JJ and Mike were a crackerjack team that provided an incredible experience beyond all of our expectations. We selected the four hour vip tour and had a group of five tourists, plus JJ and Mike. We selected the earliest tour of the day during a cold snap and were really fortunate to interact with a great number of manatees. From the moment we walked in the door at River Ventures, we were taken care of by a team of kind and professional experts. The lady who welcomed us and provided the informational overview was great- I'm sorry I can't remember her name. Both JJ and Mike shared a wealth of information about local flora, fauna, and area landmarks while we traveled on our boat. JJ is also a fantastic photographer and we are so happy to have relied on his record of our experience so that we could just relax into the moment and relish every moment of our time with the manatees. Thank you so much for this educational and respectful experience. It was really profound to share a morning with these gentle giants. I cannot imagine a better company, tour, captain, or guide. Thank you so much. read more

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10/10 with Shanna and Capt Everson! Saw multiple manatees. I'm an inexperienced snorkler and felt very comfortable with them

We went on the manatee tour with Marissa and Captain Mike. They were awesome! It was a hard day with clouds and lots of groups out. We ended up in a mass of 5+ tour groups crowding to see two or three manatees. Not the fault of our tour guides, just how it happened. They did make sure each of us got some up close time with a baby manatee and were great fun, telling jokes and fun facts the whole time! read more

This company is first class with customer service. We were warmly greeted when we walked in and explained how the tour would operate. They have coffee and hot chocolate for customers. There are snacks you may purchase. There is a gift shop next to the lobby. There is a room you sit in for instructions and 5 minute video. They then fit you in a wetsuit. There are multiple changing rooms and separate bathrooms. You park in the attached parking lot. They transport you by van the 1 mile to the boat dock. You may take a bag with you on the boat with towels, snacks, water, extra clothes. There is no where to change on the boat. There is no toilet on the boat. They do have bottled water onboard for customers. I opted to wear two wetsuits so the 72 degree water didn't bother me. Our guide, Tanner, was very helpful with making sure everyone was comfortable with being in the water and snorkeling. He was very knowledgeable. Your guide will take pictures in the water that you may purchase for $25/CD. I hear it is better to go early morning because the manatees are more active. By 11am, they are sleeping and come up for air every 15 minutes and swim around a little bit. read more

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Scammers! We had to be within 12 inches to see anything. They don't care if customers have a good experience. We paid for the guaranteed experience and technically we saw one. So disappointing. We were super bummed. read more

Incredible!!! Wade, Trish and Derick were phenomenal and made sure we saw a manatee! We went in the summer, which means it's not "peak season", but we got to swim with one beautiful manatee and Trish and Derick made sure we got prime looks at her! I can't wait to go back during peak season! I would highly recommend!! read more

River Ventures - Tours Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

We had the most amazing time on the early morning tour with Ryan and captain tanner!! They were really invested in us seeing some manatees, took great pictures of the manatees we saw, and were excited and loving their job! Can't get better than that!! read more

River Ventures - Tours Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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After intense Googling for the best place to swim with manatees, we came across River Ventures. Man, did they not disappoint. The staff was so friendly, and they made sure that everyone was prepared for the water conditions and the manatees. We watched a brief video about the do's and don't's while swimming, and we were on our way. The river is a short 3 minute drive from the shop, and there we met our captain, John, and our guide, Emerson. Emerson was super sweet, and even dragged me back to the boat once we were done swimming. Why did someone who's not a strong swimmer go snorkeling? I don't know, I was trying something new, but it was one heck of a ride (literally, he was dragging me as he swam). We only saw one manatee, but we saw a dog at the house, so it was pretty worth it. If you're trying to find somewhere to swim with the majestic manatees, I definitely would recommend River Ventures! I'll be back whenever I learn how to swim better! read more

My husband and myself and 3 kids had the best time today! 10/10 highly recommend goin swimming with the manatees! (Two 9 year olds and one 3 year old ) We seen two smaller manatees and one stayed and played for a long time and then we ended at a spring so the kids can do cannon balls ! We had captain Shelly and tour guide Lindsay M, they were completely amazing!! Cant wait for another trip!! read more

River Ventures - Tours Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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We lucked out and had an amazing morning tour with Trisha and Captain Wade. They were great hosts/guides and seemed like really good people. We got incredibly close to the manatees. Grateful for the timing for up close encounters with the manatees. read more

