Here are some reviews that can be found posted to Trip Advisor, and Google Places, from visitors who have been on our manatee tours.

"Best manatee tour company in Crystal River!!!"
I would recommend River Ventures over any manatee tour company in Crystal River, hands down. The staff were very courteous and professional while still being down to earth and fun. We saw a ton of manatees on our trip, whereas one of my friends went with a competing guide and did not see any manatees at all. We were able to get close enough to touch at least 10 manatees. As a local, the guide Chris was very knowledgeable about the manatees and the springs in general. He was also respectful of the wild nature of the manatees. We bought the video of our tour and it was very well made and fun to watch. The boat, shop and snorkeling equipment were all clean and in very good repair, and you can't beat complimentary coffee and donuts on the boat! Finally, when my sister accidentally left her personal bag containing prescription medication at their shop, River Ventures went out of their way to mail it overnight so that she wouldn't be without her medicine. I often travel but seldom take the time to write reviews. I will make the exception for River Ventures because they went out of their way to make sure our manatee tour was a very positive experience that we won't ever forget. You can't go wrong with River Ventures!

"Excellent Tour and A Lot of Fun"
We were there on Labor Day 2010. Everything was perfect. We had 3 different interactions with the Manatees, which was incredible considering it was the off season. One of the interactions lasted 30 minutes with a mama Manatee and her baby. Our captain, Adrian, also showed us a natural underwater spring that was very cool. River Ventures is a very friendly and knowledgeable operation, and we would highly recommend them.

"River Ventures - Outstanding Manatees Tour"
Without question, no operator in Crystal River can compare with River Ventures! Our whole experience was top notch from the fresh coffee and breakfast treats to the last 15 minutes of our 3+ hour tour with a mother manatee and her baby grazing in crystal clear waters. Our guide, Chris, was superb. His wife welcomed us in the morning with the charm of a sincere southern hostess. Chris knows the areas where manatees swim during the off season (we were there June 16, 2010) and took us right to them. Plus, he was the first in the water with his camera, and guided us right to the site we should be for the best manatee experience. We were not experienced snorkelers, but Chris was very patient with us, especially when we fumbled into the water and scared anything near us far, far away. River Ventures leaves earlier in the morning than the other operators and gets to the manatee areas before the rushing crowds. We saw 4 or 5 other tours. On each, the guides stayed on their boats and told their customers where they should be looking. Chris was in the water instructing. He knows the area, maintains a spotless boat and tries his very best to provide an outstanding manatee experience. We purchased a CD of pictures Chris took and they are excellent. We never could have taken shots like he captured. Look no farther. River Ventures should be your choice for the best manatee experience in Crystal River, FL!

"An awesome day with amazing an team. Highly recommend!"
We arrived at the centre ready for our few hours ahead with the crew and hopefully manatees. What we encountered, was an amazing friendly welcome. The team explained the rules and guidelines in such a way that made you remember everything but still in a chilled calm environment. We were very lucky to snorkel near several manatees. Chris was very experienced and knew exactly how these fellas behave. The unexpected visit to underwater springs and a lagoon made the rest of the trip, truly worthwhile. Absolutely beautiful! If you go to Crystal River, definitely look up River Ventures. Thank you guys - will definitely return for another tour one day.

"The Highlight of My Time in Florida!"
One of my friends suggested I swim with manatees when I came through Florida. He couldn't remember the name of the company he'd gone with, so I just did an internet search and got SO LUCKY finding River Ventures. I went out on the earliest tour and we were the only ones out there for quite some time. I got to swim with the manatees and even play with a couple of the babies. So, so cool. Another boat came along after an hour and unloaded a ton of people, so I was really happy that we'd gone out early and beat the crowd.

"The Camacho's Day on the river"
Just wanted to say thanks to Capt. Chris and Sondra for one of the nicest days we have spent in awhile. We flew my Daughter and her fiance down for her birthday, and decided to surprise her with a swim with the manatee's, best decision ever! Sondra greeted us in the morning in a very well kept and clean welcome center, and went over all the details very carefully so we would know what to expect. Capt. Chris was as she had said, part manatee himself, and his love of them, and the whole environment which has become his world was extremely evident. He found us exceptional opportunities to swim with, and interact with them, and then, as you can tell from their web page, took tons of pictures of us for later memories. I have recommended this to everyone I know when they come down, and plan visit again when my son comes down. Thanks for a fantastic experience guys, The Camacho's.

"Great Family experience with River Ventures Manatee Tour"
I had family visiting Florida from Minnesota with one visiting Florida for the first time. From walking through the doors at River Ventures through our Manatee Tour it was a great experience. It was truley about the customer and making sure we had the experience they wanted to see us have before bringing us in. My family had the best time learning about the area and swimming with many manatees. I have some wonderful pictures to save and especially share of this amazing trip swimming along with the manatees. Thank you for everyone, we will definitely be back.

