The Real Florida Adventure & Swim with Manatees

Two uniquely Florida Experiences - Swim with manatees AND enjoy a wild airboat ride on this #1 rated excursion

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  • 48 booked
  • 61 reviews rated 5 stars
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Full details

Swim with majestic Manatees in their natural environment...

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 experience as the carefully crafted Real Florida Adventure! The undoubted highlight is the chance to swim with majestic manatees in the beautiful crystal river - the only place in America where it is legal to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Our guide to The Real Florida Adventure & Swim with Manatees

Your action-packed day starts with a full overview of what’s in store as you travel west from Orlando to the picturesque Crystal River area on Florida's Gulf Coast.

This natural paradise is the Manatee Capital of the World and the only place in the USA where it is possible to swim with these majestic marine creatures. The Crystal River area is also home to stunning natural springs and lots of other unique wildlife, all of which can be enjoyed on a leisurely narrated boat ride along the Crystal River through the manatee country. If you are lucky, you will get to see manatees in their natural environment - you are encouraged to swim and snorkel with these beautiful creatures under the supervision of a Coast Guard Certified Captain. Or you can simply sit back, relax and enjoy the natural surroundings.

After the manatee boat ride, the Real Florida Adventure continues to the 210-acre Homosassa Springs State Park, a genuine hidden gem of Florida nature. Here there is an abundance of native wildlife to see and learn about, including the endangered Florida panther, black bears, red wolves, bobcats and alligators plus a profusion of birdlife, notably whooping cranes and flamingos.

Homosassa Springs State Park is also home to the unique sight of Nature’s Fish Bowl, an underwater observatory built over the mouth of the mainspring, where huge numbers of fish congregate, plus the Park has its own manatee rehabilitation program to provide another exciting glimpse of these rare sea mammals.

Enjoy a packed lunch at Homosassa Springs State Park before heading off for your final Floridian experience - an exciting airboat ride on the Withlacoochee River. Another natural haven on Florida's Gulf Coast, here you can see even more wildlife in its natural habitat as you experience the thrill of skimming the water at up to 45mph in these exhilarating, flat-bottomed watercraft.

Operates:

Mondays and Wednesdays, year-round. 

Pick-up Time & Schedule:

  • Margaritaville Resort at 7:45am - Banquet and Event Entrance, 8000 Fins Up Circle, Kissimmee FL 34747
  • Golden Corral Restaurant LBV at 8.00am - 8707 Vineland Ave, Orlando, FL 32821
  • Orlando Star Flyer at Icon Park at 8.30am - 8265 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819

Duration: 

Around 12 hours in total.

Special Offers for The Real Florida Adventure & Swim with Manatees

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Terms and conditions

Terms and conditions for The Real Florida Adventure & Swim with Manatees

  • Due to the natural conditions of this experience, an encounter with the Manatees cannot be guaranteed. However, the expert Coast Guard-certified boat captains will do everything they can to make this happen. There is a population of around 80 Manatees that live in the Crystal River year-round with numbers swelling to around 300 in the winter months.
  • Wetsuits are not included in the tour price but can be rented on the day for $12.00 and act as an excellent buoyancy aid. Any person wishing to do the manatee swim must hire a wetsuit prior to boat departure. The water temperature is around 72 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The main purpose of wearing a wet suit in this situation is to aid in keeping you buoyant and still on the surface of the water. Splashing around will only scare manatees away. A wet suit helps keep you afloat.
  • The Florida Adventure Tour runs from central location points in Orlando and you will need to make your own way to one of these departure points. Your nearest pick-up location will be confirmed locally upon tour reconfirmation.
  • Water can vary from 4 feet to 24 feet deep. Pool noodles are provided for all guests but anybody wishing to go in the water should be able to at least float calmly. 
  • CANCELLATION POLICY: Free cancellations for bookings cancelled with the operator up to 72 hours before your chosen activity date. No refunds are given for cancellations made within 72 hours.

The Real Florida Adventure & Swim with Manatees Reviews

Average 4.8 out of 5

69 Reviews

  • 5 61
  • 4 6
  • 3 0
  • 2 1
  • 1 1
  • 5 stars:

    GREAT day out. Breakfast on the bus, Visit to a zoo, swimming with manatees ( glorious!! ) airboat ride ( got soaked!! ) Lunch and breakfast were ok, but nothing hot. The lady on the tour bus was SOO good!

    June Perez reviewed Florida Adventure Tour Swim with Manatees 24 Mar, 2020

  • 5 stars:

    A good day out. We didn't manage to see any manatees, but the operators tried their best and the rest of the day was very enjoyable.

    Trusted Customer reviewed Florida Adventure Tour Swim with Manatees 06 Mar, 2020

  • 5 stars:

    A fantastic day out. The only slight issue we had was the poor changing facilities at Crystal River. Apart from that, I would highly recommend.

    Caroline Dempsey reviewed Florida Adventure Tour Swim with Manatees 05 Nov, 2019

  • 5 stars:

    Great to see the Manatees in there own environment. Very informative to hear how they are doing in the wild and that the population is slowly growing.

    Trusted Customer reviewed Florida Adventure Tour Swim with Manatees 29 Sep, 2019

  • 5 stars:

    The swim with manatees was out of this world .i had never heard about the manatees until one of my friend mentioned them , so when I booked to go to Florida we looked into it and saw this on your web page and the tour included airboat ride and a wild life park with breakfast and lunch excellant will use you again

    Adrian Knaggs reviewed Florida Adventure Tour Swim with Manatees 30 Apr, 2019

View all 69 customer reviews

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