FL
people
1 participant
hours
- • Unique Crystal River Scallop Gathering Boat Trip
- • 5 Hour Guided Trip On Beautiful Blue Crystal River
- • Snorkel For Your Supper With Equipment Included
Why We Love This Unique Experience
Crystal Rivers Experience Gifts: Dive beneath the cool blue waters of the spring fed Crystal River and search for succulent scallop treasure on this five hour trip. You'll be guided by a Master Captain as you gather up scallops to make the freshest seafood dinner you've ever had!
Your scallop adventure starts when you meet your friendly Master Captain, who will pilot your boat to a prime scalloping spot. Once you've got your snorkel on, you'll slip beneath the water and follow your guide as they show you how to find, collect, and clean scallops in one of the richest shellfish spots in America. Don't worry if you've never fished before because everything is taken care of including licenses, all of your scalloping equipment, and snorkel gear. Throughout your five hour trip you might also be lucky enough to see some of the other local wildlife including turtles, dolphins, otters, and the iconic gentle giants of Florida, the manatee.
This scallop diving boat trip is the perfect experience gift for adventurous types and nature lovers and will guarantee a memorable time.
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Experience Overview:
Five Hour Scalloping Boat Trip In Crystal RiverYou'll find top-notch scalloping just north of Tampa in the Crystal River area ? an area surrounded by natural beauty that can only be found on the Florida Coast. The Crystal River is fed by over 100 springs before it pours into the Gulf, creating one of the best scalloping spots in Florida! Surrounded by some of the richest grass beds in the Gulf of Mexico, Crystal River has an abundance of wildlife that won't be found in the more crowded areas of Florida.
Searching for scallops is so much fun it has made Citrus County a world famous destination for this unique and satisfying activity. Our Master Captain will lead your group to the Gulf of Mexico for nearly 5 hours of salt water delight! Take a leisurely day out of your hectic vacation and relax with confidence on our comfortable boats. Nestled in the shallow grass beds off the Crystal River, scallops spawn in summer and then reach the end of their life cycle. These delicious morsels are just waiting to be someone's dinner!
Come for the scallops, stay for the manatees! Around 40 manatees call this river system home in the warmer seasons, so sightings are quite common. Birds, turtles, an assortment of fish, dolphins and otters also make appearances for lucky visitors! Many people will scallop one day, stay overnight then do a manatee tour as well. While you are here, you might as well soak up all the adventure! So if you love wildlife and want to collect some scallops, there's no better place than the Crystal River and no better guide than River Ventures and Safaris!
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Details & Important Info
Additional Experience Details & Important Information
WHAT TO BRING
Please make sure that each person in your group brings a towel and a bathing suit. Some additional things you may want to bring with you:
Sunscreen, sunglasses (polarized will give you the best view through the water), a hat, and possibly a t-shirt or swim shirt to swim in or wear on the ride back to protect yourself from the sun. Socks can also help prevent blisters from wearing fins. We also recommend packing a lunch or snacks to bring with you in a cooler, that you can then bring your scallops home in after your tour. All the gear you need is included in your tour price.
You are welcome to bring a bag onboard for your dry towels and clothes, but ANYTHING OF VALUE THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET WET should be locked in your vehicle for safe keeping.
PHOTOGRAPHY
You may bring a camera, but strobe lighting, high powered flash and ?selfie-sticks? are not allowed on our boats. These items can disrupt other guests? experience, can disturb the manatee and can be considered a form of harassment.
If you plan to use photos for a professional purpose, than a Special Use Permit from US Fish and Wildlife is required.
CHILDREN & VISITORS
Our boats are Coast Guard Certified for a certain number of passengers, so your reservation should be for the EXACT NUMBER OF PEOPLE PLANNING TO RIDE THE BOAT. This number must include children and those who choose not to swim, as well. Children must be at least 3 to go on the ?group tour boats?, WE DO NOT TAKE INFANTS ON OUR GROUP TOUR BOATS. If you are planning on bringing an infant, you must reserve a private boat.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT
OUR TOUR BOATS MUST HAVE A MINIMUM OF 3 SEATS RESERVED 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO RUN A TOUR.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO RESCHEDULE YOUR TOUR IF THIS MINIMUM IS NOT REACHED.
IN THE EVENT YOU ARE UNABLE TO RESCHEDULE, WE WILL OFFER A FULL REFUND.
ATTENTION: This Gulf adventure is recommended for STRONG SWIMMERS, the condition in the ocean can vary greatly and change quickly. The Gulf can get choppy and you may be scalloping in water anywhere from 4 feet to 10 feet in depth (depending on tides and local of scallops). It is strongly advised not to bring children under 5. You are ultimately responsible for your child while out scalloping and if you choose to bring a child, include them in your total passenger count.
