About River Safaris · Old Homosassa, FL
A dock on the Homosassa River, run by people who live here.
River Safaris has been putting visitors on the water from 10823 W Yulee Drive for years — airboats, manatee tours, pontoon rentals and a lot of local knowledge.
Who we are
Look for the yellow house.
Our office is a yellow Key West-style house on the Homosassa River, just before the elementary school. Airboats and pontoons are tied up out back. That is the whole landmark.
From that dock we run airboat tours up to Monkey Island and into the backwaters, manatee tours in the spring-fed water, guided dolphin and eco tours, and pontoon rentals for people who would rather drive themselves. In summer we add scalloping runs out to the Gulf.
We are a working waterfront operation, not a booking platform. The person who answers the phone knows the tide, and the captain who takes you out has run that stretch of river more times than he can count.
How we run the water
Licensed captains. Wild animals left wild.
Licensed and insured
Every captain holds an active US Coast Guard OUPV license with an airboat endorsement and is drug tested through the year. Tour boats and captains are insured, and renters are offered third-party insurance in three coverage levels, as Florida law requires.
Safety brief, every trip
No tour and no rental leaves the dock without a safety briefing of about ten minutes. Life jackets come in infant, youth, child and adult sizes, and the captain has final say on whether conditions are right.
Passive observation, always
We follow FWC guidelines for manatee encounters. It has to be the manatee's decision to come to us — we never chase, grab, feed or block an animal, and we never promise physical contact.
Honest about wildlife
Dolphins, manatees and alligators are wild. We will tell you what the odds are on the day, and we will not pretend a sighting is guaranteed when it is not.
The boats
Airboats, pontoons and a custom skiff.
Different water needs different boats, so we keep all three.
- Airboats — open hull, two rows of seats, five guests. Built for the shallow backwaters and the run to the Gulf.
- Pontoon boats — 8, 10 and 12 passengers, repowered with new engines and re-upholstered in October 2025. Available to rent or with a captain.
- Custom skiff — for small guided groups on the flats and narrow creeks.
Trusted by thousands
What people say when they get back.
★★★★★
Water fun for everyone!
There were 17, 60+ year old women! We had a wonderful time! The guides were fun and very knowledgeable. Scott worked with me to come up with an easy and enjoyable plan for us.
★★★★★
Time well spent
This was an awesome trip on a pontoon boat with Captain Ang. He was so informative about Homosassa and the river. We saw manatee and dolphins... Captain Ang spent a lot of time letting us take pictures.
Come see the river for yourself.
Book online or call the dock at (352) 628-5222. We will help you pick the right boat for your group.