You’ve probably heard of the adorable and docile Florida Manatees. You can’t wait to swim with manatees. You have a thousand questions about seeing manatees.
We are former Florida residents and have been on many manatee excursions. This list is intended to inspire everyone to have a positive manatee experience. Swimming with manatees is the best eco-experience you can have in Florida.
Manatee tours are available in the winter.
During the summer, Florida Manatees travel from Texas to Massachusetts. In the winter they congregate around warm springs or power plant discharges. These sites are flooded by manatees when the temperature of the water drops below 68 degrees. The peak manatee seasons usually lasts between December and February.
Don’t Go During Holiday Weekends (if you can help it)
Tour operators are busiest during the week between Christmas, New Year’s and President’s Day Weekend. This not only presents logistical challenges when booking trips and rooms, but also increases the likelihood that “one of those guy” will be in the water next to you.
The tour operators are great at preventing egregious behaviour, but the manatees need to be super quiet to feel comfortable enough to interact. (more about that later). If you only have a vacation available, it is still worth it.
Bring your friends to see manatees
We are aware of the warnings because we went on a President’s Day Manatee Trip. Two friends, Janiel (from Culture Trekking) and Katie (from Traveling Spud), came to visit as that was the only time they could get out of town for a Florida weekend.
We also added Joe, a friend from the area, and Emily his girlfriend. We were ready to travel with our group. Janiel and Emily were on their first manatee tour. President’s Day weekend was no exception. They fell in love.
Do not take troublemakers to swim with manatees
Do not be afraid to say it. You are the leader of your group. The tour company is not responsible for your children or your friends acting like children. Do not get me wrong. Swimming with manatees for kids is a great experience if the child can handle it.
The best way to avoid awkward social situations with “those people” in the water is to never take them into the water. Manners are good not only for manatees, but also for you. It’s a win/win situation.
Everyone should learn about manatees, their needs, and how to protect them. Hell, “those” people are likely to be speeding past a no wake zone once they own a boat, so educate and educate. Know your children and your friends before going.
You can also take them to Three Sister Springs Park or Blue Springs Park.
Crystal River is a great place to swim with manatees.
If you’re interested in learning more, we have an comprehensive guide on swimming with manatees. It’s a great resource. Here’s the quick version. Winter manatee gathering is a unique phenomenon to Florida Manatees, as they are tropical creatures.
Florida springs, which pump out warm water all year long, are the only reason manatees can survive this far north. It’s cool to see them, but it’s a completely different experience when you get in the water.
Crystal River/King’s Bay has the largest natural gathering of manatees. It is also the only site where you can swim with them in winter. Crystal River is a small town located west of Orlando, north of Tampa. It’s the center of manatee tour activity.
When our friends came to visit, we knew that we would be taking them to Crystal River so they could swim with the manatees.
You Can’t Swim with Manatees without a Wetsuit
This entry could actually be about the proper equipment in general, like a swim-noodle that will enhance your buoyancy or a mask and snorkel to see manatees without having your eyes in the water. Two pieces of equipment are required – a dive flag and a wetsuit.
It’s not warm spring water. We’ve said it a few times, but the temperature is only 72 degrees. You will lose heat quickly if you are floating in water that is 72 degrees. A wetsuit is necessary to stay comfortable. It also helps with buoyancy.
The manatee gear you need is provided by the guided manatee tour, making it the perfect transition to the next topic.
Do book a guided tour to swim with manatees
Manatee tours are more than just a manatee-training course. Local guides are the best people to ask for a perfect manatee experience. During peak season, guides often run a sunset tour on the day before.
Local tours know where manatees go to sleep at night after a long day of grazing. They know where they can find them the next morning. The local tours exchange radio updates so that they can know where manatees are.
We chose Birds Underwater, one of Crystal River’s premier companies. They found manatees on President’s Day and organized a wonderful trip.
Do Not Be Afraid of Waking Up Early
Manatees are known to hate cold water, and they love food. Manatees consume between 100 and 200 pounds of vegetation per day. This means that they will be grazing seven hours per day. They will feed in the afternoon when the temperature is the highest.
The manatees are huddled together at the clear, warm spring heads in the cool mornings. Birds is a great place to visit. We recommend taking the first tour out. There is a manatee tour at 6:00 am.
Plan other activities around your Manatee Tour
Crystal River, on the west coast, is about 90 minutes away from Tampa, Orlando or Gainsville. This is a long drive for the manatee tour in the morning, but it’s the perfect distance to add on or extend your vacation. Crystal River is also home to:
- Visit Springs State Park to see mermaids. This beautiful nature preserve is home to the famous springhead mermaid show.
- Take a boat tour of the Homosassa River. Along the Homossasa, you’ll see more manatees and monkey islands, as well as sunsets on the Gulf.
- Dive Devil’s Den A natural cenote where you can snorkel or dive year-round. A uniquely Florida dive site.
- Rainbow River is Florida’s fourth largest spring run in terms of volume. Diverse activities include tubing, kayaking, and diving.
- Visit Homosassa Spring State Park.
- Paddle With Monkeys In Silver Springs – Around 200 wild monkeys reside along the spring run in Silver Springs. There’s also the option of a glass bottomed boat if you’d rather not monkey around.
- This short trip will take you to Clearwater, where you’ll discover more than just beautiful beaches. Tarpon Springs, a Greek village in Florida that is the sponge capital of world is also home to Dunedin. Bagpipes are often heard playing in the park.
- Lake Panasoffkee Tours: Visiting manatees and alligators on the springheads is completely different from visiting them in an airboat. Some people think that it is the perfect compliment, just like sweet and salty food.
- Withlacoochee State Trail- 46 miles of rails and trail magic through forests, rivers, and small towns in Florida.
Final Thoughts & Quick Hitters
You’re probably inspired to visit Florida and go on a manatee-tour. You are ready to swim among the sweetest and friendliest creatures in Florida. The do’s and dont’s of planning a vacation with manatees are now clear to you, but there may be a few questions.
These questions and their answers will be added to our Quick Hit section. You can ask us in the comments if you feel we have missed anything. We will add it to the list.
Crystal River Accommodation
The Holiday Inn Express had a large suite that was big enough to accommodate our entire crew. We have also stayed at Best Western which is located right next door to Birds. Both hotels included a hot breakfast.
What to Eat in Crystal River
- Sports Bar–Â Norton’s Riverside Sports Bar & Grill
- Mid-range– Highlander Cafe. Local favorite serving food and drinks in a relaxed environment.
- Fun Night Out– Tiki inspired Crump’s Landing, with food, a full bar and live music.
- Upscale Vintage On 5th Fine dining in a small-town setting. The best she crab soup you’ll find outside of Panama City. Be sure to make a reservation.
How to get to Crystal River
Exit 329 is the main exit to Crystal River from I-75. To get to Crystal River, you’ll need to travel 33 miles west along Fl-44.
- Orlando:Â Take Florida Turnpike west 55 miles to I-75, right at exit 329.
- Gainsville :Â Take I-75 South to exit 329.
- Tampa/St. Pete: Choose from interior routes to travel up 80 miles through Homossasa. Three main routes are available: the scenic and slow coastal route, fast toll roads, and I-75/US-98. These routes all take between 11/2 and 2 hours.
We hope we have provided you with all the information necessary to plan your manatee trip. These little guys are adorable and we know you will love them as well. This is one of Florida’s best natural experiences.