Along with swimming with dolphins, many travelers heading to Florida are eager to get up-close and personal with manatees. (Some prefer sharks, but that’s another topic.)
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There’s just one catch: Manatees are actually mammals, and need to drink freshwater to survive. While they often live in saltwater marshes and mangroves, they stick close to freshwater springs where they can sip at their leisure. In short, just because you see a massive mangrove swamp in Florida, that doesn’t mean there are manatees close by.
Turns out, there’s another catch if you want to swim with manatees in Florida: It’s not actually legal to do so except in one part of the country. That place is the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. You can usually find manatees hanging out near Kings Bay and Three Sisters Springs, where freshwater is plentiful.
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge is located in Crystal River, Florida, north of Tampa and west of Ocala. The prime time to swim with manatees is during the winter season from November through March. But the only way that you can do so is by booking a tour with a certified guide working with a licensed tour operator.
The guide will make sure that you aren’t breaking any rules, like approaching or feeding manatees. Crystal River Refuge also has its own guide up on YouTube. Here’s what you need to know about companies that let you swim with manatees.
How to swim with manatees in Florida: Book with these Crystal River companies
Manatees in Paradise
Manatees in Paradise is one of only two groups to be certified as part of the Guardian Guides Program by Save the Manatees. The program is designed to identify and promote tour groups that act as stewards for manatees and their territory. If you’re concerned with finding an ethical manatee tour (I know I am), then go with Manatees in Paradise. You can book directly on their website or via Get Your Guide.
Crystal River Watersports
Crystal River Watersports is the second group in the area that’s part of the Guardian Guides Program by Save the Manatees. It’s a family-owned company where conservation and preservation are the main goals of all its tours, from swimming with manatees to scuba courses. You can book five different tours directly on their website that let you swim with the manatees in Florida—including a unique hybrid mermaid-manatee tour.
Explorida
Explorida is one of Florida’s premier outdoor adventure companies. Their manatee tours are permitted with the US Fish & Wildlife Service and they’re part of a dedicated team of eco-tourism operators in the area. Book a manatee swim tour on Get Your Guide or check out their other tours directly on their website.
Scallop Adventures
Scallop Adventures is a husband-and-wife team that operates a range of water-based tours from Crystal River. Their main focus is on scalloping and fishing, but they also offer manatee tours. You can book their tours on Get Your Guide or directly on their website. They offer a closed, heated boat during the cooler winter months. Some tours also come with free photos.
Fun2dive
Fun2Dive focuses on small-group tours and has experience offering swim-with-the-manatees tours since the mid-1990s. They’re dedicated to sustainability and are fully permitted with the US Fish & Wildlife Service, which means you get to explore the National Wildlife Reserve where manatees like to hang out. Book directly on their website.
