I recommend the early tour. You'l see more mannetees. Its the best place in florida to find them. The guide is very nice and energetic even though its morning. Keep in mind the warmer it get the smaller the chance to find them. I went in may and saw a group of four.

Took the 6:15 AM tour as the TA reviewers recommended - this is the best chance of seeing manatees while there is less water activity. Bird's were well organised and the trip was not rushed - ran well over time. Our Capt used all his knowledge to find the manatees (end of April and a lot of the manatees have... More

It's was a perfect tour. Our captain was trying to get the very best manatee experience for us out of the trip even though the weather was really bad. She took very good care of us and didn't let us into the water when lightning came up. Instead she jumped into the water to get some great pics for the... More

They provide all necessary equipment (wetsuit, snorkel gear) and explain all the rules and regulations. We set out with Captain Chris. She was very nice and really had to look for manatees for us. Its off-peak in the middle of May, so we weren't expecting anything. She found one for us to swim with, and it was a beautiful experience.... More

We visit Siesta Key/Sarasota every year and decided to make the 2 1/2 drive to Crystal River to swim with the manatees. The start time is early around 6:15 am which made it an early morning to get there but it was more than worth it. The folks at Bird's were helpful and cheerful as they helped us suit up... More

Captain Chris took us out in her boat at 6.15, hoping to find Manatees, this late in the season ( end of april ), when most of them have left for the sea... We were véry lucky, actually found two mothers with their baby Manatee and many more, plus 25 húge Tarpon ! We were overwhelmed, having such a close... More

My husband and I went on the early morning tour. It was a wonderful experience. Everything was explained to us clearly before we went out in the boat so there weren't any surprises. The manatees were not as abundant during this time of year (April) as during the winter, and the water was a bit cloudy, but we were still... More

I took my husband to swim with manatees for his birthday not knowing that nearly all the manatees leave by April and the only few left are eating and mating. Captain Chris really had to search to find us some manatees and she seemed very worried that we may not get to see any, but we finally found three and... More

We took our two girls, 7 and 10, for the 6.15am tour. The experience was magical. To see these beautiful creatures at such close quarters will be something we shall never forget. We have just shown the videos and photos to the grandparents and the girls are still full of wonder and amazement.