We had the absolute best day on the water, observing these beautiful, gentle giants in their natural environment. With the cooler months coming in, more and more manatees will be returning to the springs. The springs offer year-round 72 degree water, which keeps the manatees warm during the colder months. We encountered more than a dozen manatees on our short manatee tour! Below you can see a mother manatee and her calf swimming into the springs. It is common for a manatee mother to have just one calf and then take care of that calf until it is old enough to fend for itself.
These “sea-cows” are herbivores, or vegetarians, so they rely on the springs warm water to grow vegetation for them to eat. On our manatee tour we made sure to pick up some green plastic bags that may look like floating vegetation to the manatees – it’s important to keep our waters clean! Conservation efforts, including protected areas, speed regulations, and rehabilitation initiatives, are crucial to ensuring the well-being of these marine mammals and preserving their vital contribution to the balance of aquatic ecosystems.
Crystal River is a special place as it is the only place in the United States that you can legally swim with manatees – making it the manatee capital of the world!
Book with us now: Crystal River Manatee Tours On Manatee Fun (crystalrivermanateefun.com)
Check out the Florida Wildlife Service’s page on Crystal River for more information: Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge | Visit Us | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov)