I first visited Crystal River five years ago when I heard about this magical place where you can swim with manatees! I found a tour company that took you out in a boat to the Three Sister Springs, where the manatees gravitate to in cold weather. I did it again recently, but this time traveled via paddleboard! I paddled myself to the spring head, parked my watercraft, and jumped on in. Manatees are also known as sea cows, but I feel like they are sea pups with how friendly they are. So whether you go through a tour/rental company or if you have your own watercraft, you can't come to Florida in the winter and not swim with a manatee!
Here are some key things to think about when planning your manatee excursion. Manatee season is from about November through February. When the ocean waters get cold, the manatees migrate to the springs, where the water stays a consistent 72 degrees. The colder it is, the more manatees there will be in the spring. I mentioned this in the Blue Springs post. You can call the spring office number or check out their website/Facebook page for a manatee count. While the manatees are live in the springs, the water will get murkier due to their eating and being manatees. Rain usually brings the cold fronts. So after a storm and heavy wind, the water clarity can be affected.
The first time I visited Crystal River was towards the end of February. I booked a swim with the manatee tour with Crystal River Watersports. I did the Deluxe Manatee Tour, which cost $75.00. The tour includes gear such as wetsuits and snorkeling equipment. I chose the earliest time slot which was 7:30 am. You know what they say, the early bird gets the manatee.
Before we got on the boat, we watched a video about manatee conservation and the rules when swimming with the manatees. We are visiting their vacation home and need to be good house guests.
We loaded on the boat and took about a 15-20 min ride to the Three Sisters Springs.
I remember having trouble seeing them (the water was quite murky that day). Then, the guide said to look for little white spots then zoom out. Once I did that...Woah! I knew they were big but didn't realize how big they were right there next to me!
One of them recognized our guide. The manatee swam up to him, popped its little head and fins out of the water, and hugged him! This is why I think of them as sea pups.
The tour company offers a USB drive with photos from your excursion, as well as the top manatee photos from past excursions available for purchase.
The next time I visited went by way of paddleboard!
I am a member of a group called "SUP Girls of Central Florida." I put the question to them of where is the best place to drop in for a paddleboard. They suggested Hunter Spring Park. This park has a sandy beach, a swim area, and restrooms. There is a booth where you will pay with a card. It is $5 for parking and $5 for dropping in a watercraft.
When I went, it was around 45 degrees that morning. Later, warming up to 60 degrees as high for the day. These temperatures are prime for manatee viewing. I wore a swimsuit, a rashguard, my 3mm wet suit, neoprene boots, a beanie, and a sweatshirt. Layering is important!
Once you drop in from this point, you will begin to paddle toward the open water. When you see Pete's Pier start veering to the left. You will see a marina, then to your left, you will see a bridge down the way. Head down that way to go under the bridge, then it's a straight shot to Three Sister Springs.
I started seeing manatees before I even got to the bridge!
After going under the bridge, you will see a roped-off area to the left. The roped-off areas are for manatees only. No guests allowed. But you can say hi to all the manatees swimming about in the open water. Some may come up and introduce themselves.
To get to the heart of the springs, keep paddling down the river.
There were so many manatees that day it was unreal!
With so many manatees, people on boards and kayaks, and people swimming, please always be mindful of your surroundings. Give yourself and your board plenty of room. Volunteers are hanging out along the river and the spring head. You can spot them with their brightly colored vest. They are there to make sure everyone is a good house guest. They can also answer any questions you have about the manatees.
I asked one of the volunteers if I was allowed to park my board somewhere and jump in to get some up-close manatee action. They said yes and that I could tie up my board on the other side of the spring. You can attach your watercraft to the rope on the farside of the springhead. You can't tie up to any of the trees because they are part of the preserve.
You are more than welcome to float and swim with the manatees, but no diving to the bottom. Let the manatees come up to you.
After playing with the manatees for a bit, I got out and started to dry off and layer back up. Then started to head back to Hunter Springs Park.
While swimming with manatees, I ran into Don, who had been my guide and scuba buddy at Devil's Den! He is also a guide with Crystal River Kayak Company and Dive Center. He was an awesome guide for my Devil's Den dive, and all around awesome human. So if you are looking to book a tour, here is another option. They also have a dock you can launch from that is very close to Three Sister Springs. I think he said it was $5, but don't quote me.
Paddling and swimming make you hungry. For late lunch/early dinner, I drove down the road about 5 minutes to The Crab Plant.
How can you be right on the water and not get fresh seafood? The Crab Plant is a restaurant and seafood market carrying the fresh catches of the day. When I pulled up the park, there were stacks of crab pots.
I got there blue crab chowder to start. I knew it would be good because I saw blue crabs crawling around in the seagrass on the paddle back. I asked the waiter for her recommendation for a main. She said to get either the grouper or red snapper because they catch it fresh every day. I got the blackened red snapper sandwich, and it was delicious! Note for this restaurant, they only take cash. But if you don't have any, there is an ATM inside.
Whether you happen to fly south for the winter like many do, or if you are already here, a swim with the manatees is an experience to have.
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