Looking, searching, scanning, scouring the water with a nervous gaze, anxious to find what it desires: seeing manatees in Florida. Undoubtedly, this experience should already be on your list of things to see in Florida. Surprisingly, it is quite simple to admire these curious marine mammals that, from the water, guard this American peninsula on both the Gulf of Mexico side and the Atlantic coast.
If you are looking for a place to see manatees up close in their natural habitat, Florida is the right place, as this tourist destination does not live by the famous crocodiles and alligators of the Everglades alone when it comes to wildlife sightings. In fact, you will be surprised to discover all the nature areas that Florida hides and the number of animals that inhabit these parts.
Seeing and swimming with manatees in Crystal River
If there is one thing the city of Crystal River, in Citrus County, is famous for, it is the number of manatees that, during the coldest months, come to take refuge in the warm waters of its springs, swimming up the Crystal River from the Gulf of Mexico to Kings Bay. Did you know it is known as the manatee capital of the world?
If the mere fact of contemplating the West Indian manatee in the wild, and in its natural habitat, is already an incentive to go to Crystal River, being able to see it also swimming in almost transparent turquoise waters is an extra that cannot be ignored.
The other incentive that brings thousands of visitors to this corner of Florida is that Crystal River is one of only two places in the United States where it is legal to swim with manatees; the other is Homossasa.
Three Sisters Springs, the most beautiful place to see manatees in Florida
Although there are several spots where you can see them there, the best of all is undoubtedly Three Sisters Springs, an area of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge created to protect the environment where manatees gather. The name refers to the three beautiful crystal-clear springs, connected to each other, which maintain a constant temperature of 23 degrees Celsius (73°F), a warmth that attracts the animals known as sea cows.
How to access Three Sisters Springs and how to see the manatees
You can visit Three Sisters Springs in several ways, but keep in mind that you can never do so by driving your own vehicle, as access is closed to cars.
The option I chose is the most economical and, in my personal view, the most respectful of the animals: on foot, walking along the wooden boardwalks that allow you to observe the manatees from dry land.
To reach the springs from the city center you can:
-Take the free minibus included in the entrance fee that leaves from the Three Sisters Springs Center (123 N.W U.S. Highway 19, Crystal River), where you must first buy tickets for this refuge. Additionally, during the journey, the driver will tell you some interesting facts. This option is the one I did with my young children and I arrived there by motorhome; if you are going to rent a car there is space to park it without any problem.
-Walking on your own or pedaling a bicycle to the springs. But in that case, you have to go to the other entrance of Three Sisters Springs (601 Three Sisters Springs Trail) where a trail begins. You can also buy tickets there, but keep in mind they only accept cards, not cash. The walk will not take you even fifteen minutes.
But if what you want is to swim with the manatees, do not go on foot, as access to the water is not permitted from land to avoid erosion. In that case, you will have to reach Three Sisters Springs by water.
The most common and easiest way if you want to live this unique experience is to book the excursion to swim with manatees where they will take you by boat to the very entrance of the springs where you will go snorkeling with manatees using the mask and snorkel they will provide. In this way, you can contemplate these peaceful animals underwater, except in the cordoned-off areas so they can rest without being disturbed.
Si vas a nadar con manatíes en Florida... Por favor, cumple con todas las normas para no molestar a esta especie vulnerable que, en la actualidad, está seriamente amenazada. Si decides hacer snorkel entre manatíes, recuerda que no debes tocarlos bajo ningún concepto, mantén una distancia prudencial para que puedan moverse libremente, tampoco grites, ni gesticules en exceso a su lado para evitar estresarlo. En Crystal River, donde el nado con manatíes es legal, hay voluntarios velando para que nadie se salte las reglas. Recuerda que tu sentido común debería estar por encima de las ganas de interactuar con este fascinante animal que, dicen, no se asusta de los humanos.
Another option to access the water in Three Sisters Springs is to rent a kayak or a paddleboard and row hard. You can start this aquatic adventure at either Hunter Springs Park (104 NE 1st Ave) or King’s Bay Park (268 NW 3rd St, Crystal River) and paddle to the springs. But beware that once in the water you cannot step onto land at any time within the Three Sisters Springs area, just as you cannot do the reverse.
Finally, you should know that another option to see manatees in Crystal River is scuba diving. There are several companies that offer diving trips to meet the manatees.
How much it costs to enter Three Sisters Springs
There are two different entrance fees depending on whether you go to Three Sisters Springs in winter or in summer, that is, whether you go during manatee season or not.
From November 15 to March 31, the price is $20 per adult, $7.5 per child aged 6 to 12, while entry for children aged 5 or under is free.
From April 1 to November 14, the price per adult drops to $12.5 while the price for children stays the same.
Three Sisters Springs opening hours are from 8:30 to 4:30 all year round, but ticket sales close at 3:30.
Si vas con niños a Crystal River... En el caso de que hayas optado por ver los manatíes desde las pasarelas de madera, cuando el minibus te deje de regreso donde compraste las entradas no te vayas todavía. Justo al lado del centro, hay un parque espectacular, todo construido de madera donde los peques se lo pasarán de lujo.
Where to stay in Crystal River
During my stay there, as I was traveling by motorhome I stayed at the campsite, but there are many hotels in Crystal River to choose from. A good value-for-money option seems to be the Holiday Inn Express Crystal River where you can find a double room with breakfast for about €120.
Much more than manatees in Homosassa
Very close to Crystal River, just a 20-minute drive away, in the neighboring town of Homosassa you have another opportunity to see the West Indian manatee. In my case, I did it at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park where these marine mammals also take refuge in winter from the cold waters of the Gulf of Mexico in the warm springs of this place.
