The weekend after my parents visited we went kayaking on the Ichetucknee (one of our favorite spots). In the winter, manatees migrate from the Gulf waters inland toward the rivers where the water is warmer - especially the Springs. The water is 72 degrees year round and they typically go to the same place every winter. We spotted three manatees that day!
Clay filming with our GoPro:
They are so sweet!
This photo below was captured by our GoPro!
The next weekend Clay and I went back to Crystal River, FL to go swimming with the manatees. It's the same Springs (Three Sisters) that we visited when my parents came down except this time we were IN the water snorkeling with them! We traveled down Friday to spend the night and ate some amazing Mediterranean food at Taverna Manos. Everything was spectacular and we will definitely be visiting this place again!
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| Garlic Hummus...and it was LOADED with garlic :) |
Bright and early on Saturday morning we were wet suited up and headed out on the boat to Three Sisters Springs. Keep in mind this was just after the record-breaking 800 manatees were spotted in these Springs!! When we first started that morning there were only a few boats but by the time we left the first area there were TONS of boats, paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, swimmers. It was so crowded that when we were swimming *cautiously* back to get to our boat, Clay and I almost got ran over by another boat!
Three Sisters Springs is back in a residential area of Crystal River. We had fun daydreaming which house we would buy when we retire so we could be right on the water. With a boat like this swan of course.
Volunteers were seen wearing those yellow vests and they kept an eye on everyone swimming around the manatees. No one was allowed to cross the buoy line but if the manatees swam towards you at any time you were allowed to extend your hand as they came by. It's illegal to approach or harass them and it was advised not to wear fins because you could accidentally kick them. Our group did not wear fins and used the pool noodle (pictured below) to help stay just on the top of the water and gently scan for these amazing animals.
The first big guy pictured below was right beside the buoy line and seems to be quite a good distance from me right? Through the snorkel mask it looks completely different! It took me a few minutes to get used to the fact that these sweet giants were IN THE WATER with us. You really had to be on the lookout at all times because they were everywhere!
Video footage of these sweet guys is found at the link below:
This group of yellow and blue wet suits were not doing a good job of following the laws. They pursued this manatee and had fins they were kicking around recklessly. Most of them were kids and I had to let go of my teacher tendencies...oops.
This one was SO sweet! Clay and I stuck out our hands and he swam right up to them! Their skin feels really rough and has some coarse hair on it. They say it feels like an elephant so now we know what they feel like!
The manatee below was fascinated by this guy's camera. He came right up to it and even sniffed at his leg and rubbed all over him!
This little snout may be one of my favorite pictures. He was a little guy compared to the others!
What an amazing experience that we will NEVER forget. I seriously love living here.
Check out our GoPro video below:
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