Where to See Manatees in Florida

While manatees may not win an animal kingdom beauty contest, they are remarkably admirable and charming. They live their lives at a slow pace and spend most of their time resting when they are not feeding or traveling. They are easily amused, curious and adorable creatures. When excited, they perform barrel rolls and body surfing for entertainment. There is nothing cuter than seeing manatees enjoying themselves by rolling around in the water. Manatees are a beautiful sight to behold in the water. They have large size, stubbly snouts, toenails on flippers, graceful swimming, and an incredible bond between mother and calf.

So where can you see manatees in Florida?

The best place to see manatees in real life is Crystal Springs, Florida. The clean water in this area allows you to see more than just their snouts or backs emerging briefly from the water. In the springs, you can see manatees in the waters at any time of the year. However, they are much easier to spot from November to March when they gather in large numbers in warmer waters.

If you are interested in seeing manatees first-hand, here are six places in Florida you won’t miss them.

1. Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River, Florida

Crystal River wraps around Kings Bay. This is where over 70 natural springs host hundreds of manatees during the winter. The most beautiful spot in Crystal River is Three Sisters Springs. It is a complex of three springs that form part of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. The natural warm water that flows through the springs attracts hundreds of manatees throughout the year. You can always be sure to see manatees there whenever you visit. You can visit whether by kayak, boat, or from land at a boardwalk.

In winter, Three Sisters Springs is closed to protect the animals that flock to the springs for warmth. But in the summer months, you are free to kayak or canoe in the springs with friendly sea cows. It is an experience that is much more exciting than just watching them from the boardwalk. If you want to swim with manatees in Three Sisters Springs, you can book your manatee tour with Captain Mike’s. Captain Mike’s is an experienced and reputable outfitter in Crystal River.

2. Blue Spring State Park

Normally closed to swimmers and kayakers from November 15th to March 15th when manatees are present in large numbers, Blue Spring State Park is a great place to see manatees. During the winter, hordes of manatees are present, foraging on sea grass, traveling or sleeping. You cannot swim or kayak at this location in the winter months. However, you will definitely see them if you visit the park.

Blue Spring State Park has an extensive walkway around the water. It offers many vantage points for viewing manatees. However, if you want to swim and interact closely with them in the water, a summer visit is best. Because swimmers and boaters are welcome when the park is out of season. So, for those who can’t see the manatees in winter, going in summer is still great. The park offers a wild manatee webcam, which is pretty amazing.

3. Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

Homosassa Wildlife State Park is one of the best places to view manatees in Florida. A large number of manatees settle in the park in winter to take advantage of the warm waters that flow through the springs. You can also go beneath the waves to view the manatees via a special underwater observation deck. The park is a fabulous place to bring the whole family as there are several interactive exhibits and nature walks and exhibits for learning about indigenous animals, including alligators, wolves, otters, cranes, bears, regional birds, bobcats and even jaguars who flock to the springs during cold winter seasons. There are also programs where rangers provide information about the native animals.

4. Lovers Key State Park, Fort Myers Beach, Florida

If you want to see manatees away from the crowds, then Lovers Key State Park provides that natural, undeveloped and less crowded location for the outing. It is a picturesque area near Fort Myers and the perfect destination for those who want to enjoy an easy stroll through the sand or kayak with manatees. While it does not have as many manatees as the other locations, a good number still frequent the park. You can bring your own kayak or rent one there and ask park rangers to point you toward the herds of manatees.

5. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville

Initially intended to protect migratory birds, this park has evolved into a settlement area for all kinds of endangered species, including manatees. In fact, it is one of the few places in Florida where you’ll have a chance to spot manatees all year round. It has viewing platforms, a boat ramp, interpretive signs and an observation area.

6. TECO Manatee Viewing Center, Apollo Beach

Tampa Electric’s viewing center is a man-made manatee sanctuary. Boasting of large numbers of manatees in the winter due to warm water discharges from the Big Bend Power Station, the location provides a great place to view manatees. It has viewing platforms, tidal walkways and an environmental education center to make the outing memorable and educational.

Seeing large numbers of Florida manatees gathered in one place is an amazing experience. And in Florida, there are several locations known for their sizeable populations of manatees looking for food and warmer waters, particularly in the fall, winter and spring. But when you visit these places to see or swim with the manatees, remember that the animals are in the springs for survival and learn how to interact in a way that preerves their natual habitat. For more information on manatees and manatee tours in Florida, visit Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees website.

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Can you feed manatees in Florida?

Florida manatees, called Trichechus manatus latirostris, are a native of Florida and unique subspecies of West Indian manatees. Existing in Florida for millions of years, they thrived in the waterways. Often termed “sea cows,” they graze similarly. These significant, tube-shaped mammals display gray coloration, whiskered faces, leathery skin, paddle-like tails, and elegant flippers. Additionally, a grown manatee typically reaches a length of 10 feet. Florida manatees inhabit the entire Florida peninsula. And, State and federal laws protect them due to their endangered status.

Where are they found in Florida?