Highly highly recommend this place! We went on our first swim on Saturday with jay jay & mike they couldn't have given us a better adventure! We had so much fun we even came back Sunday! Jay took wonderful photos! We didn't even have to bother with the camera we rented! Book with these guys you will enjoy yourself! read more

Wow! Captain Pete, tour guide JJ and tour guide-in-training Liz, were top notch. They actively looked for manatees to allow us to experience the magic. Some boat tours just take you out and say, oh well, maybe next time. This is one more notch on the bucket list!! Thanks team for knocking this tour out of the water! And all of the other dad jokes to go along with it. read more

River Ventures - Manatee Boat Tour - Tours Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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5 Stars doesn't do this place justice, it was an incredible experience! We chose to go here at the very first trip they had for the day at 6:30 in the morning and it was worth it. The only people on the boat was my group of four, another group of two, the captain and the guide. When we came back the next group getting on must have had more than 20 people on it and after having accidentally run into one or two members of our trip while snorkeling, that must have been easily over crowded. The water was pretty cold (it was the first of December) but the wet suites they gave us made it tolerable after you got adjusted to it. Each time we got out of the water to move to the next location, they had fresh hot chocolate waiting for us to warm us up. Then there was the main event, the manatees! When we first got out there we saw two that pretty much just fell asleep and would just go up to the surface to get air and then drift back down to the bottom. It was a slow start, but then we moved on to another location and that was where it got exciting. We saw a mother and her baby (calf?) sleeping on top of one another. After they went up for air they would fall back down and just land on their faces. It was both hilarious and adorable. Shortly before we got back on the boat to head back to land I saw one coming right for me. It swam directly underneath me and I was able to reach out and pet it, it was amazing! This was one of my favorite trips I have taken in the state of Florida. read more

Wow, just wow. My brother and I drove to Crystal River from Destin, FL (about 4.5-5 hour drive) extremely excited to swim with the manatees. We booked the Semi-Private VIP Manatee Tour, which when I booked it I felt it was pricey, but it was SO worth the money. We arrived to River Ventures at 6:30 for the 6:45 tour. We were greeted with smiling faces, snacks, and hot beverages, which were certainly welcomed considering it was only about 55 that day. It had stormed a lot the day before and the storm brought lots of wind and chilly weather with it. Our boat captain was Tom and Heidi was our guide. We were separated into groups of 6 guests or less, which was a great size in my opinion. The morning started out slow, as the storm had made the river a bit chilly and mucky, so we had difficulty finding manatees for the first 90 minutes or so. Heidi and Tom kept us entertained and optimistic as Tom took us through every nook and cranny of the King's Bay to find some manatees--and we did! Heidi got into the chilly waters with us and swam with us to the manatees. Since the sediment at the bottom of the water had been disrupted by the storm, it was difficult to see underwater at times, but Heidi's experience and determination to give us the best experience possible allowed us to spend almost 45 minutes with three different manatees. And she managed to take candid photos of us during the entire experience. We purchased the USB with the photos from our group because it really was such an incredible memory. Heidi and Tom really cared if we saw manatees, and they worked hard to give us the best experience possible. I would absolutely recommend River Ventures to everyone! I wish I could give more than 5 stars. read more

River Ventures - Tours Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

What a great and professional crew. We did this event years ago and it was a fun hot mess. These guys were super organized and really respect the environment and the animals. The only downside is usually just the other disrespectful guests. Like the animal who peed all over the bathroom! The equipment was in good condition and the boat was comfortable. I never thought I would do this a 3rd time, but we'll be back. read more

Trish & Wade are THE ABSOLUTE BEST!!! What an amazing day and experience!! They knew the water like the back of their hands, and knew exactly where the manatees would be! They knew everything about these gentle giants, and were both so nice and fun!! You could tell the manatees loved them too, and we were able to swim and interact with many manatees in different areas the whole time! Cannot wait to come back!!! BOOK NOW :) best day ever! read more

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This was a fun day! Our guides were Wade and Mike great guides for the tour. They explained the area, the history of the Manatees and helped everyone feel comfortable getting in the water with this huge creatures. Quite the experience to see nature at its finest lounging in the Crystal clear water. I am not sure how they sanitize the mask or suits that was my hold back from getting into the water. Just being out on the boat seeing the animals was great for me read more

