NationStates Jolt Archive

This past weekend my girlfriend and I went to Crystal River Fl. to swim with the manatees. We had planned to go scuba diving off Deerfield Beach on some wrecks, but with the hurricane coming, diving trips were cancelled.

So we packed up, drove west for about 100 miles and checked into a hotel. We met the tour company on time and loaded our gear into the boat. We set out in search of the manatees and soon found one feeding in the springs. This one however did not want to have anything to do with us humans and swiftly departed the area. We searched a couple of other places and finally came across a female and her calf swimming in a remote part of Kings Bay.

We swam along with the two manatees for just over an hour. They allowed us to approach them and came over to check us out. They seemed to enjoy our belly rubs, especially the calf who constantly craved attention.

If anyone else has a desire to see an endangered species in it's natural habitat, I would highly recommend travelling to Crystal River Florida and seeing these awesome creatures.

Post a source.

Post a source.

Ok....

http://www.birdsunderwater.com/

http://www.fun2dive.com/

http://www.scubatampa.com/manatee.html (These are the guys we used)

Nah, I can't believe you until I see a scan of your hotel bill and pictures of you swimming with the critters.

And did you serve honorably with these alleged manatees?

Seriously though, it sounds like fun.

Nah, I can't believe you until I see a scan of your hotel bill and pictures of you swimming with the critters.
lol

Sounds like fun, Biff.

did you serve honorably, lmfao

this topic is out of hand

Manatees are the bumble bee of the sea. They are so cute.

And did you serve honorably with these alleged manatees?

Seriously though, it sounds like fun.

Oh it's freakin awesome. Not as fun as wreck diving, but it is a good substitute when a hurricane is coming. I recommend it highly.

I saw a manatee while surfing last week. It got really close.

We swam along with the two manatees for just over an hour. They allowed us to approach them and came over to check us out. They seemed to enjoy our belly rubs, especially the calf who constantly craved attention.


Hey that's really cool. We don't get such things on Texas coasts ... too many oil companies polluting the gulf (lousy Bush).

Definately something I'd like to do, though.

Wow Biff!

You had a very lucky experience!

The sad thing is they will probably be gone in so many years.

The Steinhart Aquarium had one for years. Butterball was his name. Not much room but he didn't seem to mind it. Especially when he got old. His handler once said we looked into returning him but by then he had been locked up so long they figured he would not survive long.

He always had a pack watching him and he liked the attention. Especially kids. He would always float by if one was around.....

Wow Biff!

You had a very lucky experience!

The sad thing is they will probably be gone in so many years.

The Steinhart Aquarium had one for years. Butterball was his name. Not much room but he didn't seem to mind it. Especially when he got old. His handler once said we looked into returning him but by then he had been locked up so long they figured he would not survive long.

He always had a pack watching him and he liked the attention. Especially kids. He would always float by if one was around.....

Yes, sadly they may be gone in a few years. However, they flock to the springs here in the hundreds in winter time. Our guide said there are usually 30-40 here year round and up to 400 during the winter when the waters get cooler. The springs are a constant 72 degrees all the time. I plan to go again in Jan. so we can see more of them and get some good pictures. The water was too cloudy to get any good pics.

Manatees are my least favorite animal.