Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, 1502 SE Kings Bay Dr, Crystal River, FL 34429-4661
The boat will drive into the wildlife refuge where you will hope to see wild manatees on the river. You will be on the boat at least 90 mins.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Homosassa River, 10200 W Halls River Rd, Homosassa, FL 34448-3411
We will visit the State Park at Homosassa. You will walk around the State Park and see the animals and view the manatees in the underwater viewing chamber at this hospital facility for injured manatees. There is also a cafe at the park so you could purchase lunch here if you wish, or if you prefer to pack yourself a picnic they do have picnic tables you can use inside the park.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Crystal River, FL
Upon arrival at the picturesque Crystal River, you will enjoy a fabulous narrated boat tour. You will be provided masks, snorkels & fins, and encouraged to swim alongside these friendly creatures under the guidance of certified dive masters.
The manatees are endangered and have come to the Florida springs year-round to find shelter and food. In the winter months the manatee population can reach several hundred and during summer, the average count is 80. They are "gentle giants" and have no teeth.
After your cruise, you head to Homosassa State Wildlife Park, famous throughout Florida for the rehabilitation of injured animals. It is here you’ll have the chance to see the current manatee residents at the park during an informative and entertaining feeding session with one of the park rangers. You’ll also see bears, panthers, alligators and even a hippo as you explore the rest of the park.
Roundtrip transport from the Orlando area and a knowledgeable driver-guide is also included.
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Withlacoochee River, Florida, USA
If the 'Manatee Swim, Park & Airboat' package is reserved then a 30 minute airboat ride on the Withlacoochee River will be included.
Duration: 30 minutes
See Availability.
1: Charley's Steak House, 2901 Parkway Blvd Suite 1A, Kissimmee, FL 34747, USA
2: Avanti Palms Resort and Conference Center, 6515 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819, USA
3: The Wheel at ICON Park, Orlando, FL 32819, USA
4: Golden Corral Buffet & Grill, 8707 Vineland Ave, Orlando, FL 32821, USA
5: Walt Disney World Swan, 1200 Epcot Resorts Blvd, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, USA
6: Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, 6300 Hollywood Wy, Orlando, FL 32819, USA
07:00 AM
8 hours 30 minutes(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Infants must sit on laps
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Most travelers can participate
A small amount of walking is involved at your leisure through the State Park
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 13 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : Larry_g
Everything was awesome!! Preston our guide was an amazing and friendly person, Captain Yves and Anna at the Birds underwater were very friendly and great at spotting manatees although we couldn't swim with the ones we found because they were tagged, the Homassassa state park was nice, and the air boat was amazing. Captian Aaron was great and Angel at sign in were both exceptional. We would definitely do it again recommend thank you for memory of a lifetime!
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Posted On : 2024-05-10
Posted By : suzanneljoynt
Fantastic experience, thoroughly recommend it. We got to see a baby manatee with its mother.
Very knowledgeable tour guide.
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Posted On : 2024-05-04
Posted By : Dawn_J
The manatee swim and airboat ride were worth it. The wildlife park was boring, unnecessary and made the day too long.
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Posted On : 2024-04-27
Posted By : ananya_s
This was supposed to be the hi-light of my trip to Orlando, but it was lacking in many ways.
Let me begin by saying that there were just 2 manatees, so spotting them was rather difficult. At the dive shop, we were informed that due to flooding and hurricanes the previous year, the grass that had been planted in the river had died, so the manatees had moved to a different grazing ground. I don’t blame the dive shop for this (they are doing the best they can), but it’s something the listing on Viator should address.
The employees at the dive shop were very nice. Our group had to wait upwards of an hour for the prior group to return (owing to there just being 2 manatees, who were not in the mood for tourists). During this time, we were offered coffee.
I have to commend the captain of our boat, who had come prepared with a drone and ensured that we were able to see both manatees .
The return to Orlando was nothing short of being unbearably uncomfortable. Our driver informed us that the AC has stopped working, and we had to spend over 2 hrs in a van in 85 degree weather. This was made worse by the fact that we were seated in the last row, so there was barely any air circulating.
Overall, an underwhelming experience.
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Posted On : 2024-04-26
Posted By : Charlotte_R
What an unforgettable day!
We got picked up by the amazing Kevin early in the morning, we drove for a little over 2 hours with a nice stop in the middle.
When we got to the boats we all head in and got our wetsuits, about $30USD to rent.
We went out on the boat and our guides were very knowledgeable about finding the manatees, they used a drone and their local knowledge to find hot spots.
The visibility isn’t great, you won’t get clear photos because the natural filtration from the grass hasn’t fully recovered yet, but the guides worked so hard to make sure we knew exactly where they were so we could catch a glimpse as they came up! They were so close to us it was great!
We then headed to the state park to see manatees in the recovery spring. They were so easy to see and you could go down into the viewing tank to see them underwater. We had heaps of time here and listened to a presentation by Kate at the park talk about the manatees, this was so interesting!
We got lunch boxes to enjoy at the park with a super delicious sandwich, snacks and a drink.
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Posted On : 2024-04-18
Posted By : Eric_S
Bad pick up experience. Was told on the tour that the manatees haven’t been in the area since hurricane wiped out food 2 yrs ago. Wasted of time and money
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Posted On : 2024-04-15
Posted By : Jennifer_S
Service was great and super friendly and knowledgeable! We had Captain Yaves and he was great, Zach was our guide in the water and he did a great job at putting us where manatees were.
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Posted On : 2024-04-07
Posted By : Kimberly H
Preston was epic. He told a bunch of history about Florida. The Manatee swim was amazing. The Homosassa Springs Park was a nice walk. Then the best part of the trip was the Air Boat ride.
I sent Preston the photos I had from yesterday and you can use them on your site. The Manatee videos and rest will be uploaded soon.
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Posted On : 2024-04-05
Posted By : sara_r
The staff at birds underwater dive shop were so nice and knowlegable. Kayla and the captain were so nice and did their best to find us a non crowded spot. The driver of the van was so kind and accomidating. Mauricio had a very positive outlook and pleasant conversation. You could tell he loves people. He was willing to go out of his way to make our experience comfortable and amazing.
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Posted On : 2024-04-02
Posted By : James_P
Seeing the manatees was an amazing experience. The tour guides and boat captains were so knowledgeable and helpful. The bus driver was so friendly.
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Posted On : 2024-03-17
