Date of trip: January 2008

I’ve lived in Florida so I have a soft spot in my heart for the manatee. Sometimes called “sea cows” these enormous aquatic creatures reach an average of 10-14 feet long as adults and live on a mostly vegetarian diet. They are slow moving and gentle and spend most of their day eating and sleeping.

In the United States, manatees are found almost exclusively in Florida as they live in shallow, coastal waters and can not survive in temperatures below 60° F (15° C). During winter months, they congregate in the Crystal and Homosassa Rivers where hot springs keep the temperature at 72° F year round. In this area, visitors can see manatees and it is the only place in the world you can swim with them. We chose to visit Homosassa instead of Crystal River because, although there are fewer manatees here, there are also fewer people and smaller tour groups.

Highlights:

-Swimming with manatees is a controversial practice. Some people believe it disrupts their normal activities and puts them in danger. I think in some cases this is true and I agree that more regulations are needed. Anyone can just rent a boat and go out on the rivers with no instruction or license. Tour operators on the other hand must have several permits and are required to show an educational video to all their charges. The operators I met, including our own, Air Tank Divers, really seem to appreciate and love the manatees and want to educate the public. Our instructor, Captain Don, made the rules of our manatee encounter very clear to us. You are to let the manatees lead. If they come up to you and initiate contact, you can touch them in certain areas but you must give them space to leave at all times and never chase or grab them. There are also sanctuaries marked that are off limits to people.

Once we got in the water, there were manatees everywhere! Some kept to themselves and some came right up to our faces to check us out. A few even rolled over on their backs so we could scratch their stomachs! It felt like swimming with elephants. They have tough skin and toe nails on their flippers. I was nervous in the beginning because they are so massive, but they move so slowly and gently it seems impossible that they could ever hurt you. They are without a doubt the sweetest and most docile animal I’ve come across. They also seem to love cameras and kept sticking their noses in ours!!

-The Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park was originally a privately owned zoo. When the state purchased the property they decided to turn it into an educational visitor center featuring local animals. Non native species, including Lucifer the hippo, would be transferred to other locations. Lu was popular with the locals and angry letters flooded state offices demanding he be allowed to stay. The governor decided to grant the hippo honorary Florida citizenship, making him an instant native of the state and permitting him to live in the park for the rest of his days. Lu shares the park with birds, otters, a black panther and, of course, manatees! If you don’t want to swim with the manatees, this is the best place to view them from dry ground. You can watch staff feed them or go in an underwater viewing area for a closer look.

Homosassa Springs and the manatees that winter there have a complicated relationship. The manatees need the warm river to survive the cold season. They also rely on the people of the community to protect them by driving their boats responsibly and keeping the river clean. Though the animals have no natural predators, they are endangered with less than 3,000 remaining. People are their only danger and their only hope. The people of Homosassa Springs are equally reliant on the manatee as tourism is their only industry. Millions of visitors travel here every year just to see the manatees. Without the manatees there is no Homosassa and without Homosassa there are no manatees. I know the town works hard to maintain the delicate balance necessary to preserve both. I hope people will be able to have the incredible experience I did here for many, many years to come.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Homosassa Springs Links:
Air Tank Divers Manatee Tours
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park