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Explorida, Crystal River

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We started off as just a couple of locals who were inspired by the privilege unique to Citrus County..… swimming with the manatees! We realized our desire to share this privilege with others, and uncovered a passion for doing it the right way!

We truly believe wildlife encounters have a legitimate place in education. We are proof that close-up encounters inspire more than a picture or a memorable story. When done responsibly these encounters can be a life-changing experience, and create other like-minded individuals who wish to be respectful of Mother Earth and her inhabitants.

We commit to delivering our visitors the best nature encounters in the most sustainable way. Locally owned AND operated, we care deeply about our community and the future of our wildlife encounters. We thrive off our desire to educate all visitors and hope to inspire the inner nature lover of each person that steps foot through our door. It is this inspiration that encourages improvements necessary to create a bright future for our manatee friends. It is this inspiration that is necessary to protect and preserve nature’s playground for our children and for future generations to come.
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Explorida reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 5.0
1,735 reviews
Google
5.0
TripAdvisor
  • Swimming with the Manatees was on my daughter’s bucket list, so we came in on her spring break and chose this tour. It was a great choice , from the start of making our reservation with Morgan in... 
    Swimming with the Manatees was on my daughter’s bucket list, so we came in on her spring break and chose this tour. It was a great choice , from the start of making our reservation with Morgan in...  more »
  • Captain Tommy B. Was amazing! He was very knowledgeable with not only manatees, but all the local wildlife! He took his time and let all of us really immerse ourselves in the tour! Very fun and would....  more
    Captain Tommy B. Was amazing! He was very knowledgeable with not only manatees, but all the local wildlife! He took his time and let all of us really immerse ourselves in the tour! Very fun and would....  more »
  • The tour was fun because the weather was great and the tour guide was entertaining. We did see a glimpse of a manatee but the folks that did the swim with manatees hover near them so we couldn’t get.....  more
    The tour was fun because the weather was great and the tour guide was entertaining. We did see a glimpse of a manatee but the folks that did the swim with manatees hover near them so we couldn’t get.....  more »
Google
  • What an unforgettable experience! The staff is incredibly friendly and accommodating. We watched a short video and then got our wetsuits. The drive to the river was only a few minutes and our captain Chris found a couple of manatees in no time. Casey, our tour guide, was so much fun and made everyone feel at ease. Both Chris and Casey know so much about manatees and wildlife in general. We thoroughly enjoyed the time spent in the water, exploring the spring and watching the manatees. Can't wait to go back!
  • Excellent tour! Highly recommended. Did a New Year’s Day 2023 swim with manatees tour with me, and my two teenage kids. Steve and Carrie were excellent guides. Gave lots of natural history on the area and on Manatee recovery in general. They scouted out an excellent location. We saw a mother in calf up clothes, and a couple of males at a distance. Added bonus was we saw a large bald eagle on one of the islands on the way back.
  • Brody, Maddie, and the desk staff were all great! Very professional but also relaxed. We were out on a busy and particularly hot day (not ideal for Manatee viewing) yet we still saw several in very clear water. We were able to take our time and decide how we wanted our tour to go, and were not crammed with 20 other people (I think the max is 10 pax total per tour). Would recommend this to anyone visiting this side of FL
  • This is the 4th time I have done swimming with the manatees in Crystal River. This is the first time that we used Explorida. Of the 3 companies we have now used, I think Explorida was the best for a couple of reasons. The changing facilities were large and accomodated a lot of people. This made the whole process of putting on and taking off wet suits so much nicer. The boat was also very clean and nice. It was the largest we had been on. We were able to lock in the boat for 11 people then had the flexibility to add more. We ended up with 14 total. All of the equipment was top notch. Wet suits were very nice and so was the snorkel gear.
  • We were here during the off season (summer)....but still saw several manatees. Our crew consisted of: Alex the Boat Captain, Casey & Matti our Manatee Guides....all were awesome. They gave us great instructions, took wonderful photos, and gave us some history on the manatees in this area. As a National Park Service River Ranger this was a great experience for me. Everything was well organized. I would definitely recommend Explorida for your manatee experiece.

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