We had a wonderful time cruising with Captains John and Andy. The views are breathtaking along the waterways of the two rivers. So many critters to see along the way. Many varieties of birds, turtles, otters, fish and yes, alligators can be seen allong the banks and marshes. Growing up on the rivers, John is uniquely qualified to share his love and knowledge of the rivers and the entire ecosystem. John's songs of Florida are catchy and insightful messages of the unique wildlife and beauty of the environment and the state. We thoroughly enjoyed the Florida facts and songs. We highly recommend taking this sightseeing, entertaining tour. Thanks John and Andy! read more

This tour is full of information laughs and entertainment! Captain John did a great job of explaining the wildlife and ecosystem as well as entertaining us with his guitar and singing.highly recommend read more

Great nature trip. We would recommend for every body Great trip about natural and animal that live there read more

I did not enjoy this trip. The rivers are gorgeous. The nature and beauty is abundant. But this man never stopped talking. His voice was exsessively loud. He had facts after facts after facts and he never allowed the quiet and wonder of this beautiful place to be felt. The boat was fine. read more

What a wonderful experience! We took the tour on 11/25/25. The tour guide, Jon, is very knowledgeable and very friendly. There were three little boys on our tour and he was engaging with them, sharing various facts on the animals. He also has a wealth of knowledge on the two rivers that converge. The scenery is magnificent. Jon and his co-captain, were diligent on looking for wildlife and slowed down for us to take pictures. At the end of the tour, Jon (who is a very good singer) will entertain you with a few river themed songs. The river tour was a great experience and I recommend for those of all ages. read more

We went on the Singing River Tours on 11/21/25 and it was excellent! The pontoon boat is spacious and very comfortable to ride on. Jon was an excellent tour guide and entertainer as well. Andy piloted the boat. The tour lasted about one and a half hours and was a very affordable trip, only $25 per person. The rivers were beautiful and we saw quite a bit of Florida wildlife. If you enjoy nature and learning more about it, this is the tour for you! read more

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The tour guys are awesome A special treat (not to be spoiled) but the singing part was a very special part of the tour read more

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If you have a chance to take this tour, do not hesitate! We had an amazing time, enjoying beautiful scenery and delighting in all kinds of wildlife. With deep knowledge and insights about the river and Florida in general, we feel like our lives are more enriched and invested in Florida and their incredible waterways. Plus, John has a wonderful voice and his songs were just the best cherry on top of our experience. Seriously cannot recommend this enough! Thank you! read more

Best tour. Fun facts, great experience, and lovely time. I highly recommend this tour. Exceeded my expectation!

Jon on the Singing River Tours in Dunnellon, FL is a wealth of information. Anyone interested in nature, wildlife and history about Florida will enjoy his tour. It's a great way to spend an hour and 1/2 on the Rainbow and Withlacoochee rivers. The visual of the crystal clear, spring fed Rainbow River meeting the Withlacoochee River is a cool sight to see. read more

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What a beautiful time we had on the rivers, it was the most informative morning. We will be planning another cruise in the very near future. We were a group of 20 today. read more

cap'n Jon was fantastic! Lots of river and animal knowledge. we even saw a river otter! We highly recommend this tour.

We had a great tour today of the Rainbow and Withlacoochee rivers. Captain Jon was an excellent guide and was extremely knowledgeable about the Rivers as well as the wildlife. read more

Wow! John sure knows how to educate and entertain! Being a native Floridian I still love acting like a tourist on occasion. This tour takes about 1.5 hours and is just filled with useful information about the Withlahachee and Rainbow rivers. The wildlife is everywhere and it was a pleasurable and rich experience. John is not only knowledgeable, but talented as well. It's the most worthwhile tour in the area! read more

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Just loved this tour! Highly recommend for any visiting Dunnellon, or near. The tour guides were very friendly, funny, and knowledgeable about the area. I learned a lot about the water ways, the local town, sea creatures, land creatures, all from a locals perspective! I've added a few pictures, but you'll have to take the tour to see it all :) read more

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Excellent day! I went on the Singing River tour with my folks and my son and daughter in law. They were out visiting from Colorado and loved the nature and wildlife of the Florida river. Jon was not only interesting and informative but an excellent singer. Thank you Jon and Andy i highly recommend the Singing River Tour to all!!! Jan Joann & Gordon Skyler & Tina read more

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What a great time on two beautiful rivers. Captain Jon goes above and beyond. His catchy tunes and informative talks make for an entertaining and enjoyable boat ride. read more

Fun and educational tour. Andy and John were friendly and knowledgeable. John shared facts and insights about the environment and shared fun tidbits about the flora and fauna in the area. read more

This is the trip I take my visiting friends on. Great educational tour and very relaxing. A bunch of local restaurants before or after the pontoon ride to grab a bite. read more

