Manatee Adventure, Everglades Style Airboat, Lunch, Wildlife Park & Transport
Overview
Description
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Crystal River, Crystal River, Florida
You’ve come all the way to Florida, so it makes sense to actually see as much of it as possible, and no other tour provides such a wide-ranging, in-depth experience as this tour.
This action-packed day starts with a full overview of your day as you head out to the beautiful Crystal River area on the Gulf coast, 80 miles north-west of Orlando. This is the Manatee Capital of the World, and the only place in America where it is legal to swim with manatees, in their natural habitat.
It's also home to stunning natural springs and loads of wildlife. You’ll meet an essential part of it as you gear up for the signature Manatee Snorkel under the supervision of a Coast Guard Certified Captain*. You will learn all about the unique West Indian manatee – and then get to see some of them, up close and personal in the crystal-clear waters!
* NB: any person wishing to do the manatee swim must hire a wetsuit prior to boat departure. Snorkel equipment is provided free.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, 4150 S Suncoast Blvd, Homosassa Springs, FL 34446-1168
You'll then head off to 210-acre Homosassa Springs State Park, a genuine hidden gem of Florida nature, where there is plenty of local wildlife to see and hear about, including the endangered Florida panther, black bears, red wolves, bobcats and alligators, as well as a profusion of birdlife, notably whooping cranes and flamingos.
Also here is the unique sight of Nature’s Fish Bowl, an underwater observatory built over the mouth of the main spring where a huge number of fish hang out, while the Park has its own manatee rehabilitation program to provide another exciting glimpse of these rare sea mammals. Lunch is included here.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Withlacoochee River, Florida, USA
Finally, the day will conclude with an exciting airboat ride on the Withlacoochee River, another natural haven where you can see more wildlife in its natural habitat and enjoy the thrill of skimming the water at up to 45mph in these exhilarating, flat-bottomed craft.
Duration: 1 hour
Inclusions
- Boat tour of Kings Bay and Crystal River
- Admission into Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
- Airboat ride on the Withlacoochee River
- Lunch
- Roundtrip Transportation from International Drive, Disney and Kissimmee
- Professional and Certified Tour Guide
- Complimentary Mask and Snorkel
- All taxes and fees
- Entry/Admission - Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
Exclusions
- Mandatory $12 wetsuit rental fee for any swimmers
- Gratuities
- Meals and drinks not mentioned
Additional information
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Most travelers can participate
- 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 tour/activity will have a maximum of 55 travelers
- Face masks required for travelers in public areas
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Face masks provided for 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
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
- Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Operates
See Availability
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
Had a great day observing a pregnant manatee, seeing various other wildlife and topping it off with spotting gators on a thrilling airboat ride.
Had a great day observing a pregnant manatee, seeing various other wildlife and topping it off with spotting gators on a thrilling airboat ride.The airboat ride and the swimming with the manatees was amazing !! Paul our tour guide was extremely entertaining and funny ! Thank You to Paul and Linda !
The airboat ride and the swimming with the manatees was amazing !! Paul our tour guide was extremely entertaining and funny ! Thank You to Paul and Linda !Loved the airboat the most since it got a bit hot on the middle part of the tour. Great host Paul and driver, Linda
Loved the airboat the most since it got a bit hot on the middle part of the tour. Great host Paul and driver, LindaManatee experience was super cool. Very relaxing and lovely. Park experience was a nice walk, also very lovely. When we got to the boat ride, the last excursion, we had a new captain. I’m guessing she didnt know where all the “spots” were, as we didn’t see many gators and she was worried about a ...
Manatee experience was super cool. Very relaxing and lovely. Park experience was a nice walk, also very lovely. When we got to the boat ride, the last excursion, we had a new captain. I’m guessing she didnt know where all the “spots” were, as we didn’t see many gators and she was worried about a couple things on the boat. We had heard our driver complain about something wrong with our bus a couple times, and when she called the office to let them know, the office told her they would check it out tomorrow. Well surprise, our bus broke down in the middle of no where Florida. It added an extra three hours to our day, and it was our last day to explore. Really disappointed that our guides tried to make everything right, and that the home office kind of just waved off the drivers concern. The tour guide gave us a bottle of water, but that didn’t really make up for it.Great all day adventure. Loved all places. Swimming with manatees was very cool. Matt was exceptional in helpful with me snorkeling as I felt panicked at times due to my health condition. Zoo area was beautiful & peaceful. Air boat ride was also nice. Guides were at all places were so helpful. ...
Great all day adventure. Loved all places. Swimming with manatees was very cool. Matt was exceptional in helpful with me snorkeling as I felt panicked at times due to my health condition. Zoo area was beautiful & peaceful. Air boat ride was also nice. Guides were at all places were so helpful. Hint: not sure this is tour with small children unless they know how to float quietly without kicking their feet. Compliment to our bus driver, Linda & guide, Ryan who had to manage our bus breaking an axial & they stayed calm. This delayed our return home by 3 hours. Only reason I gave a 4 stars which was no one's fault.Paul, our guide was informative, professional and entertaining. Linda our driver was great. Food was good. Captain Porter and Cat made their best effort to make sure we enjoyed our time and got to see the manatees, and we were able to see them up close. And the airboat ride was fun. Overall it wa...
Paul, our guide was informative, professional and entertaining. Linda our driver was great. Food was good. Captain Porter and Cat made their best effort to make sure we enjoyed our time and got to see the manatees, and we were able to see them up close. And the airboat ride was fun. Overall it was a great experience!