If swimming with manatees is on your bucket list, Crystal River, Florida is the place to go. Here are highlights of our visit and tips for planning yours, too.
This post is in partnership with Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees and Discover Crystal River who hosted our visit. All opinions are my own. You can read my full Disclosure Policy here.
Animal lovers, if you don’t have swimming with manatees on your must-do list, it’s time to add it.
My family spent a couple of days in Crystal River, Florida, and had the absolute best time swimming with these giant, yet adorable, sea potatoes. This post will tell you all about our experience, how to plan your own, and everything to expect when you hop in the water.
Swim With Manatees in Crystal River, Florida
Crystal River is located on the Gulf Coast of Florida, about an hour and a half north of Tampa, west of Orlando, and south of Gainesville.
You can absolutely enjoy a full week-long vacation in Discover Crystal River. However, if you are flying into a major airport to enjoy attractions in one of these three areas, know that Crystal River is a pretty short drive away, and 100% worth the trip.
Our manatee swim was booked with Captain Mike’s, and I highly recommend them! We had fantastic guides, both on the boat and in the water.
One of the primary things I loved about Captain Mike’s is that their boat is for a maximum of 6 people. We are a family of 4, and it was just us on our tour.
It was so nice to have more personalized service, and get all of our questions answered, and I loved that when we jumped in the water to see the manatees that we weren’t crowding around tons of other people to catch a glimpse.
Can I Swim With the Manatees In Crystal River?
Tours operate at different times of day and ours was scheduled at 7am. Was I thrilled about this at the time? Not so much. But it was the best time to go and I’m so glad we got out of bed and got on that boat early.
First of all, being in the water as the sun is rising is gorgeous and just feels really special.
Also, there aren’t big crowds of boats and other people on the water yet. By the time we came in from our 3-hour tour, the bay was pretty packed with boat traffic and swimmers. Plus, it was getting mighty hot.
So set the alarm and get out of bed. This is worth it, I promise.
The captain of our boat, Captain Chaz, was awesome and just had a nose for finding manatee in the water. The first little section of King’s Bay that we snorkeled in was not exceptionally clear, but he was able to spot their noses coming up for air, or concentric circles in the water as a giveaway for their location.
Ron was our in-water guide, and he helped us locate and view the manatee when we were in the water.
One of the first manatee that we saw was this adorable little baby. She already knew how to give some side eye.
Here are the mommy and baby together. I mean…how adorable is this?
Obviously you never swim in between a mom and baby, which is just one of the rules that you go over before you even get on the boat.
When we arrived at Captain Mike’s we first watched a brief video on how to safely swim with manatees before we were handed wet suits to put on. (Side note: bring towels to dry off with afterward. You’ll want to do that before putting your clothing back on.)
They are a protected species, and King’s Bay is the only place you can legally swim with them!
What Is The Best Time of Year to Swim With Manatees in Crystal River
We then boated over to another part of the bay that was quite a bit clearer. The above photo was taken from on the boat.
No need to spot little noses coming up here. We could see this pretty lady clear through the water.
Our visit was in June. Is this the best time of year to find manatee? Not really, but we still saw plenty.
Manatee stay in the Gulf of Mexico until that water gets too cold for them, usually between about November and March. Then they come into Kings Bay which is fed by springs at a constant 72 degrees, year round.
If you want to come at the best time to see the most manatee, come during the winter months. Our captains told us that there are literally hundreds of them then!
Swim With Manatees: Are There Alligators?
You’ve probably heard that in Florida, if there’s water, there are alligators. Being from Pennsylvania, we aren’t exactly alligator-savvy, so we asked this question.
Big alligators don’t swim in these waters. There are very rarely tiny little ones, but they are more scared of us than we are of them. We didn’t see any on our trip.
After we spotted this girly from the boat, we got in to get a closer look. This view is from the back and shows you how huge they are!
Ron, our in-water guide, said that the female manatees are much larger than the males, and that’s how you can usually tell them apart.
Sometimes called a ‘sleeper’, manatees will snuffle their noses in the grass like this and rest.
I did take my phone in a waterproof case, but it wasn’t really worth the effort of trying to get good pictures. If you have a GoPro, that will do a better job.
Captain Mike’s will send their guides with GoPros, and they take MUCH better photos than I did! For a small fee (it was about $35), you can purchase all of them and have them emailed to you. Worth it!
Can You Touch Manatees in Crystal River?
I will admit, it’s hard to resist just reaching out and petting them, but you are not supposed to touch the manatees. Quiet observation is the name of the game.
Sometimes they will touch you, and you can quietly let them investigate their new visitor. Captain Chaz said he’s had them nibble on his beard!
This water is really clear, so it wasn’t too hard to keep a safe distance. Wet suits and pool noodles, both provided, keep you afloat so you can keep your feet off the ground and away from the manatees.
Speaking of feet, you will probably want to bring your own water shoes. They do not provide flippers, and you are really just floating, not taking off in the water so you don’t need them.
In the spot where the water was a bit cloudier, I sometimes didn’t see the manatee until I was almost on top of it (which is when you realize how huge they are!). If this happens, just swim with your arms (don’t kick) until you are backed up at a good distance to observe.
Isn’t she beautiful? Manatees are incredible to see up close.
And we learned a lot, too. They are primarily made of fat, so they can’t keep themselves warm which is why they like that constant spring water temperature in the winter.
Manatees have no predators. Because how could they? Look at her. Stunning!
Where to Swim With Manatees in Florida
Swimming with manatees is a bucket list item – it’s as incredible as it sounds! And Crystal River, Florida is such a cute town and perfect place to enjoy this unique experience.
Discover Crystal River provides tons of resources on things to do in the area, and I highly recommend Captain Mike’s Swimming With the Manatees as your tour guide!
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