"Great Time, Interaction and Price"
Our morning with River Ventures was exactly what we hope for when we traveled across the country to swim with the manatees. The staff was so kind and made us feel like their most important customers. We were the first boat out to the lagoon and had a 15 min. interaction with a baby manatee. We even bought the DVD to show our friends. I'm gushing, but seriously, River Ventures was the best choice we made on our Florida vacation.

"Best family vacation ever!"
We talked to 2 other tours before deciding on River Ventures. We were treated to the BEST FAMILY adventure that we could have hoped for! The guide was very professional and accommodating. After the initial water entry with my 3 teenagers they were quite comfortable swimming with the manatees. The guide was not only pleasant to us, he also phoned another tour operator to let them know where to find the manatees the morning of our tour (during the month of April when it is more difficult to find manatees). The price was more than fair for the time and equipment that were provided. We would highly recommend River Ventures to anyone wanting a great adventure in Crystal River! We will return!

"Absolutely LOVED It!!!!"
My family went on a manatee tour with River ventures last week and could not have been more impressed with the whole experience. We chose to go on their earliest tour at 6:30 and it was well worth it. Their facilities are immaculate and had hot chocolate, coffee, and donuts waiting for us. The wetsuits seemed brand new and were in much better condition than most I've seen in diveshops. After watching a brief orientation video they drove us a couple of minutes to their boat which was also clean and had hot drinks and snacks available.

On the way to the springs the owner Chris spotted a couple of dolphins for us in the bay. One of the best things about this company is that they get to the manatees before anybody else so we got into the water without any other boats in the area. After seeing a couple of manatees in the area outside the springs we swam up a natural channel that led to the main springs. It was AMAZING to see about 25 manatees of all sizes sleeping and feeding in crystal clear blue water with a white sand bottom. All in all we spent about 2 hours in the water interacting with the manatees who were more than happy to come right up to you and let you pet and play with them - such an awesome experience! Chris never rushed us and did a great job of videotaping our family the whole time. He even found a huge turtle and pointed it out to us. As the day went on more tours came to the springs so it was great to have had time alone with the manatees when we first got there.

"Best Manatee Tour Group in Crystal River ..."
Capt. Chris and his group are by far ... the most professional and knowledgeable when it comes to Manatee Tours! While our captain interacted with us in the water ... we witnessed other tour companies pulling their boat up and sending their customers into the water by themselves some without goggles! It's evident that anyone can drive a pontoon boat and find the manatees ... but only the professionals understand there's so much more to a river tour! The information we learned from our crew outside the water was just as informative and interesting as our experiences in the water! Very outgoing, fun group of people from the office to the water! Thanks River Ventures for the awesome vacation memories you made for us!

"Best money we ever spent!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
From the first phone call to River Ventures and talking to Chris I knew we had picked the right place! Went today and picked up a kayak which they take down to the water and help you launch and come back for it when you are done! VERY VERY friendly people and very helpful, Chris went over the map with us and showed all the spots that we might encounter a manatee. We went to Three Sisters Springs first and WOW! what a sight! That water is beautiful. We snorkeled there for a bit and back in the kayak to look around. 4 hours on the water with perfect weather and beautiful sights and I was already happy with the money vs services ........ but on the way back we were LUCKY enough to find a manatee. We were able to swim with it for 30 mins or so ................. GREAT time and would recommend River Ventures to ANYONE! Even if we had not found the manatee we were very happy with our day trip and very happy with the staff at River Ventures. THANKS CHRIS (and Chris's Mom for the mask) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"GREAT SNORKELING EXPERIENCE!"
I went snorkeling with the manatees on March 19th with River Ventures and had a great time! My friends and I did the 9:30 tour and it was an amazing experience. The business is located in an easy to find location just minutes away from the docks, full equipped with bathrooms, changing space, etc. Drinks and snacks provided. The snorkel gear and wet suits are in great condition. The boat only takes out a small group, there were only 6 of us. Chris, our guide, took us to Three Sisters to snorkel. He was friendly and knowledgeable of the area. He took video and photos of us while we were swimming with the manatees. He then took us to another location in Kings Bay to check out another spring. That was a really cool site to see as well! Chris let us know we could take all the time we wanted at both sites because we took the later tour and there was no hurry to get back. My friends and I truly enjoyed the experience and I would highly recommend River Ventures for those looking for a wonderful manatee experience.

We would love to see your comments here too. Visit our Manatee Tour page to learn more about going on this amazing manatee adventure.