Crystal River, Florida: A place I had never heard of until about two months ago. This area of Florida is home to many freshwater springs, including Three Sisters, Hunter Springs, Homosassa Springs and many more. I saw the photos of the clear water, but when I found out about the manatees I was convinced that it was a place worthy of celebrating my 30th.
Manatees cannot survive in water cooler than 68 degrees, so in the winter, many of them move into shallow areas to stay warm. Surprisingly, these gigantic sea cows are only 7% body fat! Many of the Floridian mannys move into the springs to hang out for the winter months.
Unlucky for us the Three Sisters Springs, as well as a few other local springs close when the manatee count is high. The day we took the boardwalk tour, they counted over 200(!!!) manatee in the springs area. To give the mannys a peaceful sanctuary, they rope off the area from any type of vessel or swimmer traffic. We knew this was a possibility, so we had to stay out of Three Sisters, but we were able to look in from outside of the buoys.
Lucky for us humans, manatees are gentle giants. Some people think that they enjoy human company (to an extent) and like saying hello- on their own terms. We watched a “Manatee Manners” video before our visit which helped us understand the DO’s and DONT’S of interacting with these guys.
Crystal River tourism thrives on manatee season as they send out tours via boat, kayak, and paddleboard to visitors. We opted for our own self-guided exploration and after renting wetsuits and getting our paddleboards, we were off! NOTE: The water in the springs stays 72 degrees, but the weekend we visited the air temp was only about 58 with a lot of wind! The wetsuits were definitely a good idea, and I was even shivering after my long swim.
We started our journey by paddling and fighting the wind with Three Sisters as our first destination. Upon arrival, a few tour boats were there, so lots of swimmer traffic surrounded the buoy area. We could see about 20 resting manatee and it was pretty awesome because the spring water was so clear. Fun fact alert!!!!: Manatees can hold their breath up to twenty minutes! Some of them could easily be mistaken for rocks if you were paddling or boating by. After some swimming around, we decided to move on to another spring, in hopes that it would be less busy.
After a really tough paddle against the wind and waves, we made it to Jurassic Spring. This is less a popular spring without so many restrictions on the swimming area. We paddled around for a bit and then I was ready for a true “in the wild” experience. Colton stayed on his paddleboard and acted as my spotter. With my snorkel on and GoPro ready, I swam around and kept an eye open until Colton called out. In the bay, it was a little less clear, so I couldn’t see the manatee until I was about 3 feet away from them! They sometimes surprised me because of their size. I mean, imagine swimming around and all of the sudden a 2,000 pound animal is right next to you! I was able to get up close and personal with about 7 different manatee (AND A BABY!!!!!!!!) and even got to pet them gently. Interally, I was jumping for joy, but manatees require a calm demeanor, so I kept my cool.
We decided to try one more spring before returning to land, and it was the most clear one we had been able to swim in. Post Office Spring is a hidden gem that is a small canal area. We saw only one manatee on our way in, but were able to spot lots of fish and check out the local homes. On our way out of the canal, I decided to get back in the water just as a manatee was passing. I was able to see much better than out in the bay and have another up close interaction with a gentle giant.
Not the average 30th birthday celebration, but I am so happy that I was able to have this experience and check it off of my list! If you’re looking for a unique and personal experience with wildlife, this was amazing. I would definitely do it again! Check out the video for more footage.
Unlocking Freedom: 30 for 30 with the Lock Family 