Swimming With Manatees In FL Among Top World Adventures: Tripadvisor

CRYSTAL RIVER, FL — Ranking right up there with a camel safari in Dubai, a Classic Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu, Hot Air Balloons Ride in Luxor Egypt and the Northern Lights Adventure in Greenland as Tripadvisor's Top Bucket List Experiences in the world is swimming with the manatees in Crystal River, Florida.

The travel guide platform, Tripadvisor, announced the winners of its coveted Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Things to Do Awards, with the Explorida Manatee Swim Tour in Crystal River voted the No. 10, the only U.S.-based experience to make the top 10.

Tripadvisor’s Best Things to Do Awards are based on an analysis of authentic reviews and ratings of experiences, tours, attractions and activities over the past 12 months from Tripadvisor travelers.

The Top Bucket List Experience in the World subcategory is one of 11 included in the 2022 awards.

Crystal River is known as the Manatee Capital of the World, and home to several professional tour operators, like Explorida, which specialize in manatee swim experiences.

“We’re thrilled for Explorida on making such a prestigious list and congratulate their team for delivering unforgettable bucket list experiences for our visitors,” said John Pricher, director of Discover Crystal River Florida. “Like all our certified tour operators, Explorida is an expert in providing a safe, fun, one-of-a-kind vacation adventure, but also take very seriously our shared responsibility of promoting and protecting the local manatee population.”

According to Pricher, the tour guides in Crystal River make sure swimmers, paddlers and boaters adhere to rules regarding interaction with manatees in the wild and avoid designated sanctuary areas.

“We’re beyond honored to receive this esteemed designation,” said Kim Altman, who co-owns and operates Explorida with her husband, Anthony Altman. “From conception, we’ve dedicated ourselves to the customer experience at Explorida, educating guests and doing our part to protect the manatees and resources we all call home. That’s what our guests experience when they step foot in our door, and what got us here today.”

The Altmans are committed to running a sustainable operation, emphasizing the importance of recreating responsibly.

“When offering guided tours of natural resources, we believe a responsible company should embody all aspects of preservation and conservation. At Explorida, we set the industry standard by equipping every boat in our fleet with Powerpole (spike) Anchors to protect the grass beds, and prop guards to benefit the grasses and manatee population as well. Our guests recognize and appreciate our efforts," Kim Altman said.

Travelers’ Choice award winners are those select accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently demonstrate a commitment to hospitality excellence and are among the top 10 percent of listings on Tripadvisor.

Travelers’ Choice “Best of the Best” award winners, like swimming with the manatees in Crystal River, are among the top 1 percent of listings on Tripadvisor, earning consistently great reviews.

Kate Urquhart, general manager of Experiences at Tripadvisor, said the awards bring well-deserved recognition to the hard-working and skilled tour operators who have managed to provide exceptional experiences to their guests while still navigating the pandemic.

In addition to swim tours, the Crystal River region makes it easy to see manatees in the wild from easily accessed boardwalks at Three Sisters Springs and the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, or by kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding throughout Kings Bay or the Homosassa River.

Located 90 minutes from Tampa Bay, Crystal River is also home to the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, the only refuge in the United States specifically created to protect critical habitats for the manatee. Manatees can be found there year-round, but especially during manatee season when hundreds of the slow-moving mammals leave the nearby Gulf of Mexico for the constant 72-degree spring waters of Kings Bay and the Homosassa River.

Clear Kayak Tour

This is the second year in a row that Florida has received world recognition from Trip Advisor.

In 2021, the Clear Kayak Tour of Shell Key Preserve and Tampa Bay Area made Trip Advisor's list of Top Overall Experiences in the World along with the Amsterdam Open Boat Canal Cruise from the Anne Frank House, an Aruba Natural Pool and Indian Cave Jeep Safari, a Red Dunes Quad Bike, Sandsurf, Camels and BBQ at Al Khayma Camp in Dubai, a High-Speed Thames River Cruise in London and the Reykjavik Food Walk in Iceland.

The clear kayak tour came in No. 5 on the list of world adventures and No. 1 in the United States.

Tripadvisor said the tour in a clear kayak offers the advantage of greater visibility of the underwater world. Along the way, participants can see a variety of coastal birds and marine life while taking a break to enjoy beaches and sandbars.

Shell Key Clear Kayak Tours operates out of Billy’s Stone Crab at 1 Collany Road in Tierra Verde. In addition to receiving top honors for its sights, the tour received kudos for its price tag of just $64 for adults and $54 for children 11 and under.

Shell Key Clear Kayak Tours also offers nighttime "Glow Tours" for $69 for adults, featuring underwater LED lights on the clear kayak, allowing adventurers to see a whole new world under the sea once the sun goes down.