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.

Out trip was great! Captain Donna is the best! We took our two daughters and who had an earlier bad snorkeling experience at another location. She made them both very comfortable and ensured that they would have a great time. Less than 20 minutes into our experience, we had a hugh manatee swim directly below us and my youngest daughter... More

Heard from many people that we might not see any manatees in April since it was considered the off season. Captain Chris worked really hard to find some for us while simultaneously operating the boat. It was also very apparent how much she cared about the welfare of the manatees. She was courteous to other tour companies even when they... More

:My daughter and I have been been going to Bird's Underwater for the last 10 years. We rent all our dive equipment from them and also kayaks over the last two years. The service is always excellent as is the equipment; that goes for the diving and kayaks. This is not the kind of shop that rushes you out the... More

I read about swimming with the manatees in the "1000 Places to See Before You Die" book by Patricia Schultz. There are many tour groups available in Crystal River but we were lucky to receive a recommendation to go to "Birds Underwater". The people were very friendly and our Captain Chris was knowledgeable after her 10 years with "Birds Underwater".... More