Captain Mike's Sunshine Tours, Crystal River

The benefits of Captain Mike's Sunshine Tours manatee excursions are twofold—first, they let tour-goers get up close and personal with these gentle creatures and second, they help raise funds to protect the manatees and their natural habitat. Leading the ecotourism outfit is Captain Mike who, along with his crew, shuttles snorkelers around Crystal River and King's Bay, two areas with high concentrations of manatees. Captain Mike also offers scalloping tours in which groups can dig for these edible treasures in the shallow muddy water, as well as airboat tours along area rivers.