Plan your visit
You've been looking forward to this for a while. Here's an honest picture of the day, so you show up knowing exactly what you're in for.
From the logbook
1
Before you arrive. Sign your waivers online and keep them on your phone. Put your swimsuit on at the hotel. It saves time at the dock.
2
Check in at the dock. Our tours depart from our private docks at Monkey Island Riverside Resort, 5297 S Cherokee Way, Homosassa (Dock B). Please arrive on time or a few minutes early. Restrooms are available.
3
Suit up. We fit everyone with a wetsuit (sizes from toddler to 5X), mask and snorkel. No fins. You won't need them.
4
Learn Manatee Manners. Your captain covers safety and how to behave around manatees before anyone gets wet. Manatee Manners →
5
Find the manatees. Your captain picks the best manatee water of the day, based on conditions and what the manatees did yesterday. You'll learn about the river, the manatees and the wildlife on the way.
6
Float quietly. When the captain finds manatees, the anchor goes down and you slip into the water. Most guests spend 60 to 90 minutes in the water. You float on the surface with a noodle and let the manatees come to you.
7
Head back. Hot cocoa or coffee in the cooler months, ice water in the warmer ones, and every question you can think of on the ride home.
Can't swim well? You'll float. The swims are easy and you'll never be rushed. This isn't reef snorkeling in the Keys, where you hold your breath and dive. You stay on the surface the whole time.
Rather stay dry? You're welcome to watch from the boat. Every person aboard needs a reservation, swimmer or not.
"Face it. After a certain age, getting out of a pool float with dignity is a lost cause. So we hand everyone a noodle."
Manatees live in these waters all year. What changes is how many are here, where they are, and what the water looks like.
Cooler months: mid-October to April
Warmer months: May to September
Manatees
Migratory manatees arrive and join the residents. The biggest numbers of the year
Resident manatees: mothers with calves, rehabilitated animals, and a few that simply never leave
Where they are
Close to the warm springs
Spread out along the river and feeding areas
Water
Springs stay about 72°F. When it's cold, 10 to 15 manatees in a spring can become 75 to 150, and they stir up the bottom
River and bay water 80°F or warmer. Often tea-colored from natural tannins
Crowds
Busiest season in the area
Quieter, fewer boats on the water
Sanctuaries
Temporary manatee sanctuaries marked with white ropes, Nov 15 to Mar 31
None in place
When the Gulf drops below about 68 to 70°F, manatees head for the warm springs, sometimes within a single night. The best stretch is often after several cold nights in a row with no storms, high winds or extra-low tides in the forecast. A big storm front can make the day before it tricky. Manatees stock up and hunker down, just like people do.
Yes, if you go in knowing what it is. You'll see fewer manatees, in darker water, often with your boat to yourselves. One of our guests put it well after an August trip: they saw four or five manatees in tea-colored water, and called it amazing anyway.
The water isn't always crystal clear, and we won't pretend it is. These are natural, spring-fed rivers, not swimming pools. Rain, wind, tides, natural tannins, and the number of manatees stirring things up all change the visibility from day to day and sometimes hour to hour. When it's cold, the 10 to 15 manatees in a spring can become 75 to 150, and they stir up the bottom. The springs are warm all year. Clear is never a promise.
Some of the photos you've seen online were taken on the best day of the year. We'd rather you come for the manatee than for the picture. When a wild animal drifts up to look at you, you won't be thinking about the visibility.
You may have heard that first light is best. That idea dates back to the early days of manatee tours, when two operators were racing each other to the springs. It stuck around as a sales line.
Manatees don't keep a schedule. Where they are depends on the water temperature, the tide, and what they did the night before. Early, midday and afternoon tours all have great encounters, so pick the time that fits your day. Disney, a flight, or Grandma's house can come first.
Tour
Departs
The Marvelous Manatee, 3-hour shared
8 AM, 10 AM, 12 PM, 2 PM
The Magnificent Manatee, 3-hour private
7 AM, 10 AM, 1 PM
Manatee Mania, 4-hour private
8 AM, 1 PM
Manatee Madness, 6-hour private with dockside lunch
8 AM
Your captain may move your start time by up to 1 hour, based on where the manatees were the day before. If that happens, you'll hear from us in advance, and your tour length doesn't change.
Our tours run on protected inland rivers, not the open Gulf, so a passing Florida shower usually doesn't stop us. A 60% chance of rain often means rain for a few minutes. Lightning, high wind and poor visibility are different. Your captain watches conditions all day, and safety comes first. If we cancel for weather, you can reschedule or take a credit with no extra fees.
Your swimsuit, worn under your clothes
A towel and dry clothes. We don't provide towels on the shared tour.
Sunscreen and sunglasses for the boat
A sweatshirt or jacket in the cooler months. The water's 72°F, but the ride back can be breezy
A waterproof camera if you have one
Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are welcome
We provide
Wetsuit, mask, snorkel, noodle, and a captain who won't stop talking about manatees.
The No Sighting Promise
Our captains find manatees on 90% of trips. They live here year-round, which helps. On the rare day the manatees don't cooperate, you get a return voucher that never expires. It's free with trip protection, or $15 per person without.
The manatees will handle the Manatee Magic.
Book your manatee tour
Every tour is a small boat with six guests or fewer. Choose a tour to see dates and times.
Private
$450 per boat, up to 6
Groups up to 24 on 4 boats
Departs 7, 10 and 1
Private, more water time
$585 per boat, up to 6
Groups up to 24 on 4 boats
Departs 8 AM and 1 PM
Private, lunch included
$999 per boat, up to 6
Groups up to 24 on 4 boats
Departs 8 AM
Not sure which one? Compare the tours
More than six in your group? Call 352-257-8687
