Snorkeling with Manatees: In-Water Guide & All Gear

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/14

Duration3h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Float quietly with manatees while a guide photographs the moment

Snorkeling with manatees is a three-hour activity where you swim and float in shallow water with wild manatees in their natural habitat. A guide stays in the water with you throughout, providing instruction and taking photos you can purchase afterward. All snorkeling gear—mask, snorkel, wetsuit and foam noodle—is included, and the experience suits swimmers of any ability.

The Experience

You arrive at the tour center, meet your guide, and get fitted with a wetsuit, mask and snorkel. The wetsuit keeps you warm and adds buoyancy; the foam noodle gives you extra flotation so you can relax into the water. Then you board the boat for a scenic ride to where the manatees gather. The whole thing is built around staying calm and still—you're mostly floating in a quiet manner, letting the manatees come to you rather than chasing them. Your guide stays right there in the water with you, watching for moments and keeping the group safe.

The three hours move slowly, which is the point. You're not rushing between stops or checking off a list. Instead you're hovering in place, watching these massive gentle animals drift past, sometimes close enough to see their whiskers and scars. The guide takes photographs throughout and you can review them at the end of the tour; if you want prints or digital files, you can buy them then. Before you go, the operator sends you a video called Manatee Manners that walks you through how to behave in the water so the animals stay comfortable around you.

The captains are U.S. Coast Guard licensed and all guides are drug tested. The tour center itself is a full-service facility with free parking and a gift shop that specializes in manatee merchandise—over 99% of what they stock is manatee-related, which tells you something about how long they've been doing this. Fun 2 Dive has been running these tours since 1995.

What’s included

Three-hour snorkeling activity with a guide in the water alongside you.
all snorkeling gear including wetsuit, mask, snorkel and foam noodle.
scenic boat ride to the manatee habitat.
guide photography throughout the tour.
free parking at the tour center.
access to the full-service facility and manatee gift shop.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Fun 2 Dive Manatee Tours

Is this one for you?Pick this tour if you're arriving without a car—the on-site facility means you start from one location without needing transport elsewhere.