Singing River Tours - On the beautiful river - Tours Near Me - Dunnellon, Florida

What a great Valentine's Day spent on the Singing River Tour! Captain Andy and Captain John were very accommodating to our group of 9! We learned so much about the Rainbow & Withlacoochee rivers and all of the amazing wildlife that call this special place home. Andy navigated our vessel into the twisting waterways and scouted wildlife while John shared stories, sang songs, made jokes and spoke about the many interesting facts about this pristine area of Dunnellen. We highly recommend this tour..the nine of us had a memorable time and will definitely bring visitors back! Thanks for a wonderful outing! read more

Singing River Tours - Tours Near Me - Dunnellon, Florida

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Great tour. Lots of information, fun too. Highly recommend!! Easy access. Cute music too!!!

We four friends went on this OTOW (the community we live in) pontoon tour 'piloted' by Andy. We totally enjoyed the weather, the rivers, the presentation and singing by Captain Jon. Captain Jon enthusiastically shared his love, passion and knowledge of the swamp fed Withlacoochee River and the spring fed Rainbow River. Uniquely, these two awesome rivers connect and flow northward to The Gulf of Mexico. We learned a lot about the history of the area, the importance of the waters, and the harmful effect of fertilizers and pesticides through Captain Jon's presentations and songs. (Two of them were written by his Mom) An extra bonus for picture taking me was the photo-ops along the way. What a memorable day under Florida blue skies and sunshine. read more

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Joyce & I have enjoyed his tours for close to 10 times-- like a good steak or wine, each one gets better over time . His knowledge of the Florida waterways and eco systems are so interesting to listen to because of his great ability of story telling. He would make a great visiting professor at the Univ. of Florida. When our northern friends or relatives come to visit, we treat them to a ride with Capt. Jon. They've absolutely loved it --- every time . Thank you Jon -- just don' t retire on us . ! read more

Not only we're the two gentlemen VERY knowledgeable about Florida water and several animal species, but the main man was Al a PHENOMENAL guitar player. Good music, good sights, would recommend. read more

Friend invited me to a singing river eco-tour which I had never heard of nor experienced. Captain Jon was extremely informative and entertaining. Abundant wildlife along with nature's amazing facts visually apparent where two different rivers meet, the swamp fed Withlacoochee (tannic) and the (crystal clear spring fed) Rainbow River. Highly recommend! read more

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Amazingly knowledgeable about the ecosystem! I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and learned a great deal! Great company.

Relaxing, educational, entertaining and so much fun! My husband and I took our son and his girlfriend on the tour and we absolutely loved it. This 90 minute adventure is a must for locals as well as tourists! Thank you, Captain John and Andy! read more

Singing River Tours - Tours Near Me - Dunnellon, Florida

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Our singing tour guide. Great tour . Very interesting and informative. Definitely should give it a try.

Excellent!!! We bring all our out of town guests on this tour!! It is beautiful and informative!!

There were 8 of us on this very educational tour. We've lived in the area for over 40 yrs and learned things we never knew. We were excited to bring friends who had just moved to Florida. Captain Jon is a great teacher sharing his knowledge of Florida and he's quite entertaining. You could appreciate his passion for our natural resources. It was a gorgeous day on the two rivers and Jon made the trip so interesting and fun. The 40 ft long pontoon boat was very well maintained and very comfortable. Plenty of room. Looking forward to bringing family and out of town guests more often. And hey, Jon sings pretty good too - an added bonus. Andy was our driver while Jon shared his extensive knowledge - I wonder if he ever gets used to his friend's jokes lol. Totally worth it - you won't be disappointed. read more

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Had a wonderful day on Singing River Tour with Jon(and Andy ) great information, beautiful scenery - peaceful - day -- will definitely go again...... especially great tour to do with visitors to our area..... the Florida songs by Jon (some written by his mom) and the memories - added to the adventure.... Dunnellon Florida is indeed a hidden treasure..... read more

We loved taking this boat tour with our in-laws and our almost 5-month old baby. Jon really made us feel welcome (our in-laws live in Dunnellon, we were visiting from NY) and we enjoyed listing to him point out the wildlife and talk to us about the rivers and land. It was very special when we got to listen to Jon sing a few original songs about Florida. Even our infant enjoyed it-- his eyes were on Jon the whole time All in all it was a wonderful, relaxing experience and I highly recommend it whether you're a local or from out of town. Want to go again when we visit and have the extended family in town too! read more

We just got off the noon boat ride with Captain Jon and his helmsman, Andy. I would give it 10 stars out of 5 if I could. So entertaining and educational. Plus we had a beautiful breezy and not too hot day to enjoy all the sites - birds, turtles, alligators and the beauty all around us. Captain Jon has been living in Dunnellon since 1977 and has a ton of knowledge of the area. Plus he has a great singing and guitar playing skills. If you are looking for something to entertain company or just yourself, give him a call! You will be glad you did. read more