I tried swimming with the manatees in Homosassa Springs but saw none so I came over to Crystal River and River Ventures and was not disappointed. The staff was really nice and they have a very nice gift shop. The place is very organized and the facilities were very good. I don't like being in a wetsuit but it was well worth it. read more

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Absolutely amazing! Lindsay L and Emerson were fantastic! I was scared but felt comfort in the education of the experience. And what an experience! Got an extra hand from Liz who was part of another tour same company because I got spooked. We came when manatees are not that common but we were not disappointed in the least! Bucket list checked off the list! read more

River Ventures is the best company for scalloping in Crystal River area of the Gulf. Captain Troy and Guide Sara were awesome and really took their time to make sure everyone was happy! I've done other scalloping tours where they don't care about the customer, this is never true with River Ventures and their teams!! read more

We did the manatee excursion and it was amazing. We had Irish Dave and American Dave. They were amazing and SUPER patient with all the kids. Definitely would recommend them and will be back to do another excursion. Highly recommend read more

River Ventures - Mantee - Tours Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

During our Cape Canaveral vacation, we decided to drive across the state to swim with the manatees at River Ventures. It was the best decision of the vacation! Captain Emerson and guide Chrissy were incredibly fun, knowledgeable, and made the six of us (our group of four and another couple) feel at ease. The thing that impressed us most about them (and about River Ventures) is their genuine caring for the manatee population. They helped us experience the manatee while stressing the importance of passive observation. When other tour groups approached where we were, they simply moved us somewhere else to improve our experience and to not stress out the manatee. Thank you for giving us an ultimate experience! read more

Bri & Kelly were great! Bri took great photos and went out with us and the manatee and Kelly was a great boat captain. We came later in the day, so we only found one manatee to follow, but she was sweet. They took us to an underwater spring to enjoy as well. Sounds like other tours are much shorter and not as fun. All 4 of us had a great time! read more

It's hard to describe your dream come true, I'll do my best. Swimming with manatees has been on my bucket list for years. I live out in the San Francisco Bay Area, Florida is literally on the other side of the United States. Took us all day to fly out, and let me tell you that it was worth it. We made our reservations I'd say 6 months in advance? I opt'ed for the private heated boat, I mean we're flying out this far, might as well pay for a stellar experience. Day of the manatee tour. We didn't hear our alarm go off, thank God that I'd been practicing waking up early, adjusting to East Coast time the week of our trip. So we woke up with one hour to spare, get to the tour shop. Luckily our hotel is just 5 mins down the road. We check in, get to peruse around the gift shop. They call our names, we watch a video and get a quick tutorial on what to expect. They lend us wetsuits, we change and load up into a shuttle bus. At the docks, we were greeted by out boat captain, Broderick, and water guide, Irish Dave. Let me tell you these guys freaking rock! I was laughing the whole time and miss hanging out with them. Those 3 hours went by so fast! The moment I'd been waiting for my whole life, getting into the water and seeing a live manatee. Entering the water was a shock for me, it was actually colder than I had anticipated. Once we started moving around, I warmed up, but whoa. Irish Dave led the way, I follow with my head in the water, and boom, I see 2 huge manatees napping on the sea floor bed. My heart started pounding, they are so BIG!!!! My heart and mind couldn't process it all, until this playful manatee swam by and started interacting with us. I kept my distance at first, and then he choose me and started to b-line towards me. What an amazing moment. Law abiding, I was able to pet him with one hand. They are so sweet. My reaction was, giggling, I could hear it through my snorkel, but couldn't help it, I was tickled with joy. I really want to go back. During our time out there, we were able to visit with a couple manatees. It was an off day because the weather had become super cold, just before the polar vortex hit the north with -40* temps. Not normal for Florida weather. I'm just so happy I that I had this experience. It is our goal to come back and book a tour 2 days in a row, you seriously don't know how things will come into play, the weather and where the manatees roam. To those out there, may you have an excellent interaction. And please always recycle and do your part to keep this planet clean and safe. read more

Amazing! Wonderful! Awesome! The crew made us feel very welcome. They were energetic. Instructions were easy to understand. Prices in the store reasonable. Go early! Ask for Mike! Rhonda was a great boat captain and spotted the manatees right away even when another group said there were none. Incredible experience! We were able to see a baby nursing, and we got nibbled on and hugged! \o/ read more

