About Small Group VIP Manatee Pontoon Tour

Book Direct with the Owner at Small Group VIP Manatee Pontoon Tour with Accommodation Missouri in Crystal River, for all your Attraction and travel needs.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: River Ventures, 498 SE Kings Bay Dr, Crystal River, FL 34429-4718

Embark on your journey with a Coast Guard Certified Master Captain who will be your in water chaperon, educator and photographer. Your tour will run four hours from start to finish and everything you will need is included for one price. You will begin at our full-service tour facility, where you will be educated about the animals in a classroom type setting and receive tips for your snorkel tour to make the most of your day. You will be taught the inâ€™s and outâ€™s of â€˜passive interactionâ€™ as this ensures that the animals enjoy the experience as much as we do! You will then be suited up and transported to the dock, where a Coast Guard certified covered pontoon will be waiting for you. This rich estuary will amazeâ€¦..birds, fish and wildlife abound! Submerge yourself in the manateeâ€™s world! Finish your adventure by viewing your Captainâ€™s photos back at our facility and be sure to visit our one-of-a-kind gift shop! Our well-informed staff will direct to other local attractions, restaurants and answer of your questions before you are on your way.

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OPERATES

Daily

INCLUSIONS

Use of equipment (mask, snorkel gear and wet suit)
Beverages (bottled water, coffee, hot chocolate, tea and adult)
Professional guide
Introductory/instructional video offered in English, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish

EXCLUSIONS

Gratuities
Food and beverages (unless otherwise specified)
Photo DVD (available to purchase)
Towel and swimsuit

ADDITIONAL INFO

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Adult pricing applies to all travelers
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Wetsuits are available in sizes from toddlers (2 years old and up) to adults up to 5X
It is advised that you have your swimsuit on underneath your clothes for a quicker check-in
Please bring a towel and a plastic bag to hold your belongings
Not wheelchair accessible
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Children Under 3 years old are not allowed on this tour. Please call for other options.
Most travelers can participate
Post COVID-19 Policy- We are mindful to thoroughly clean water vehicles between visitors.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
Guides required to regularly wash hands

DEPARTURE & RETURN

498 SE Kings Bay Dr, Crystal River, FL 34429, USA

TERMS & CONDITIONS

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

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Overall Ratings

4.7 based on 10 reviews

Reviews

thomashQ206HW 5
06 Feb 2022
My daughter and I flew in from Chicago for the day just to swim with the Manatees. We had the best day here! We saw many manatees and other wildlife while snorkeling. We were lucky enough to have the pair of Troy's that day. Troy (Capt), and Troy (Guide). They were fantastic and always made sure we were enjoying ourselves! This tour was the perfect choice for the cooler cloudy day we incurred. We had a covered boat, heat, snacks and many beverages to choose from including very good Hot Chocolate! I definitely see another day trip in the very near future.
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Coyote35789 5
06 Feb 2022
Captain Troy and Paige were awesome and made sue everyone had the best experienced possible. I couldn't of asked for better guides. They truly love what they do and care about the animals, as well as the environments that they live in. True ambassadors of the real Florida (Nature Coast). I will be back again to do some scalloping in the summer and swim with the manatees again during the season.
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Carla P 5
06 Feb 2022
We did a semi private tour (5 of us!) at 945 on a Sunday. Captain Troy and our guide Courtney made this a fabulous trip. It was a cold, cloudy day here in Florida but they made sure we had an excellent experience. So much better than a large group. Both Troy and Courtney were super knowledgeable and made sure we were comfortable and saw manatee. Would highly recommend asking and booking with them. This was our second time with River Ventures. Check in is easy and the facilities are clean. The pontoon boats are super. Plenty of drinks and snacks. A wonderful way to see the beauty Florida has to offer.
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Pioneer46687258639 5
05 Feb 2022
This was such a fantastic way to see the Manatee! Our captain Hailey and guide Sara were extremely friendly and knowledgeable about everything in Kings bay from the wildlife to the local attractions. They immediately got us into the water once they found a good spot. I loved how they balanced Guiding us to see manatee with letting us explore safely on our own. They clearly had the safety of the manatee as a priority and made sure we enjoyed “their” space with respect. You get up close to the manatee and can watch them play and rest and eat. So worth it. Afterwards we were treated to a tour of the bay. Hailey and Sara made the trip with their deep knowledge of the restoration efforts and little tidbits about the islands in the bay. Would do it again anytime.
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meredithburns 5
28 Jan 2022
We had the best day here! We saw so much wildlife. Irish Dave (Capt), and Shellie (Guide) we fantastic! You can really tell how much this group cares about the animals, and how important it is to them for their customers to have the experience of a lifetime. I will definitely be back, and will be requesting this Dynamic Duo! SIDENOTE - leave your camera on the boat, and just enjoy the experience. You'd never be able to get pics as good as Shellie's anyway :)
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chj448 5
27 Jan 2022
We had a fun time. Wade and Trish found a great place to view the manatees. They gave great instructions to a first time snorkel experience. Trish took lots of great pictures. I really enjoyed the day.
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WeLove2travel91 5
27 Jan 2022
This was an amazing experience! We were on the houseboat with captain Wade and our guide was Trisha. They were wonderful. I was a little nervous about mobility getting on and off the boat and they were super helpful and encouraging! We got to enjoy and view these beautiful creatures in their world.
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Rodger M 2
25 Jan 2022
This was our second visit with River Ventures and our 2nd VIP Tour. We rated our 1st experience as a 5 star event and I am being generous to rate this experience a 2. First off, we had specifically requested the same captain and guide as we had last October. Had the company let us know they would not be available we would have tried to find them and gone out with whatever company they worked for. We requested 5 ml wet suits (we used them on our October tour) and our guide gave us 3 ml suits and said they would be fine: They weren't. We KNOW they had 5 ml suits and her refusal to give them to us ruined our experience. My wife was only able to remain in the water about 10 minutes and I was only able to make it less than 20 minutes. We are currently living in South Florida and 12 years before that in the Caribbean and have very thin blood and even though the water was 72 degrees that is quite cold for us. This alone ruined our experience. We paid extra for an enclosed boat with a heated interior. The Captain only lit the heater when we got out of the water. Air temp was 31 F. The heater should have been on before we even got on the boat to insure even a semi-warm interior upon returning from the water. My wife and I are experienced Whale Shark Tour Guides and fully agree with the Rules and Regulations with regards to wild animal tours put forth by the Fish and Game Department and the video which we watched before going on both tours. On this, our 2nd trip, the Tour Guide broke several rules and encouraged guests to do likewise. We were horrified! What a terrible example! That did NOT happen on our first tour our we would never have returned to this company for a second trip. The worse thing for us was that we had invited another couple to join us this time and it was worse than embarrassing. On a positive note, the boat captain was very professional and handled all other functions perectly. I am quite sure if I sent the pictures we purchased of this trip to the Florida Dept of Fish and Game the Guide would be sited for violations. Most people probably wouldn't care but as Conservationists, especially worries about our oceans and all the creatures that live there, this greatly saddens us.
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Monica_S 5
24 Jan 2022
Such a cool nature experience being that close to the gentle manatees. Our tour guide Shelly and our captain Irish Dave were friendly and informative. Everything about this experience was top notch!
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Amanda M 5
23 Jan 2022
SUCH AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. Sarah was wonderful and funny. Everyone associated with this place was so nice and very cool. They explain everyone and they are also kind enough to take photos with you and the manatees. 10000% recommend. Also, if you go, tip them well, they deserve it.
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