seeing manatee. The manatees were plentiful. Guide Lindsay helped facilitate safe observation. Will definitely schedule other adventures with River Safaris. read more

River Safari - Manatee at Homosassa on January 9, 2021 - Boat Charters Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

We booked the 3 hour Homosassa Springs tour for six people starting at 7 AM. The tour was for six people but they took off with seven. The name on the booking site was River Ventures, but know that you are getting their sister company. River Safaris. The drive is about 20 minutes from Crystal River or Lecanto and the parking lot can be muddy. I recommend bringing warm clothing, extra towels, and water shoes in the winter. The wind is chilly and changing after your swim is rather inconvenient with just a small towel. We got in about 70 minutes of swimming which was a lot less than I expected. However, we met with three very friendly manatees who came by to chew our anchor rope and to be rubbed. That alone was worth four stars. A negative was that swimming with your feet was forbidden by our guide so mobility was highly limited. Our guide had no restrictions on swimming though and got to move all over while we paddled on straws. We will likely rent our own pontoon next time. We understand the restrictions were for the protection of the manatees but it seemed overdone. read more

River Safari - Manatee chewing on anchor rope - Boat Charters Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

What an amazing time. We saw a school of dolphins, a manatee, sea turtle and had a great time on the airboat! Capt Irish Dave was a great guy and so fun!! We highly recommend doing one of their tours!!! read more

We had a blast with these guys! We booked a scallop trip on a 10 person boat and limited out in an hour. The captains were great, friendly, and knowledgeable. Since we got done early, they took us to the springs. It was a enjoyable day overall. I would highly recommend these guys! read more

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The tour was good and we saw a number of different birds, turtles and of course alligators. The one improvement I would recommend would be some type of communication system; headphones, speakers or something that enables everyone one the boat to be able to hear what the guide has to say. The captain/guide provided lots of verbal information on what we saw but we could only a fraction of his dialogue. read more

We did the Mermaids to Manatees pontoon tour and they did not disappoint!!!! Gloria was friendly and kind helping me set up our last minute tour. She was there to greet us in the morning and when we got back from our tour. She even talked to my kids a little about the different bones of a manatee. Captain Gavin was so sweet and full of knowledge. We were even able to set up a little time for my kids to swim in the spring. With it being later in the season we didn't expect to see any manatees and then there were several around our boat. It was so beautiful!! Don't think twice about it and book your water adventure with them!! read more

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Our first time scalloping and we had an AMAZING trip! Guide Kelly was AWESOME! Showed us what to look for and even split her scallops with those of us who weren't so lucky. She also gave us some recommendations of where to get our scallops cooked. Captain Matt was talkative, very personable and quite knowledgeable about the area. read more

My wife and I had a great time on our 4 hour swim with the manatees from river safari. The weather was super warm which made it hard to spot at first but our captain Laura and water guide Jodi were so phenomenal to work with. We found some and my wife finally got to touch and play with one of these gentle giants. Takes some getting used to the wet suits and snorkeling at first but the staff was helpful. We will be coming back and will ask for the same crew hopefully. We hear scallop season is fun. read more

River Safari - Boat Charters Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

Amazing. 10/10 highly recommend Captain Gavin. We had an amazing trip on our Dolphin/Manatee Tour. Capt Gavin was so much fun and we made some great memories. read more

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What an absolutely amazing experience. Weather cooperated perfectly and we had a wonderful day scalloping with the River Safari crew. Capt. Gavin and Guide Stephanie took care of everything. We hit the max on scallops and had so much fun. Even learned how to shuck scallops. Will definitely go back again. read more

We booked the package called "St Martin Gran Dolphinismo", which consisted of an almost 2 hour airboat ride through the Homosassa River all the way into the Gulf. Throughout the ride, Captain Bob stopped and showed us a variety of birds, water animals, and even dolphins. He knew where to see the rarest birds and we even had juvenile bald eagles "fishing" in front of us. The dolphins swam all around our boat and came close enough for amazing pictures. Captain Bob provided us with a small blanket, which was needed in the cold November morning. A great experience. read more

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Booked and Airboat Adventure tour with Captain Dave as our guide. He is wonderful...knowledgeable about the area and environment, witty, kind, and a fun guide. This was our 7th wedding anniversary experience and couldn't have asked for a better adventure! Thank you Captain Dave! read more

