Make your manatee tour special with a stay on a private island

Crystal River vacation rental island

We offer Private and Public Manatee tours

Private tours are you group only

This gives the Captain time to concentrate  on your group only and there wants and needs.

1/2 day/3 hour Private trips

 35.00 per person Min boat cost 210.00*

Mask and snorkel 10.00/Wet suit 10.00

Full day/6 hour  Private trips*

99.00 per person 400.00 min boat charge

This trip includes your equipment and even lunch at a local restaurant!

Public Tours

  groups of up to 6 Max per boat*

1/2 day trip 3 hours

35.00 per person

 for trip  to watch or snorkel

Mask and snorkel 10.00/ Wet suit 10.00

 Trips leave at 7am 8am in Summer

8am and 11:30 in winter

* Excludes Holidays

Manatee Tours in Crystal River are the greatest to interact with these gentle giants - plan your next holiday or vacation here in Crystal River Florida and snorkel, hike, bike or kayak the Nature Coast - Private Manatee Tours are available as well as public boat trips with experienced captains. Scratching the belly of a sea cow is a life altering experience and the memories will last a lifetime. Many operators offer underwater photos and even video of your adventure.

West Indian Manatees are large, gray aquatic mammals with bodies that taper to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. They have two forelimbs, called flippers, with three to four nails. Their head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout. Manatees are related to the Steller's sea cow, which was hunted to extinction in 1768. The average adult manatee is about three meters (9.8 feet) long and weighs between 800-1,200 pounds. Manatees can grow to 13 ft and weigh as much as 3000lbs. Calves are born weighing in around 40 lbs and can add 700lbs in their first year. Now that's a growth spurt! Young ones stay with their mothers for about 2 years. Unlike dolphins, manatees do not have sonar so even a small amount of time separated could result in tragedy. The area residents are very protective of these creatures with the face only a mother could love, but wonder if they are not entertained by humans wearing mask, fins and snorkel to explore the waters that the sea cows call their home. The only known predator to these creatures are human, for nothing in the animal kingdom preys upon them. Most deaths and injuries are caused by boat props but throwing fishing line into the waters has also proven harmful. As we learn more about manatees we realize there is so much more to learn.

The only growing herd of manatees make their home in the Crystal River Florida and Homosassa Springs area of Citrus County. This area is an amazing outdoors paradise during all seasons. The wonderful temperatures and incredible land and seascapes provide an ideal place to live or visit for humans and manatees! The 72 degree waters flowing to the surface from the Florida Aquifer in local springs provide warm homes for manatees and humans have begun to respect these sea creatures as so numbers in the local herd are growing. There is yet much to work to be done. In this spirit Crystal River Florida .org list manatee information to the public in reference to manatees and manatee interaction near Crystal River Florida
 

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