Capt. Mike's Swimming with Manatees, Crystal River FL

We booked a tour with them unfortunately we came late a few minutes and they said they could do nothing to help us even do we called them to let them know we were gonna be late.but the worse is that we asked them for another company to do the activity we wanted to do and they said they didn't know another company.we left very sad almost sure we wouldn't be able to do the activity swimming with the manatees at the end we tried our luck and did a few call after looking in Google some of then were fully booked but one of those recommended Birds underwater they were really nice over the phone and help us to book the activity swimming with the manatees. Rosie was so nice and gentle from the beginning so finally we did what we thought it was impossible. Bad experience with Capt. Mike's but thanks to Birds underwater we did what we wanted to do.swim with the manatees.

Great pontoon rental. Probably the biggest reason I chose them is gas is included in the rental so you don't have to worry about filling up. That was a big deal to me. No hidden costs, just a good ol pontoon rental. We brought our own snorkel gear, and we were able to find tons of manatees to swim around with. Great day.
One thing to note, the dock they use is pretty tight, so if you're new to boating it may be a bit hairy for you.

Captain Mike and Zach were really awesome. The boat was plenty big, we all had lots of room, their equipment was good, and they knew exactly where to go. I’d definitely come back to Captain Mike’s the next time I am here with my whole family.

Just the best!

Incredible experience. Fun people. Beautiful manatees up close and personal.

Highly recommended!

So much fun! I was thinking I’d be happy if I seen one or two manatees, but we were lucky and seen so many, more I can’t even say how many in total. The guides were great the whole experience was just awesome. Gavin and Dj were our captain and guide. Thank you guys for making it a great fun experience.

Booked a platinum tour last minute the day before, Captain Mike’s was wonderful when we called to inquire since there wasn’t any online availability. Had a great time with Captain DJ and Captain in-training/in water guide Owen, both were knowledgeable and entertaining. We were able to see several manatee from the boat as well as up close and then swam at one of the springs. It was a nice well rounded trip. Definitely recommend!

Very chill experience. Captain Dave, Jessica swimmer wrangler and manatee/swimmer guide, and Dennis manatee/swimmer guide. We had a great crew and fun group. Saw manatees. Saw other wildlife and was a really great experience. Would deff do again. This time of year the manatees are still being spotted but first part of the year, or Christmas time frame, alot more manatees in the area here. Also two locations, so when booking verify which location you need to be at.

Owen, Nick and team amazing people who made us feel so confident in the water. Their patience and enthusiasm made my children live the most wonderful experience under the water. Ivanna and Fabiano!

I had so much dang fun!

If you suck at dealing with the cold, find some thermals made to wear under a wetsuit.

Delightful and very friendly. Captain Moe and first mate Nick were wonderful, informative and found several manatees. The water was very clear. Only problem, we couldn't find Capt. Mike's easily.

Great experience. Staff is funny, informative and caring. They make sure every passenger enjoys the adventure. Would recommend these guys and gals to everyone.

We had a great gude Owen and Captain! I recommend going when it's been cooler weather, and early in the morning. The area was so congested with other companies, kayaks and paddleboards. I cannot stress enough how important it is to be calm and sneaky when getting into and being in the water so they hang around. With younger kids it's hard.

What a great day in and on the water with the kids and grand-kids. Since there were 6 of us, we got the platinum tour and spent 5 very informative and fun hours with Captain Shawn and water guide Jessica. My 8 and 10 year old grandchildren had a great day swimming with the manatee and viewing bald eagles and many other aquatic birds. The tour also included a ride up the river to Three Sisters Springs where we swam up to the underwater spring head in crystal clear waters seeing fish and turtles swimming alongside us. Jessica went out of her way to ensure great manatee viewing. She was very nice and had great knowledge of the area and all the wildlife, that she shared with our grand kids. It was like a personal field trip for them.

Though the help in the building seemed disconnected and unfriendly. The captain and crew were very helpful and were responsible for my wife having an amazing encounter

We went out yesterday (2.24.23) with Owen as our in water guide/captin in training and DJ as the over seeing captin.we found them both to be very friendly, entertaining, relatable and knowledgeable! They were able to get us to see some Manatees or parts of them but I am only giving them a 4 out of 5 because the water is not clear by any means and you dont enteract with the Manatees in any way like the photo shopped pictures. Both out of their control but did lessen the experience for us. This was a spur if the moment decision so my tips going forward for you would be.research time of year, ect that you are going and to definately book it with Owen and DJ!

Captain DJ & Guide Owen made a 15 year long dream come true!

Whilst it was a 5 hour return journey from our Villa in Kissimmee, we were immediately made welcome by the entire team at Captain Mikes.

Our first attempt to swim with manatees was at 1pm and wasn’t very successful. Despite a valiant effort from the team onboard, we suffered the understandable consequences of trying to see wild animals in their natural habitat of not seeing any.

Whilst the kids were obviously disappointed to not see anything for 3 hours, this was evidentially matched by the team onboard who pulled out all of the stops to get us up close with a manatee on another occasion.

After arranging a better/earlier time of another day, we had an amazing up close experience with these majestic giants.

Owen & DJ were great hosts, answering any and all questions with their great knowledge and experience - of which there were MANY from my 9 year old daughter!

Great equipment, fantastic staff attitude and amazing experiences - would highly recommend this place to any friends & family!

We had a great experience last week with the folks at Captain Mike's. New location so was a little tricky to find building in early morning, but otherwise no complaints. Captain Chaz, along with Brandon and one other guide took us out on Spring break. There were only 6 folks on the tour, much less than we saw on other boats. We really appreciated the freedom we had in the water to explore. Other tours kept
everyone in a tight group, almost on top of each other. In our case, we could stay away from the clumps of people and enjoy the peace and calm with these amazing wild creatures. An amazing memory! Thank you!

We took a private tour with captain DJ and Owen and had a wonderful time! It was a great experience that we will never forget!

Captain MO and our guide Brandon were absolutely terrific! We swam and saw lots of manatee! It was quite the experience! Would highly recommend!

Truly a fascinating and amazing experience I am looking forward to my next trip thank you for the awesome experience. They do a fine job keeping wetsuits, masks and snorkels clean after each swim.