On the Water
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travelers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$85
per adult
Nature's Discovery Manatee Tours
Nature's Discovery Manatee Tours
5
Scuba & SnorkellingBoat ToursPrivate ToursNature & Wildlife Tours
6:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
We are a locally-owned and operated company that specializes in small group family oriented manatee swim tours! Our tour guides have countless years of experience working in the water with guests of all ages one-on-one to give you the highest quality experience you deserve. We also offer private scenic boat eco tours as well! All necessary gear is included with our manatee snorkeling tours!
Crystal River, Florida
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
Tours and Tickets by Nature's Discovery Manatee Tours
On the Water
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travelers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$65
per adult
Private Sightseeing Tours
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travelers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$250
per group
Nature and Wildlife Tours
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$30
per adult
Travelers talk about
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
752 reviews
Excellent
746
Very good
6
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Jill J
2 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
This was a bucket list tour for us! Jake and Hina were very knowledgable, friendly and made sure we were near manatees the entire tour. They only take smaller groups which provides much more time with the manatees. They found quieter areas where we did not have other tours and boaters nearby. It was a cooler temp day, and they made sure we went to a spot that was less windy and did not require us getting in and out of the water a lot. This tour far exceeded my expectations. This company is amazing and I wholeheartedly recommend them for an epic day near the coolest creatures on earth.
Written March 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jonas Plitt
3 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Had an awesome Trip. Saw many Mantees, the guides acted very animalfriendly and knew much about the Manatees. We had enogh time to swim with the animals. Fotos and swimsuits were inculded, and they hat a cool gift shop with fair prices. I would recommend bringing a towel so u can get dry after swimming
Written March 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
persis f
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Family
Highly recommend! Went on a last minute, 4 pm tour with my 11 year old son and husband on Sunday. Unsure if the weather would allow for a safe trip. The clouds cleared out and Evan, the captain, offered to take us out. It ended up being a private tour! Hina and Evan answered this New Yorker's litany of questions regarding manatees and "are there gators or anything else that can eat me in this water" (no there isn't, phew!). They were excellent guides, patient and very knowledgeable. Hina guided us in the water, we saw a handful of these docile creatures in their natural habitats, it was magical. She took great underwater pictures of us with the manatee's with no additional charge. The 2 hours was well worth it. Memorable experience.
Written August 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Connie W
1 contribution
Aug 2022
Thanks to the two dudes Captain Evan and In-Water Supervisor Jake we got to mark "swimming with the manatees" off of our bucket list. Our experience was private and serene as we booked last minute for a 6:45 AM excursion and were the only 2 people on what is a 6-person tour. So we lucked out on that part, we cruised as the sun rose, their expert eyes sought the manatees, then we were in the water following a mom and calf for well over an hour with nobody else in sight. I can't attest to how our experience would have been in peak season and/or middle of the day but for us it turned out just perfect. Jake took pictures and we received them promptly via email - a real nice perk that they offer! Nature's Discovery is a fairly new enterprise for these guys and they want to be the best. I would say they are well on their way to success and I was glad to be a part of their journey. Good luck to them and you will be in good hands if you choose to ride with Evan and Jake!
Written August 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reese W
1 contribution
Mar 2023 • Couples
Nature's Discovery was fantastic. Jake and Heena were great. They were extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The size of the party we were in was small and we got plenty of one on one attention. My wife and I felt very comfortable in the water with Heena guiding us with the manatees. I would highly recommend everyone to go swim with the manatees with Nature's Discovery. We researched several companies, but felt it would be a better experience with smaller parties and we were right. We look forward to our next manatee swim with Jake and Heena.
Written March 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SnJvdM
Fernie, Canada3 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
Hina and Captain Jake gave us a great tour - and choosing a small group was definitely the way to go. Hina was very knowledgeable and professional, and clearly loves and respects these animals. We would highly recommend Nature’s Discovery for an amazing snorkelling with the manatees. The pictures were fabulous as well - go for the whole set!
Written January 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa D
3 contributions
Nov 2022 • Friends
What a wonderful little touring excursion that took us swimming with manatees! Jake and crew made us feel very welcome and safe throughout our three hour boating tour. Not only did they help us find manatees, we also had a guide in the water who helped us learn more about the natural habitat. The entire crew was very friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this company to anyone!
Written November 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rob R
London, UK2 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
As a family of four we booked the semi private manatee snorkelling tour. We ended up with the boat by ourselves. We very quickly found the manatees and snorkelled with them. The guide and boat captain really took care to make sure we didn’t disturb them. As a result they came up close with their calves. My 8 year old was a bit nervous but our guide took amazing care of her- making it a highlight of our trip. After the manatees we explored Crystal River, seeing a bald eagle, ospreys nesting, turtle and a kingfisher. An amazing experience.
Written April 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristen W
4 contributions
Apr 2023 • Friends
I called this morning to see if there were any openings at 1PM and was happily surprised when they said yes! We got in the car and drove 3 hours to make it there just in time. What an AMAZING experience! Even better than I could have imagined. Seeing these beautiful mammals in their natural habitat is unforgettable. Evan and Shane were so friendly and knowledgeable. They took us to the perfect spot and Shane even took pictures! Even in the off season - late April, we saw a manatee family (mom, dad and baby). The baby was fascinated with the boat ladder! I could’ve watched him all day. Manatees eating sea grass under the water was cool to see AND hear! Learning about how they sleep was fascinating. The mom took a little nap while we were there lol. I can’t recommend this company enough and will DEFINITELY come back again!
Written April 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah M
3 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
We had an excellent time on our tour! Going in the winter is definitely a perk, there were dozens of manatees congregated in the springs we visited. We saw a family, with a very curious baby! Our tour guide, Jake, made sure to remind us to not touch the manatees unless if they approached us. We never chased or followed manatees and just passively observed them. There was also an area for the manatees to go that the humans couldn’t go. I was super happy with the experience and felt the manatees were ethically treated.
Would highly recommend natures discovery! They had all the tools you need to have a great time. Free photos and wet suits! Friendly attitudes and a bulk of knowledge. Jake also made sure to capture tons of cool photos!
Would highly recommend natures discovery! They had all the tools you need to have a great time. Free photos and wet suits! Friendly attitudes and a bulk of knowledge. Jake also made sure to capture tons of cool photos!
Written January 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.