Best KID FRIENDLY manatee tour around!! - We knew we might be taking a gamble booking a manatee tour before the season started but we went for it anyway. River ventures, captain Chris and James blew us away! When we were looking for yours, I contacted several places and many turned us away because we were coming with young kids (9,7,5,3,10 months). We had realistic expectations for our tour with some many little ones and also the season but we couldn’t have asked for a better experience! Everyone was so wonderful with the kids and patient. We quickly found a manatee and they made sure all the kids were able to get into the water and see it. Then they took us around the springs to find gators and then to another spring where the kids could swim and see more cool things. Everyone went above and beyond, all my kids raved about the experience and said they can’t wait to come back!

fantastic tour guides - Carlos and Captain Tanner were fantastic and super informative! they very obviously care for the work they do and are happy to come to work.

Wonderful and informative! - We had such a great time with our guide( Natalie) Captain ( Irish Dave), and these wonderful animals. We had 4 non-swimmers and 4 swimmers. They were so gracious and allowed all of us to see and swim with them. Great knowledge provided.

Amazing! - The single most amazing interaction with wildlife I have ever experienced. Our Captain and our guide were exceptional and did everything possible to make our visit as brilliant as possible. The Manatee even cooperated with us. Everything was done to make the trip easy from Booking to our initial visit to the tour centre including keeping us informed about Hurricane Debbie and its after effects. The bus driver and all the staff were superb. We will return in 2 years.

Beautiful and once in a lifetime - Amazing, such a beautiful experience. Sheila, our guide was fun, informative and relaxed. She clearly loves her job and cares about the manatee. Tanner, our Captain was incredibly knowledgeable and funny, he made sure my parents, who were unable to get in the water also saw manatee and had a great time. He had some great stories and obviously knows the area and it's ecosystem very well. They were both so lovely and really made our experience even more special. The communication from the office was also fantastic. Our trip had to be cancelled due to a hurricane and they communicated throughout, ensuring we got our experience and rescheduling several times so we felt confident we would still get to go out before we flew home to Scotland. Special mention to our bus driver Joanna who was so friendly and fun, the kids loved the wee bus ride! Thanks all, just amazing.

The most amazing experience. - We had the absolute pleasure of swimming with manatee today. Our fabulous guide, Sheila, was so experienced, caring and kind. Our amazing captain, Tanner, was knowledgeable, kind, caring and funny. They both made our experience one to remember. They were both amazing with the whole family and really took the time to make the children, and adults, feel at ease. I can not recommend River ventures, and particularly Sheila and Tanner enough.

Captain Dave & Chris are the best! - Captain Dave & Chris took us out for a wonderful tour! We swam with manatee and in crystal clear water of a spring. They were very educational and lots of fun too! Book your trip with Captain Dave & Chris!

Fun family time with Carlos & Tanner - We had a great time - had Carlos and Tanner on the boat - super friendly, super helpful, Saw a mom and her calf, and then some males moved in (tough crowd, lol) - weather was perfect, and the springs didn’t disappoint!

Manatees, dolphins, and fish oh my! - Captain Chris and Carlos were awesome guides, full of great information on the area, the manatees, as well as copious other animals that inhabit the area. We were able to see schools of mullet, dolphins, crabs, etc and even a baby manatee. 10/10 would recommend.

Great experience even in June - This is a great company that we will definitely use again. We were a group of 9 people ranging from 2 years old to just old, and everyone had a great time. They provided the snorkels, wetsuits, and floating noodles and everything was clean and in top shape. Everyone from the guide, captain, to the other workers in store were friendly and helpful. Even though we went in late June (not the optimal time to visit), we were able to see several manatees (including a mother with her calf) and were able to swim close to them. We also got a chance to see the manatees' ninja-like abilities and were amazed that such a huge animal could just disappear without a trace. We definitely plan to come back sometime in the winter to see the manatees again in greater numbers and clearer waters and will be using River Ventures again.