Swim with Manatees in Crystal River

Activity Overview

One of Florida's most exciting natural attractions is Crystal River, a short river about an hour's drive north of Tampa in Citrus County, Florida. The river's warm waters are an important manatee habitat and serve as the home of over 300 manatees each winter.

If your child is fascinated by manatees, also known as sea cows, then head to Crystal River and book a tour with one of the area's many companies that allow visitors to swim with and meet these beautiful animals.

Things to Do

• Go on a manatee tour with River Ventures. Families with children as young as 2 years old are provided with wetsuits, masks, snorkels, and fins and taught how to interact with manatees in a way that is fun for you and respectful to the animals.
• Plantation on Crystal River also provides manatee tours - if everyone in your family is an experienced scuba diver, consider the tour of Kings Bay, which allows you to dive in a cavern that is filled with beautiful fish and fossils.
• Book a memorable manatee experience with Crystal River Manatees. Their 4-hour tours take you along the scenic Crystal River to a freshwater spring where you can swim with manatees.

Swim with Manatees in Crystal River Insider Tips

• Be respectful of the manatees - you shouldn't swim towards them. They are naturally curious animals, and will usually come up to meet you themselves. They are known for being playful, gentle creatures, so there is no reason to worry about it being an unsafe activity.
• If you can, try to plan your manatee tour for cooler winter months - this is the time of year that the most manatees tend to live in Crystal River.
• Check around online to find the best manatee tour for your family - some companies provide longer tours of Crystal River for experienced divers, while others provide snorkeling equipment for little ones as part of the admission price.