This company deserves its 5 stars! My friends booked this event before they came down for a visit. The price included an instructional video full of information about manatees and their conservation, wet suit, snacks, drinks, snorkel, and a boat ride. We also had a tour guide who got in the water with us, while the boat driver followed. This was so educational and fun!! This will be my go to for friends who visit from the north. Worth every penny!! read more

We had an amazing trip with Irish Dave and Captain Chip! They were so welcoming and helpful for our family. As Irish Dave said, VIP experiences are the goal, and they definitely delivered. This was a dream trip and they made us feel like the only group there. Everyone from the check-in staff to the shuttle ride was enthusiastic about manatees, but Dave and Chip really made the effort to ensure a memorable trip for my wife and kids. It was cold but the heated boat was awesome. Chip made hot chocolate & taught our kids about manatees on the boat while we had a great guided tour in the water with Irish Dave. The pics came out amazing! A great value add to the trip! Thanks again River Ventures for an experience of a lifetime. Can't wait to come back again to do this! read more

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Just left and we had the BEST time!!!! Took a semiprivate late afternoon tour and the service from the time we entered the building was perfect! Gloria and Brandie delivered the best hospitality around! We had JJ and Emerson as our guides/captain/photographer. The entire team is amazing! We enjoyed the fun in the water and meeting the manatees up close and personal was so cool! Thanks guys for everything!!!!! My husband, 14 year old, and myself had a great time (my 14 year old even said Thank you!!!- and this is totally not her thing normally:) read more

This was by far the best adventure we did while in Florida!!! Our Swim with the Manatee tour guides, Trisha and Wade, were absolutely wonderful! The boat was not filled to the brim, the guides took us for a more personal experience with the manatees where there weren't a million other people, and everyone within the business was incredibly welcoming and accommodating. Don't waste your time going anywhere else because from what I saw, this was the best of the best!!!! read more

JJ and Wade were the Guide and Captain you want to request! We had an amazing time as a group of 7 going out at 7:15. It was brisk and delightful! It was very little boat time and tons of manatee hangs. We watched them feed and surface and hang with all their manatee pals. They made it feel like we were the only tour in the area with how they directed us around. So we checked out a few hotspots and our guide made sure to always point us in the direction of our new friends. There was lots of water time and the boat was waiting for anyone whenever they were ready for a break. With hot chocolate available no less! You don't want to miss this when you are in Crystal River. Also... Big fan of the welcome committee of puppies when we got to HQ! read more

WOW!! That's really all I have to say about this incredible experience. Everyone was very friendly, helpful, knowledgable and patient. Me and my best friend went in January and it was amazing, to say the least. I'm a little bit water shy, but the guide and captain were so friendly they put me right at ease, and even swam close and checked on me often to make sure I was comfortable. From the moment we entered the water we were surrounded by manatees from every angle!! This is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Very low key, no pressure, family friendly activity that is guaranteed to be a huge hit. I can't recommend this enough!! read more

What an amazing excursion! A first class experience. Captain Troy & Guide Paige were wonderful. They shared interesting information about the area and marine life, and they worked together to ensure we had an amazing time. They were really focused on our unique experience and did everything to make it special, from helping us float among as many of the manatees as possible to taking pictures and providing hot chocolate and a heater when we returned to the boat. It was a great day and we had such a special time! read more

This is a must see for any tourists in the area. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They offer free coffee and hot chocolate in the lobby. You watch a video before leaving to go to the river. Wet suits and life jackets for small children provided. They take you in a bus or van to the river and then you board a pontoon. On the pontoon they explain how to float in the water and how to use the snorkel. The trainer goes into the water with the group and you follow his guidance. The trainer takes a lot pictures and you can buy them at the end on disc or USB. Great experience! read more

We had a lovely time with John and Lindsey on our manatee tour! They knew exactly where to go and were super entertaining. Would absolutely go again, and we saw a bunch of manatees and other wildlife. They truly do care about not disturbing the natural beauty of Florida. Don't miss this if you're in Crystal River! read more

Great place to go to see some manatees and enjoy your time! I highly recommend Derick as your guide, very knowledgeable guy with a bunch of information. You will get a Great captain here, have snacks drinks, everything will be taken care of for you! Awesome place I can't wait to come again! read more

10/10! Had Kelly and Ryan on our manatee tour and it was such an amazing experience! We were able to see so many manatees and we felt incredibly comfortable and safe with them. Definitely will be coming back for scalloping and more manatee tours! read more

