Crystal River Manatee Snorkeling Tour

It was a beautiful day and we had a great time on the water and interacting with a Manatee. The captain and mate were very knowledgeable and very courteous, we would recommend them to anyone.

While it was very unseasonably warm on Saturday (most manatees had moved since the weather was so hot), Captain Ron and Phil were persistent in scouring the horizon to find us a manatee to swim with. The boat was clean and both Ron and Phil were super nice. I was especially impressed by Phil's protection of and concern for the manatee. He kept our group close enough to enjoy, but not close enough to harm our new "friend". Wonderful day out and I would highly recommend it, especially since some of their "competitor's" boats had over 20 people in their group - we only had 6 plus Phil in the water. Much more enjoyable then one of those overloaded boats would have been!

Perfect family adventure. Captain Ron Ross was was a lot of fun...great sense of humor and really informative.Ricky was a great guide. He showed us tons of things underwater that we may have missed with out him. He took beautiful pictures of our time with the manatees! Then on the way back Ron spotted some dolphins and he turned the boat around and got them to interact with the boat. They were so playful and we were able to get some good shots of them as well. All around, it was an awesome experience to remember for a lifetime!!! Worth the time...don't miss out!

Despite Hurricane Irma we were able to have an amazing time with Gulf Coast Expeditions. Everyone was really friendly, they kept us informed all the way through on the impact caused by the hurricane, were able to re-arrange without any additional fee and treated us to additional time as well. Great customer service and a wonderful experience. It was amazing to hear the manatees crunching on the grass whilst at the surface. I was also impressed that we were given a full briefing beforehand about behaviour in the proximity of the manatees in order to ensure we observed without causing problems.

This was an awesome tour! The Captain and Ricky were fantastic! Both were very knowledgeable, kind and helpful. We loved seeing the manatees. We saw 5-6 of them on our trip. It was off-season for them so we were very pleased. We even saw a mother nursing her baby...adorable!!

This was a fantastic small boat tour only 6 seats that got our family of four and two others a lot of personal attention and up close manatee experiences in a relaxed off season cruise. Captain Ron and our guide Rob took good care of us it was quite clear that they are knowledgeable and passionate about marine life in the Kings Bay area. Rob was full of manatee trivia and we were able to see the difference between our tour and others that were out on the water. Some other tours did not use an in water guide. there were some very large groups out as well and clearly not everyone had been taught how to have a respectful and successful interaction with the manatees. We got to swim up close with two nursing mothers and their babies, the animals were comfortable enough to interact with us and our experience has help shape our childrens approach to respectful interactions with wildlife in a profound way. Thanks guys you made this an awesome day!

We visited Cristal River on June 7. The day gets a rating of two stars it was cloudy and it rained on our way there but, Captain Ron's professionalism and knowledge definitely get five stars. Captain Ron explained that on the days prior had been raining also and the visibility in the water was not good. He told us we could re-schedule if we wanted and he would honor it at any time. It was our last opportunity so we decided to go any way. Being late in the season the usual amount of manatees was reduced. But Captain Ron knows were to find the few permanent residents or the area. He took us to those spots and we were able to see them in their usual habitat. The trip was very exiting to our 6 years old granddaughter Paulina. Being a non-swimmer, my wife was terrified to even get in the water. But with Captain Ron and his mate's assurances and help not only did she get in the water but also she enjoyed the whole adventure. On top of everything, Paulina was very exited about driving the boat. We plan to go back during the months of January or February the best time of year to see them and we will definitely will ask for Captain Ron's boat. If you are reading this and considering going, I urge you to do it. You'll be happy you did. On top of it, the cost beats the outrageous cost of swimming with the dolphins at Sea World in Orlando. This is absolutely not a tourist trap but an adventure you and yours will remember for many years to come. Thank you, Captain Ron for making our trip during a gray and gloomy day such a bright and enjoyable adventure. We will be back hopefully soon.