Know before your go. We booked 2 consecutive days with this company. Day one was a Saturday afternoon 3 hour boat tour. It was great. The captain was funny, knowledgeable and we had a great time. Day 2 was an 18' pontoon boat rental from 1-5pm. The young man who checked us out was super friendly and mentioned the boat had just been repaired and was ready to go. We were told that there was a strict $50 fee for every 15 minutes past 5pm. All was well until about 3:25. As we were coming down River slowly the engine died. We had a good head wind that pushed us into the shore on the uninhabited side of the river. After several unsuccessful attempts we called the office at 3:38 and asked for help. Help arrived just at 4pm and quickly determined that there was an old fuel filter on the boat. The gentleman told us he would follow us back in. We got back to dock close to 4:30. The staff apologized for our day being cut short. I went to the office to ask for a partial refund and was initially told no. The manager Susan I believe was short and unsympathetic that our day had been cut short. She mentioned that I had only lost an hour of time and not the hour and half I stated. I explained that we could not have continued with the rental and had to return. She pointed out that it was only 4:30. Common sense and a strict $50 late fee told us there was no point in transferring all our things to another bot for 30 minutes. So yes we lost an hour and half of our time. She reluctantly offered $25 off which I took. An apology would have gone a long way here. Things happen boats breakdown a credit or partial refund was not too much to ask. The rest of the staff was great unfortunately the leadership not so much. I would suggest renting somewhere else. read more

We did a scalloping trip and the entire staff was awesome captain Emerson and I believe the guide Gloria were super knowledgable and very safe. We saw about a dozen dolphins playing and got a decent amount of scallops. Highly recommend these guys . read more

We had an amazing manatee tour and airboat ride. With the manatee tour, Kasey and Irish Dave was very personal an made our trip one to remember. The mask and snorkels are cleaned with oboban. We had Fish as our airboat driver and he was great. He showed us some behind the scenes area. The only recommendation I would have is for the airboat. The head phones were not cleaned between guest. Highly recommended. read more

Just spent a few hours with Captain Dave (Irish dave) what a great tour guide, super knowledgeable and friendly. We were fortunate to see MANY dolphins today, following the boat up close! What a beautiful sight. This is second time we took visitors to River Safari. Did not disappoint!!! Look forward to having captain Dave take us out again!!! read more

My bride and I took the 1.5 hour Gulf Airboat Ride & Dolphin Quest today for her 73rd birthday. Weather conditions prevented us from getting in the full 1.5 hour trip, but what we did get was well worth the cost. My bride thoroughly enjoyed herself and the ride. We were unable to spot much wildlife but that is not unusual. Captain Bob did all in his power to ensure that we enjoyed the trip. We were pleasantly surprised when we returned to the dock to learn that we would be getting a portion of our cost refunded to us because of the weather. That was not necessary but was welcomed by us. I highly recommend this company for your airboat excursions in this area. read more

We rented kayaks this past week while we were in Crystal River. The crew that launched us was great! Very friendly! The kayaks had seats with backs which made them very comfortable. We originally booked two doubles and just needed one double and a single and they accommodated us. The kayak I had did have some standing water in it and wasn't very clean but they are rentals! As an FYI the parking lot is very tight. read more

Love this company. All the employees are really nice and make it their aim for you to have a good time. Arrive early and enjoy flirting with the alligators and browsing though there well stocked gift shop. Irish Dave is a great guide and captain. He is very knowledgeable and anytime he saw us take out our camera he slowed the boat and our interest became his. read more

Awesome!!! Irish Dave, our captain, was the best! He made sure we got great views of dolphins and even manatees, which he said are super uncommon in that area, especially this time of year. My 4 year old had a blast on the "fast boat" with sharp turning fun! The photo package includes a digital camera and they give you a flash drive full of your photos at the end. I would highly recommend this to anyone! read more

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Great scalloping trip with Captains Troy and Mike, as well as our local guide, Shanna. We had 11of us (2-11 yr old's, teens and adults). We got a ton of scallops and ate dinner at Seagrass Grill, where they prepared them for us. The captains and guide got them shucked for us. The day was smooth and easy. We'll definitely do it next year and hopefully use the same team. read more

We went for a swim with the Manatees. What a first class experience! Captain Pete was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. He got us right up to the animals and was very careful to explain the do's and dont's. A great family experience. Next time we'd do an air boat ride. Looks like a lot of fun. We had lunch afterward at the Coyote Cafe (back of the rental shop) and had some gourmet sandwiches. Would go back to just eat. Next to the rental place were a glass studio and a pottery studio. Neat way to spend a day. read more

