It was a terrific experience with a very knowledgeable captain, Captain Glenn! It was exciting to see the manatee on our tour!





Explore the heart of manatee country right here in Crystal River—all while staying warm, dry, and comfortable aboard our exceptional tour boat. This covered vessel offers a relaxing way to experience the beauty of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Enjoy up-close views of Florida’s diverse wildlife, with the chance to spot our world-famous manatees along with river otters, turtles, osprey, and more—all from the comfort of your seat. Please note: This is a viewing tour only and does not include swimming.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 9.
Visit the home of the manatee here in Crystal River, while staying high and dry on our exceptional tour boat. This boat is covered, warm, and comfortable to ensure your comfort while you enjoy the views of the wildlife refuge. There is a chance to see our world-famous manatee and many other species of wildlife such as river otters, turtles, osprey, and so much more. This is not a swim tour.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 125 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Kings Bay Manatee Watching Cruise lasts about 1h 30min. The itinerary has 1 stop.
Prices start at $35 per person for this Crystal River experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 3:00 PM.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is You will find us on the water at Paddletail Waterfront Lodge in a 2 story white building. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 16 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 68 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Waterfront Adventures; Swimming with the Manatees.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
It was a terrific experience with a very knowledgeable captain, Captain Glenn! It was exciting to see the manatee on our tour!
Fantastic boat tour. Captain Glenn clearly knew the area and where to look for Manatees. We saw several including a mum and baby. Would highly recommend this.
Absolutely brilliant experience with Captain Glenn. We saw several manatees but Glenn's narration was the highlight of the unhurried and relaxing trip.
Captain Phil was amazing and very knowledgeable of the area. The tour was long enough to see the bay and the amazing architecture.
Thank you! We’re glad Captain Phil made the tour enjoyable and shared his knowledge of the area with you. Hope to see you back out on the water again soon! — The PaddleTail Team
Fantastic, beautiful cruise with tons of stories of the bay and history. It allowed me to see a different part of the bay that you won’t see on the Swimming with the Manatees tour (also highly recommend 🥰). Captain Phil has a great gift for story telling and made the trip fun.
Captain Mark was very knowledgeable and informative! He was extremely interactive and was Great with kids!
Fun and informative bay tour. Easy boat trip and reasonably priced. Capt. Philip made sure we saw all the wildlife, not just Manatees. Really enjoyed ourselves.
We had Phil as our tour guide and he told us fun stories throughout the tour. We saw a TON of wildlife. We saw manatees (including a breeding pod) native birds, an alligator, turtles, and a dolphin! It was the perfect amount of time on the boat.
Know you are part of a group and sit on bench seats…….not very comfortable but good for seeing all the sights
We had a great afternoon tour of the bay. Captian Glenn put us on several Manatees, Osprey, Cormorants and a large Turtle! He had great stories about the area. I highly recommend booking a tour!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Kings Bay Manatee Watching Cruise | 1h 30min | 4.8 (68) | $35 | |
Plantation's Kings Bay Scenic Cruise | 1 hour | 4.7 (715) | $25 | View |
King's Bay Sunset Cruise | 1h 30min | 4.9 (91) | $39 | View |
Plantation's Kings Bay Sunset Cruise | 1h–1h 15min | 4.8 (77) | $35 | View |
Crystal River Manatee Viewing Cruise | 1h 30min | 4.9 (1,236) | $51 | View |
Kings Bay Eco Tours | 1h 30min | 5.0 (142) | $55 | View |
Most Popular 3hr Manatee Swim Tour + In-Water Guide! | 3 hours | 4.9 (3,086) | $76 | View |