This was the worst family day trip we have ever taken. Some background, I've scalloped before in St. Joe's and maxed out my first time. I am a certified diver, my kids have all scuba dived. My family has snorkeled more times than I can count. We own our own boat and I have over 35 years experience owning and driving a boat. Sadly, this trip could have been one of the best if we had only had a different Captain. He was the absolute worst. It was like he wanted us to have a horrible day. He was angry when we met him and his attitude went from bad to worse the entire trip. From the beginning. I called and made the reservation on a Friday night for a scalloping trip the next Monday. I didn't realize when I called but I called 20 minutes before closing time and that must have been the reason the woman answering the phone seemed like she was in such a hurry. She kept going back and forth about giving us a trip with or without a person in the water helping us. Finally she found a trip with a helper and she gave me a military discount since I'm a veteran. I was still charged over $300 for 5 people. We never received the email receipt and had to call the next day because she typed in the email incorrectly. On Monday we arrived early and were rushed to get the swim fins. We met Randy and he seemed very agitated and he acted like the last thing he wanted to do was take us out in his boat. Randy fitted us for fins and told us to go to the boat. I mean as soon as our butts hit the seats he untied the boat and pushed off. He was so angry I didn't want to ask him where the guide was. I didn't want to offended him by asking if he was going to be the guide too. On the way out to the bay Randy hit a boat wave without slowing down that was so large my 10 year old 100 pound son went airborne and right through the lounge chair type seat. Luckily he wasn't hurt but the careless driving caused the seat to break. Randy didn't slow down or ask if he was okay. We have no idea why he was so angry. Randy parked the boat about 200 yards away from the other boats. He said we wanted to go in the high turtle grass. I said that's not what I was taught and that goes against what your website even says. He said nothing and dropped the anchor. He wasn't open for a discussion. Within 5 minutes in the water 2 straps broke on 2 different kids fins. My wife and I were given children's masks to use. We didn't complain. We just wanted the kids to have fun. The Captain was so gruff we thought any other discussion would only make it worse. The water was over 8 foot deep and with the high grass it was impossible for even experienced kid snorklers to find anything. I am 6 foot tall, stood on the bottom and reached up. My hands were still under water. I struggled to get to the bottom in the current and believe me there was nothing there. At the 3rd spot Randy got in the water and 10 minutes later he was back in the boat. I didn't see him get anything either. Finally after almost 3 hours of me only catching a 1 inch starfish we moved closer to the other boats. Finally all my kids got a scallop. It was starting to look like we were going to be shut out so at least they each found one. I decided to swim into where the other boats were to see if it was better. One of my sons and I got about 30 scallops in about 15 minutes. What a surprise. The scallops were in the shallower water, with the shorter grass, where all the boats were. Imagine that. The last 5 minutes of the trip Randy started blaming the unusual high tides for the lack of scallops the first 3 hours. He then started complaining about having to clean the boat. He actually looked like he expected a tip when we left. We were going to go to the desk and complain but my wife didn't want me to get in a confrontation so we decided to just leave. read more

River Ventures - After 3 hours of scalloping this is all we found in. - Tours Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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My husband and I booked a VIP tour for our anniversary. We've wanted to swim with manatees since we met in Florida 9+ years ago. Our experience was wonderful from beginning to end. The ladies at the shop, drivers, Mike the captain and Paige the water guide were all AMAZING!!! Wet suits are provided and we chose to rent the full face snorkels although regular snorkels were provided. Our captain knew exactly where to take us to have the best experience. We were lucky and had amazing encounters with the manatees. Paige gives you calm instructions and was an absolute pleasure to be around! The experience could not have been more ideal. The manatees swam right up to us and one even "hugged" me. It's obvious everyone who works at this company truly loves these amazing animals and are passionate about conservation. Thank you River Ventures, this is an anniversary we will never forget. read more

Had a wonderful time - Heidi was an energetic guide and Dillon (?) our Captain was also extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Looking forward to coming back with my husband in a few months :) I am not a strong swimmer and have little experience with snorkeling - I paid the extra $9 to rent the full face mask and had issues picking things up. Saw some interesting fish in addition to a couple manatees. Great tour! :) Brittnai read more

This is a really great manatee Tour. My daughter Amy and I went and saw lots of manatees, some were so huge you could not believe it. Shelley the Tourguide was awesome. They were very informative about the manatees and we learned more about them than we new possible. We would highly recommend this tour company. read more