Located along Florida’s west coast, Crystal River is one of the few places you can swim with manatees. The area’s springs flow at a constant 72 degrees, and manatees move into these warm(er) waters during the winter months when the temperatures drop in the Gulf of Mexico.
For the last two decades, I made Crystal River an annual pilgrimage from our home in Broward County, usually on or around my January birthday. I love swimming with these gentle giants as there are few wildlife encounters more heart-warming (to me) than coming face to face with a manatee.
The town of Crystal River has made an industry out of it — there are several tour operators and boat or kayak rentals available. You can also launch yourself from any number of places around Kings Bay.
This activity is highly regulated and, no matter how you go, you are observed by FWC volunteers who make sure you are following “proper manatee etiquette.”
Since we’ve moved to Southern Alabama, my trips to Crystal River will be less frequent. It’s a 7-hour drive, which means quick, overnight trips are no longer practical. But since 2024 was a milestone birthday for me, we rented a pet-friendly Airbnb for a full week.
We also invited two friends from South Florida to join us for part of our stay.
Allison and Greg’s place was perfect — beautifully furnished with everything we could need, comfortable, and conveniently located in a quiet neighborhood. You can find their listing here:
I’ve tried a few of the manatee tour operators over the years but have had the most fun D-I-Y’ing it. So, for the last few visits I’ve rented a kayak from the Crystal River Kayak & Dive Center, just a ten-minute paddle from the famous Three Sisters Springs.
It is located on one of the many canals, which avoids the long, sometimes arduous Kings Bay crossing. The best thing about going on your own is that you are on no timetable. The tour boats come and go, and in between it’s just you, a few other paddlers, and the manatees for as long as you can stand the 72-degree water!
Within the first five minutes of the first day, I was “accosted” by a manatee giving me multiple hugs and nose bumps. I could not have asked for a better start to my manatee-rific birthday week!
The next day, in crystal-clear, blue water, we spent over three hours with a friendly young manatee who did not seem to mind our presence in the least.
And on our last day we were delighted to find the entrance to Three Sisters Springs open. For years, Florida Fish & Wildlife has kept the area closed during the winter to protect the hundreds of manatees who gather in the springs for warmth and rest.
But the weather was warm enough that most of the manatees had dispersed into Kings Bay. We were treated to a mother and young calf who swam by us twice.
And two different adults who also came close enough that I had to back out of the way. It was truly magical, and I was so overcome with emotion that I stopped for a few moments to just take in what we had experienced.
Since TG is not a fan of swimming in 72-degree water (and would not be caught dead in a wetsuit) he stayed home with Oscar and Maddie and cooked us delicious dinners.
As we celebrated my birthday, I was grateful to be alive, surrounded by the love of friends both near and far, and humbled by the beauty of our natural world.
You can view my manatee photos here:
Fully manatee-saturated, on Sunday we visited Homosassa State Park. It’s a quirky little place, more of a wildlife refuge than a state park. All the animals are native to Florida and for whatever reason cannot be released back into the wild.
All the animals that is, except for Lu, the oldest hippopotamus in captivity. Lu (short for “Lucifer”) is a 6,000-pound retired movie star and was a resident of the park long before the state took it over. The town of Homosassa put up such a fuss over the possible relocation of Lu that in 1991, the then governor of FL gave him special Florida citizenship, allowing him to stay in the state park even though he is a non-native species.
I was delighted to find out that Lu and I share the same birthday – another surprise!
You can view our Homosassa State Park photos here:
After a fun visit to the park, we drove over to Monkey Island, a bizarre little “Old Florida” attraction for a chance to see monkeys.
Alas, no monkeys to be seen on this chilly day but we did enjoy a delicious lunch at the Florida Cracker Monkey Bar before heading back to Orchard Street Retreat.
TG and I had the final two days to ourselves, so on Monday we booked a 90-minute glass-bottom boat ride on the Silver River at Silver Springs State Park, about an hour east of Crystal River.
The ride was about what one would expect from an inexpensive park tour. But it turned into a beautiful sunny day, and we were treated to a lovely ride along the Silver River, where we saw manatees, plenty of gators, lots of Florida birds,
And … monkeys!
You can view our Silver Springs photos here:
Tuesday was our last full day at Orchard Street Retreat. After a nice breakfast at the Biscuit Barn,
We did a little souvenir shopping and got ready to head for home early Wednesday morning.
It was a perfect birthday week. We had glorious sunny, warm weather. I was surrounded by people that I love and more manatee time than I ever dreamed of. So, hop in the water and swim along with me once more!
On The Road with Tall Guy & JET 