SCALLOP TOURS ARE DONE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO WHERE CONDITIONS ARE VARIABLE. THE BEST SCALLOPING CONDITIONS ARE ON SUNNY DAYS AT LOW TIDES…BEST CHANCES AT AVOIDING AFTERNOON STORMS WILL BE ON THE EARLY MORNING DEPARTURES. RAINFALL, WINDS, TIDES, MOON CYCLES AND SUNLIGHT ALL HAVE SIGNIFIGANT EFFECTS ON VISIBILITY AND ROUGH WATERS CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR SOME TO ENDURE. KEEP IN MIND WHILE BOOKING YOUR SCALLOP TOURS THAT WE CAN NOT CONTROL MOTHER NATURE, PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
What to Ecpect From your Scallop Adventure..…
This is a HUNT! We snorkel at the top of the water and when you spot a scallop you must dive down to
retrieve it and put it in your bag. Being a strong swimmer is a good idea, and taking small children out to
scallop is not recommended. WE DO NOT ALLOW INFANTS ON OUR SCALLOP BOATS.
Ideal conditions would be clear shallow water, but during higher tides water can be 10 to 12 foot deep.This can be much more difficult to manage. NO ONE REACHES LIMIT EVERY SINGLE DAY AND IF YOU WANT THE CHEAPEST, MOST PRACTICAL WAY TO ACQUIRE SCALLOPS, THEN THE SEAFOOD SECTION AT THE LOCAL GROCERY STORE MAY BE THE BEST OPTION FOR YOU. IF YOU WANT GOOD TIMES AND ADVENTURE, THEN COME SEE US!
Your Captain will demonstrate how to clean the scallops, but will not clean them for you. They will have suggestions of where you can go to find someone who will clean them for you if you prefer. Most people choose to do it themselves, it is truly part of the experience! Your car will be waiting for you when you return, so your group is free to go about your day at your own pace.
Cancellations & Refunds
Reservation Changes, Cancellations & Refunds
Changes to reservations for tickets can be made until 8 days prior to the date scheduled. Reservations may be re-scheduled by the operator of the activity due to reasons such as weather, minimum participation requirements, mechanical issues or other interruptions beyond their control.
All gift certificate sales are final and not refundable. Gift certificates can only be exchanged prior to redemption.
A full list of terms of sale of tickets and certificates can be viewed here.
Organized by
River Ventures
Our story starts off in an unorthodox way…this was not about business, tourists, or dreams of grandeur.
Our Swim with Manatee adventures truly started out as a ‘Love Story’. Picture if you can, a warm spring day on the picturesque waters here in Crystal River. A family, not unlike yours, spending a memorable Holiday enjoying the sunshine and sparkling waters the Nature Coast offers to all. The daughter, a young, bright nature lover enters the springs to cool herself after hours in the sun. Soon, her mother is drawn to the water as well. It just happens to be Mother’s Day, and unbeknownst to either daughter or mother, a special gift was on the way.
First to spot the light colored shadow headed directly in their direction was the father, still onboard the boat. A dolphin? A shark? His mind reeled, but suddenly, reassuringly he knows. Of course, Crystal River is known for one thing and that is where the story gets interesting.
“Stay calm, stay calm” is what the father repeats as the figure comes closer in the water. By the time the women turn around, a gentle giant was only a few feet away and looked almost like a mermaid from the surface of the water. “Manatee” the mother, squealed in delight as the daughter reached over for the comfort of her mother’s touch. For the next few minutes, they were quiet and still, more from amazement than anything and the animal circled them both. The father reached over to offer them their snorkel gear and with one shared look they both retrieved the gear and slipped on their masks.Now imagine a world unlike our own, all blue, sodden and sprinkled with tiny fish that dart between the light and the shadows. Disappear into this place, relax and let go of any worries. Open your eyes... open your heart... and envision this experience. A Mother’s Day surprise straight from Mother Nature herself! As the women floated there, they were truly awestruck by the majestic beast that approached slowly from their right side.
With words unspoken, heads unlifted and hands clasped together at their sides, the mother and daughter shared a moment that was unlike anything they shared before. The manatee approached and clearly made eye contact with them both, then came closer to the young lady. She giggled into her snorkel and smiled with her eyes as the manatee’s fin ever so softly touched her shoulder. Their eyes locked, the daughter holding back her tears of amazement and at that moment, she fell in love with the cuddly beast. As they watched the animal swim away, they were amazed at the childlike wonder that had overcome them both in the moment. How can we bottle this feeling? How can we share this experience? With some creativity, education and perseverance we can help to ensure the future of these animals forever!
Driven by sleepless nights hearing her grandmother’s voice encourage her to follow her dreams, and remembering promises from long gone generations to make efforts to save the endangered manatee, the daughter shares her plan with her family and then the world.
River Ventures was born from this spirit and we are still enchanted
with our manatee friends daily. Family, love, awareness, the soft call
that Mother Nature whispers in our ear… binds us all to something that
is bigger than we know.
Here in Citrus County we have a
privilege that is exclusively ours, and we want to share that delight
with the world. Love of these animals is at the heart of all that we
share and when you love what you do, it shows!
Product SKU: US-0702-0007
Google Business Profile: River Ventures
Crystal River Scalloping Boat Trip
FL
people
1 participant
hours
- • Unique Crystal River Scallop Gathering Boat Trip
- • 5 Hour Guided Trip On Beautiful Blue Crystal River
- • Snorkel For Your Supper With Equipment Included
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