Florida manatees inhabit diverse aquatic environments. They live in both salt and fresh waterways year-round, favoring calmer estuaries, rivers, canals, and bays along Florida’s coast. During winter, they migrate to warmer waters, often to natural warm-water springs or discharge zones near power plants. Certainly, this migration aids their survival in winter’s cold temperatures.

Can you feed manatees in Florida?

No, you cannot attempt to feed manatees as it is prohibited and unwise. Authorities safeguard manatees under the Marine Mammal Protection Act enacted in 1972, the Endangered Species Act established in 1973, and Florida’s Manatee Sanctuary Act created in 1978. These laws strictly forbid feeding manatees, and engaging in such behavior results in legal consequences enforced by authorities. Additionally, you must not harass, harm, or distress manatees through activities like pursuing, wounding, or killing. These laws have led to the establishment of regulatory speed zones where manatees travel, reside, or migrate periodically or consistently.

What’s the punishment for feeding a manatee?

If caught feeding a manatee in Florida, you will face charges for violating both state and federal manatee protection laws. If you are charged and subsequently convicted of breaking a state protection law, you could be subject to a fine of up to $500 or a maximum imprisonment of 60 days. However, violating federal manatee protection laws could lead to a fine of up to $100,000 or a maximum imprisonment of one year. However, the penalty could involve a combination of both a fine and a period of incarceration.

To avoid such charges being brought against you:

  1. Do not feed the manatees.
  2. Do not separate a cow from her calf.
  3. Do not attract manatees to your dock, marina, or boat in any way that could harm them.
  4. Do not hit, harm, or injure manatees.
  5. Do not disturb resting manatees.
  6. Do not chase or pursue manatees from warm water areas.
  7. Do not grab, kick, hold on to, stand on, jump on, or ride manatees.
  8. Do not kill or hunt manatees.
  9. Do not attempt to hook, fish for, or catch manatees.
  10. Do not block the path of a manatee.
  11. Do not use a vessel to harass or pursue a manatee.

Interested in a manatee tour free of state and federal law breaches? Now, look for a provider valuing manatee protection, understanding laws, and ensuring guests are well-informed and guided. At Captain Mike’s, experienced, friendly captains and crews guarantee no breaches. Additionally, through thorough preparation, you’ll know the dos and don’ts, enjoying a worry-free trip. For more about manatees and unforgettable tours, explore “Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees” website.

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What Are Florida Manatees?

Florida manatees are marine mammals with elongated round bodies that taper to flat, paddle-shaped tails. The large, docile aquatic animals are gray-brown in color with a thick, wrinkled skin, a wrinkled face and head with whiskers on the snout, a powerful flat tail, small eyes and no external ears, two forelimbs (called flippers) and 3 or 4 nails per flipper. The front flippers steer manatees through shallow water while the tail propels them through deep water.

Where are they found?

Florida manatees are typically found in the warm and shallow, slow-moving waters of estuaries, rivers, bays, coastal waters and canals. Since they rarely get into waters with temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, they are usually concentrated in Florida during the winter. When summer comes, the manatees can migrate as far north as Massachusetts and as far west as Texas, though they are commonly sighted in Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. While there has been no precise census of the animals, their current population is estimated at 6,000.

How do they behave?

An adult Florida manatee is roughly 10-13 feet long and weighs between 800-1,200 pounds. The gentle, slow-moving mammals spend a large part of their time eating, traveling and resting. Being predominantly herbivores, they eat a wide variety of floating, submerged or emergent plants, such as freshwater vegetation and sea grasses. In fact, a manatee consumes up to 10-15 percent of its body weight in vegetation every day.

Although manatees can remain underwater for a long time, they are mammals and must go to the water surface periodically. When resting, Florida manatees will remain submerged at the bottom or slightly below the water surface for up to 20 minutes. However, when engaged in activities that require a lot of energy, the manatees come to the water surface to breathe after every 30 seconds. A manatee can swim at a rate of 26 miles per hour, but doing so only in short bursts. Ordinarily, a manatee will swim for roughly 3-5 miles in one hour.

Reproduction and lifespan

Since manatees have a gestation period of 13 months, give birth after every 2-5 years, rarely give birth to twins and are usually not sexually mature until they reach the age of five, their rate of reproduction is very low. After giving birth, manatee mothers nurse their calves for 1-2 years, with the calf almost fully dependent on the mother during that period.

Florida manatees have no natural predators and can live for as long as 60 years or more. Although a small percentage of manatee deaths can be attributed to natural factors like gastrointestinal disease, pneumonia, cold stress and other factors, a huge number of fatalities are from human-related factors such as watercraft collisions, ingestion of fish hooks, drowning in canal locks or entanglement in trap lines.

An amazing attraction

Despite their stubbly snout and large size, Florida manatees are cute and cuddly, drawing many visitors to the springs of Crystal River and beyond annually. They tend to hang out in areas where spring-break visitors and nature lovers can easily see them. They are also very curious and will draw closer to check on the divers and even interact with them.

Are you thinking of coming to Crystal River, Fl., for a manatee tour? Would you like a wonderful and memorable experience that gives you the most value for your money? Would you like to work with a world-renowned, reliable and meticulous manatee tour provider based only a few minutes away from manatee sightings? If so, then Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees is the right provider for you. For more information, visit the “Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees” site.

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