Booked a one hour trip. No issues and introduced to Captain Pete. After 10 minutes I i was beginning to wonder if I wasted my money but once clear of the idle speed zone ...wow. Rollercoaster ride for 20 minutes , then out to the river mouth for a break and a look at a dolphin then another wild 20 minutes. Had some reasonably priced breakfast then on our way. Highly recommended if you haven't been in an airboat before. read more

We decided to go scalloping on Labor Day since Dorian spared the west coast of Florida. As newbies, we were in great hands with Captain Tom and JJ. They showed us the ropes and a great time. I'd highly recommend the experience for adults and kids alike! See you next scallop season! read more

This was the second time we went on airboat ride in this area. Last time was the best. We had a really good captain who told us a lot about the area and nature. This time we had captain Bob and not that good. He hardley talked and we felt dissapointed from our 2013 ride. Everyone that worked here was very friendly and the place was very clean. However not coming back here. We are going to find a more informative captain. Captain Bob said he never sees much Dolphins or alligators. We saw many when we came with the other captain. My recommendation would be to try some place else. Very dissapointed. If you rent a boat or pontoon I think it is totally different because you control it. We were on an airboat and if the captain doesn't talk , all It is ,is a fast boat ride. Monkey island explained it self, really cute monkeys. Captain Bob was too busy working in his shed when we got there and it seems he was just trying to fit us and the other 8 people in, then get back to his work in the shed. Everyone else who worked there was very nice and the place was very clean. Just ask for a different captain and ask if you will see any other animals besides the monkeys. read more

Wow! What a morning we had with the manatees at Homosassa! We had a good day yesterday at Crystal River but today was amazing. There were more manatees than people to the point that they were bumping into us looking for attention, belly rubs etc. Even as we tried to swim away they would follow. Heidi was the most energetic guide we've ever had and that was at 7am in the morning. She was great with our kids and very knowledgeable about the area and clearly loves her job. Austin was a great captain and made sure we were taken care of. read more

Took my grandson and he loved the air boat ride out to the gulf. Booked also for my son and his wife. Will definitely go again. Captain made it more enjoyable talking with the passengers also. read more

We went scalloping out of Homossosa in mid-July with Troy as our guide...totally awesome, unique experience that was a highlight of our week in Florida. Just 4 of us on the boat and we all got a ton of scallops as it was my wife and my first time. Fun! read more

This was probably the worst charter i I have ever attended. My boat went a total of 7mph max and that's being generous along with the terrible customer service we received. If you ever get boat number 6 just cancel your trip, half of your day is wasted just by the commute. Every other company that has charters (they have signs on the side of the boat) were flying past us and arriving at there departure 30+ minutes ahead of us. Thanks for nothing :). read more

To be fair I must say that we had a large group and rented 3 boats. The individual that arranged the outing was warned that one boat was slower and she received a discount unbeknownst to us. (We paid the same as the other members of the party) Anyways, the boat wasn't just slow. It was pathetic. Top speed was 10-15mph and to get out to the scallops in the bay it took nearly 2 hours. Basically we spent the whole friggin day on this POS boat just getting to the destination and returning. The other 2 boats were at least 3 times as fast and they just left us Bc they were bored out of their minds waiting for us. Better yet the driver's seat was completely broken and we had to use a plastic bucket to support it. I wish the owners had enough sense to know that if a boat is in such bad shape, don't rent it out. Stop being so greedy and ruining people's day. read more

Wow! Up close with the manatees! The temperature was below freezing (27 degrees) but the water was 72 degrees - and the manatees were huddling around the hot springs. Our in-water guide, Shana, was amazing and gave us complete instructions on how to act around these gentle giants. She outfitted us with wetsuits and gave a great running commentary as we headed up the river to where the manatees congregated. Our boat captain, Irish Dave, is called the "manatee whisperer" for a good reason - he knew exactly where to anchor the boat and could spot them underwater as them moved around the cove. We ALL had up-close and personal experiences with the manatees. They seem as curious about us as we are about them. The funniest thing was their attraction to chewing on the lines. Any rope seems to attract a bunch of chewing manatees. Irish Dave likened it to chewing gum The five of us had a terrific time. HIGHLY recommended. We booked the houseboat because it had an enclosed cabin. Made a big difference to be able to get warm once out of the water. read more