With the arrival of cooler and downright cold weather, manatees have been migrating to their traditional warm water spots in Florida springs and other locations.
King’s Bay at Crystal River is home to the largest concentration of endangered manatees in the United States. They cluster there in the winter months to escape the cold waters in the Gulf of Mexico and rivers.
Photo by Citrus County Visitors Bureau
During the cold weather months of November to March, according to the Florida Wildlife Commission, it’s estimated nearly a thousand manatees crowd their way into the relatively warm waters of the bay. Manatees can’t survive in water temperatures below 68 degrees.
The best viewing is at Three Sisters Springs.
Photo by Citrus County Visitors Bureau
The water in the bay and numerous springs stays a relatively warm 72-73 degrees year-round. Manatees crowd into the springs when the weather is cold, and when it warms up, they swim back into the bay, and some even head down the eight-mile Crystal River to the Gulf of Mexico. King’s Bay is great for manatee viewing as some of the herd stays in the bay year-round.
As one shop owner in town described it, the area is home “to manatees and retirees”. Many businesses in town depend on manatee tourism to survive. There are at least a dozen companies that offer manatee swimming tours. Others are kayak outfitters, offering rentals to tourists interested in doing their own paddling in the manatee waters.
Manatees are often called “sea cows”. The adults can exceed one thousand pounds. They eat sea grasses and marine vegetation.
Photo by Kathy Jones
How You Can Swim With Manatees
While manatees can be spotted throughout King’s Bay, the mega manatee habitat in cold weather is Three Sisters Springs. We hopped a boat ride from Captain Mike’s manatee swim charters to see the gentle giants for ourselves.
Photo by Kathy Jones
Captain Bill Ruiz and Dive Guide Liz Van Fleet knew right where to take us. Outfitted in wet suits, snorkels and pool noodles for flotation, we jumped in the water.
We found several manatees in the springs, including a momma and her calf. There were dozens of swimmers in the water, and the manatees didn’t seem to be bothered by all the attention. In fact they appeared curious. The water nearest the spring head is roped off to keep divers at a distance, but manatees will sometimes swim out to check the crowd. They are docile, and at times seem to want to play. They are endangered and protected, it is against the law to touch them, but often it is the manatee that actually initiates the contact.
While the spring water is warm to manatees, it is cold for humans. A wet suit is highly recommended, preferably 3mm thick. Liz, our guide, is in the water eight hours a day and actually wears two wet suits to stay comfortable. Some divers use “shorty” suits, but I recommend full body suits if you’re going to be in the water for any period of time. Keep in mind the springs are 72 degrees year-round, so even in the hot Florida summers the water is cold.
While a certain number of manatees die from exposure when they can’t find warm water in the winter, man is their greatest threat. Boats and water pollution that kills off their food sources are the main culprits. Manatees are a threatened and protected species. Observe laws that limit human contact, don’t approach them but they often will approach you. They are completely non-aggressive but avoid getting between a momma manatee and her calf.
Other places where manatees gather in the winter where you can view them are: Blue Spring State Park in Volusia County, Homosassa Springs State Park in Citrus County, and the DeSoto Canal in Satellite Beach in Brevard County. They can also be found near power plants, in areas like Tampa Bay, The Indian River Lagoon, and St. Johns River, where they gather in the warm water discharges from the plants.