Published on Feb, 2025

Topher and Kelly provided a once in a lifetime experience for our manatee loving daughter, complete with photos and videos!! Highly recommend them!!

Published on Feb, 2025

From the minute you walk through the door everyone is so friendly. The shop has fantastic unique manatee gifts. Many are made locally. They are super patient as you get suited up and will help with sizes! The safety video is informative and helpful on how to passively interact with the manatees. Then it’s off on the van to Pete’s Pier. Where we met Captain Rhonda and our tour guide/photographer extraordinaire Madeline. Both are locals who know the area and waters intimately. Madeline spied a manatee straight away and got something amazing shots of me with the gentle giant. Her pictures are amazing and the price can’t be beat. We then went to another spot and we saw three or four and then it was like ten or twelve. They were everywhere! It was truly magical. We then went to the spring and took more fun pictures and saw a mama and baby zoom by! We saw cormorants and pelicans as well. After we got out our wetsuits Madeline passed around hot chocolate. Then it was back to the pier and we were able to dry off and change and have more tea, coffee or hot chocolate to warm up while we perused the store and viewed our photos. We’re already planning our next trip back!

Published on Feb, 2025

I cannot recommend this tour highly enough! We had a fabulous time with Madeline as our guide & Rhonda as our captain. From the training & wet suit fitting, to the boat ride & snorkeling, to the warm cup of hot chocolate and ride back in the van, every step of the adventure was enjoyable. This is a knowledgeable, passionate, and engaged staff who care deeply about the animals and your experience in getting to see them. We came on an unseasonably warm day and while there weren’t large amounts of manatees hanging out in the springs, our guide and captain stayed on it and we were able to swim with four different manatees during the morning. This was a magical experience and I can’t wait to come back!

Published on Jan, 2025

I made a private reservation with Explorida to swim with the manatees at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It's been on my bucket list for a few years. I booked an early reservation at 6:30am on a Thursday. We had the most amazing guide, Adam. He helped me work through my fears as I entered the water. Adam was super patient with me and encouraged me as I struggled to get comfortable in the water. When I finally calmed down and relaxed it was the most Amazing experience I've ever had. Words can't describe how Fantastic it was! If it weren't for Adam I wouldn't have been able to do it. We were the only people near the springs. So we had it all to ourselves. The manatees were eager to interact with us. They didn't just swim under us. One large manatee swam right up to me, turned over and grabbed me with her fins and gave me a huge hug that seemed to last so long. It was so Amazing! Others came up to me and looked me in the eyes, checking me out. Their nose right to my snorkel mask. Such gentle giants. I love them. I had such an Amazing experience I booked a swim again 2 weeks later. Of course I requested Adam again as my guide. Truly a bucket list experience!

Published on Jan, 2025

Absolutely one of the best things I have done. Captain Kelly and guide Topher were fun, informative and VERY professional and also had extensive knowledge and passion for the Manatee. Our photos came out great. This is a bucket list Item for sure