However, at this Florida reserve you can see manatees all year round. This is because, in addition to those that arrive swimming from November to March, they care for some specimens there that for various reasons cannot survive in the wild. Thus, if you are traveling in summer, visiting the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Spring State Park is the best option to see manatees in Florida without having to resort to a zoo where they are sadly locked up.
- When you buy your ticket, ask what time they feed these manatees to see them ‘grazing’ on algae and seagrass next to one of the wooden walkways, as seen in the photo above.
Also, with luck, here you can also watch the manatees swimming underwater without needing to get wet. How? By going down to the small underwater observatory located in the main spring. I wasn’t lucky and could only see schools of fish passing before my eyes, but it’s quite common in the colder months to be able to see them face to face without snorkeling or disturbing them.
How much does it cost to enter Ellie Schiller Homosassa Spring
The fee to access this state park is $13 per adult and $5 for children aged 6 to 12. If you go with children aged 5 or under, they enter for free.
Keep in mind that in addition to the manatees, Ellie Schiller Homosassa Spring also functions as a wildlife recovery center. For this reason, it hosts a multitude of different animal species that, for various reasons, would not be able to live in the wild on their own: eagles, flamingos, pelicans, foxes, snakes, otters, deer and even bears, a Florida panther and a hippopotamus!
¿Sabías que en Homossasa hay una isla con monos? Sí, como lo lees. Si vas a Homossasa, puedes acércate a Monkey Island donde habitan cual Robinsones unos cuantos monos arañas varados en un diminuto islote en el río Homossasa. Este particular Alcatraz de simios está justo enfrente de la terraza del restaurante Homosassa Riverside Resort, así que puedes tomarte algo mientras los observas aburridos escalando por la caseta y el faro que tienen en la isla.
Watching manatees in the Everglades
Everglades in South Florida is famous for its crocodiles and alligators, but the wildlife that lives there is incredibly varied. In addition to birds, turtles, snakes, raccoons and many more animals, in the Everglades it is also possible to see manatees in the wild swimming freely.
I was very lucky and saw them, as soon as I got out of the car, eating peacefully in Flamingo harbor, where the road that crosses the park to the south ends. Two manatees together feeding in the water oblivious to our gazes. And a little later, I would see another one further away and more fleetingly from the boat tour swimming next to a kayak.
As of June 2022, the entry fee for Everglades National Park is $30 per car, $25 per motorcycle and $15 if you enter on foot, by bike or with some rowing vessel such as a canoe or kayak. Of course, once you buy it you can access it as many times as you want during the following seven days.
Since you are already there, take the opportunity to see and do more things in Miami which is very close. A very complete option, especially if you want to make the most of your time, is to take the tour combo Miami Highlights+Everglades+Boat Trip.
Other places to see manatees in Florida
Apart from these two places to see manatees in Florida, there are more places you can go to continue with your particular ‘safari’ in search of these curious mermaids, as it is said Christopher Columbus himself named them when he spotted three specimens from his ship on his first trip to America.
In case your route does not pass near Crystal River, Homosassa or the Everglades, or if you prefer to see West Indian manatees in other different locations, here are more points on this US peninsula where you can track them down:
–Blue Spring State Park, this state park where you can also camp costs $6 per vehicle. It is located about forty minutes north of Orlando and another forty from Daytona Beach.
–Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, in Titusville, right above the Kennedy Space Center so it can be great to combine both visits.
–Manatee Park in Fort Myers, between Tampa and the Everglades, where you can also rent kayaks.
–Manatee Lagoon in Palm Beach where they have created a free educational/recreational center taking advantage of the fact that manatees gather near the discharge pipes of the Florida Power & Light Company natural gas plant.
–Tampa Electric Viewing Center in Apollo Beach, south of the city of Tampa. Again, it is possible to see them near a power plant. As of May 2022, it is temporarily closed because they want to build a larger dock from which to better observe the manatees.
- I recommend renting a car in Florida or a motorhome as I did, to be able to move freely and reach all these spots where you can see manatees on your own. You will save a lot of time looking for transport combinations, if they even exist.
What is the best time to see manatees in Florida
These animals, distant relatives of elephants, lack fat to protect them from the cold, unlike seals or whales, for example. For this reason, manatees are forced to leave the waters of the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean as soon as temperatures drop below 20 degrees Celsius to avoid dying of hypothermia.
When that happens, these gentle marine mammals swim to find the heat they need, either to springs where temperatures are warmer and remain constant, or to power plants or gas plant areas whose pipes discharge warm water.
For this reason, the best time to see manatees in Florida is from mid-November to late March. However, climate change sometimes causes unexpected encounters with these animals outside those dates.
During the coldest days, it is possible to see colonies with numerous individuals gathered to give each other warmth. A rare phenomenon beyond the coldest months, as the manatee is a solitary animal by nature, which you will at most see swimming accompanied by its calf.
The delicate situation of manatees in Florida
The West Indian manatee is a threatened species whose current state of vulnerability brings it dangerously close to the risk of extinction. Even more so now that the population of these very special marine mammals is declining drastically in Florida. In 2021 alone, about 1,100 individuals died in the waters of this US peninsula.
Climate change and pollution directly affect both water temperature, which has been especially low this past winter, and the disappearance of the seagrass beds where these animals, which remember are herbivores, feed. Thus, cold and hunger, among other factors, are weakening them more and more and causing a real massacre in the already decimated manatee population in Florida, which ranges between 5,700 and 7,500 individuals.
For that reason, please enjoy Florida’s manatees always from a distance, without disturbing them and interfering as little as possible in their environment.
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