Swimming with manatees had been a dream of mine for quite some time and it was at the top of my bucket list for a few years now. I just kept pushing it off because it was always a “bad time” to go. Fact: I am the worlds worst procrastinator.
The famous manatees of Crystal River migrate from the ocean during the winter because their bodies are not able to withstand temperatures colder than 68 degrees or they’ll die of hypothermia (reason #1 I am a manatee).
I work retail so of course the winter is always our busiest time, making it super hard for me to take off. But I decided that I couldn’t wait any longer to meet these adorable little chubby mermaids so I just had to make it happen. As soon as I was able to, I took off of work and booked our trip to Crystal River!
February finally approached and before I knew it, it was time to head to see the manatees! My husband and I left early on a Friday morning in mid-February and began our drive to Florida. I’ve never experienced a longer 8 hours in all my life. (I really need to work on my road trip playlist.)
After what felt like an eternity, we arrived at our hotel just in time for sunset! We stayed at The Plantation on Crystal River and the grounds are beautiful! The hotel is located on over 200 acres and surrounded by the natural springs of King’s Bay. There is a golf course, a full service spa, heated pool and hot tub, poolside bar, an on-site restaurant, and so much more!
We checked into our room and explored the grounds for a little bit before enjoying dinner and drinks at the on-site restaurant, West 82°. After dinner, we headed to our room and went to sleep early to rest up for our sea cow encounter the next morning.
For the first time in my life, I was wide awake as soon as my alarm went off. I immediately woke my husband and I was so giddy with excitement. Today was the day I would FINALLY be swimming with manatees! It was a cold, crisp, 52 degrees out but we happily slipped into our swimsuits and grabbed our towels and were on our way!
We arrived at River Ventures at 6am, before the sun even thought about coming up. We signed in, were separated into small groups (our group included us and 3 other couples) and then watched a short video on proper manatee manners. (Following these rules are very important to ensure these sweet animals are protected.) We met our guide, Gloria, who would guide us in the water. She handed out wetsuits and we hopped right into them. (I definitely felt like a manatee in mine.) We then took a short shuttle ride to the dock where we met Captain Rhonda who welcomed us aboard her ship. Gloria and Rhonda went over some rules of the boat and even gave us some snorkeling advice. I had never snorkeled before so these tips were super helpful!
The sun finally started to show its light and we were on our way to Three Sisters Springs! After just a few minutes, we were the first to arrive to the springs and anchored the boat right next to the manatee sanctuary. We immediately got into the water and enjoyed the sunrise while getting used to the water. We were able to see a few manatees still asleep and even saw a baby nursing. The manatees weren’t very active yet so we decided to swim into the main springs before the crowds arrived.
The water was so clear and blue I couldn’t believe it! We saw different types of fish, the natural spring where the water bubbles out, and even a swimming bird. (Yes, it’s called a cormorant. You should look it up.) We dove down almost 20 feet in one area to see the main spring then the crowds started to pour in. We are SO thankful we chose the earliest tour, because we were able to enjoy the springs before all of the sand got kicked up making it a little murky.
After about an hour and a half it started to get too crowded and we decided to head back to the boat. That’s when the best thing happened. A BABY MANATEE swam right up to my husband and I! It was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen! This chubby little baby came and said hi and then went on his way! Luckily, I was able to catch a video of him swimming past and even got a chance to touch him! I was so excited! My day was made right there! I got what I came for. I was able to interact with a manatee.
That’s when we called it a day and headed back to the boat. We took off the wetsuits, wrapped up in a towel and enjoyed some hot chocolate while we headed back to the dock. It was a cold ride but the sun was fully up now and we were able to see the true beauty of the area! We even saw a few more manatees on our way back. Even a group of them mating. (Interesting to say the least.)
We got back to the dock, took a bus back to the shop, got in to our warm, dry clothes, did a little bit of shopping in the souvenir shop, then viewed our pictures that Gloria took of us while we were in the water. We decided to purchase the USB drive with all of the photos on it and then we sadly went on our way.
Everything about the tour was amazing and I can’t say enough great things about the company we chose! River Ventures did everything they could to make sure we had a safe but FUN time! Even without very many manatees, we had a blast snorkeling and looking at the other wildlife. I absolutely cannot wait to go back!