This tour was amazing! right from the beginning it was enjoyable just being out on the river. It was absolutely beautiful and there were so much wild life. The tour was extremely informative, and in a really fun storytelling type way. I learned so much about the ecosystem of the river and as a photographer it was awesome being able to get great photos of gators. Towards the end of the tour, there were 3 or 4 songs performed and I honestly loved it so much. This tour was the highlight of my trip to Florida. read more

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First off let me say that I very seldom give five stars to any excursion. Whether that's because they don't live up to their own press or because I let myself set my expectations too high, I'll never tell. BUT what I can say is that John Semmes' Singing River Tour goes above and beyond. We went out with him this hot central Florida morning, and had an incredibly fine time. Let me tell you . . . You make your reservation by phone. When you're ready to go, go to Dunnellon and park at the parking lot for the Dunnellon City Hall and Boat Ramp - if, as we did, you choose to take a tour on a weekend, you can park any place on the lot. Otherwise, it's best to avoid the designated employee spots. Once you've parked, taken your sun screen, your water and your hat, you walk down to the river, an easy stroll behind the building. Plan to arrive 15 minutes before your tour, and you'll be able to walk up the small gangway and chat with Mr. John before embarkation. The "Miss Ariel" is a large, covered pontoon boat, with comfortable seating along both sides. The tour travels far onto the Withlacoochee and Rainbow rivers. The former is a "swamp" river, which Mr. John will tell you means that it is black with the tannic water of the swamp growth, especially the cypress trees you see on every side. The Rainbow is a clear spring-fed river - and what is especially cool is where the two rivers come together - the tea-colored swamp River and the blue-green Spring, there is a line - they don't meld, they sort of bump up against one another, friendly like. Throughout the tour Mr. John gives you an engaging and informative running narrative. Having lived on the riverside in Dunnellon since he was nine, he has chosen to become extremely knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the rivers, and has extremely sharp eyes for spotting a young alligator almost totally submerged under a tree, otters feeding, turtles sunning, and many birds from multiple types of egrets to cormorants and more. His knowledge of the risks and problems with contemporary aquatic ecology is presented fairly and clearly. One thing I particularly appreciated was the way he'd describe something, why a cormorant extends its wings, for example, and then a little later he'd bring the reasoning around, so that without feeling lectured, you come away actually remembering what you've been told. The "singing" part comes about 3/4 of the way through the tour, when Mr. John stops the boat and sings several "Florida" songs you haven't heard before, two of which were written by his mother. For several years, Mr. J made his living as a musician, which is evident in his skill with the guitar and with his voice. As of July 2016, the price was $15 per person for one hour and 45 minutes on the river. Mr. J doesn't take any money until the end of the tour, and we happily gave him $20 each - it was worth every penny. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. read more

Singing River Tours - Tours Near Me - Dunnellon, Florida

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This experience was amazing! I booked on the same day with Mr. John and could not have been happier. If you are in Ocala/Dunnellon area it is a must to do. We learned, we laughed, we oohs & we awws! From beginning to end the entire trip was well planned. The boat is very comfortable too. Mr. John does sing...seriously the highlight of the trip. Do yourself a favor and get out there! read more

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A few weeks ago, while visiting some friends in Florida, my wife and I had the opportunity to take this tour and we are so glad we did. Jon was a great guide sharing is in depth knowledge of the rivers and the wildlife in such an entertaining and humorous that the time just flew by. We also appreciated Jon relaying his concerns of the ecological damage that human beings are inflicting upon the rivers and upon the world in general. His ability to make people aware of this issue in such a personal way is a great public service. Unfortunately, Jon was nursing a strained voice the day we went so we didn't get to hear him sing, but honestly, with all the information he had to share, I don't know where he would have had the time to sing. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour anyway and look forward to possibly doing it again sometime in the future. PS: Google has me as being from California but actually currently from Connecticut. read more

Singing River Tours, with Jon Semmes, and Andy is THE BEST!! Fun, and fabulous tour of the Rainbow River and Withlacoochee. Jon always teaches about our local rivers, environment, and wildlife, while entertaining his guests with bits of humor. Then, guests are treated to several songs about our lovely town, and his life! Best value in the area for entertainment!! Love this!! read more

We enjoyed the tour very much! John's a very entertaining guide. Highly recommend this tour.

We had another great tour with visiting guests on the Singing River Tour in Dunnellon. John and driver Andy do a great job with the history of the Withlacoochee and Rainbow Rivers. The wildlife is beautiful and of course the way he tells a great story. Thanks for the songs too. read more