Happenstance Summer Swim With Manatees at Blue Spring State Park

A fateful morning on July 2nd, I got to swim with manatees at Blue Spring State Park.

Now before we go too far, you cannot get close to manatees or touch them as they are protected. So my swim was at a safe distance and the manatees had a human guardian on a kayak around.

Additionally, Blue Spring State Park does not offer tours to swim with manatees. In fact, the only place that really offers tours to swim with manatees in Florida is at Crystal River (which I have done).

Yet when I asked my cousin who was in town if she and her kids wanted to join me for a swim, I only hoped we may see one of the few manatees that tends to stick around all year!

And as you have ascertained from the title, we actually did get to swim alongside manatees at Blue Spring State Park. I’m going to share all the details of our experience and offer some advice in case you want to head there in the summer as well! And maybe you too will happen across these gentle sea cows.

Why Blue Spring State Park?

If you know me or have been around here much, you know I’m a beach girl! Despite growing up much closer to Blue Spring State Park than to the beach, I only visited on rare occasions growing up.

In recent years, I’ve wanted to explore my home state more and why not start near my hometown. So I visited Blue Spring State with my paddle board and a couple times in the winter to see all the manatees when swimming isn’t allowed.

It’s now late June and my cousin who lives in Colorado with her family is in town while her sister (another cousin) gives birth. I had been wanting to swim at Blue Springs since I couldn’t actually remember the last time I had.

It was probably when I was a kid or teenager. The cold springs are not my favorite swimming experience. And I have more memories at DeLeon Springs since this same cousin lived closer to that state park.

I have really grown to appreciate how well Blue Spring State Park has preserved nature and how it really offers a more immersive experience than DeLeon Springs.

Anyway, she was happy to get out with her kids and agreed to pile in my car with a couple floats on a weekday morning in early July and head to Blue Spring State Park.

Arriving at Blue Spring State Park

Our drive wasn’t long and we arrived to the Blue Spring State Park entrance with only a few cars in front of us. After paying the $6 entry fee, we continued our drive to the park.

Now I have to admit, I chose the wrong parking lot. Despite all the times I’ve visited in the last year, I really only knew of one carpark area! I’m embarrassed to admit this, but there’s a better parking area for swimmers than the one at the end that I chose.

If you are paddling, walking, or planning to do the St. Johns River boat tour, head to the further parking area. However, if you’re swimming in the summer, there’s a better parking lot close to the shop and swimming entry points.

Regardless, we easily found a parking spot as it was only about 830AM. It’s worth reiterating that this is a weekday, and you will want to consider getting in line before the park opens on a weekend day.

Since we were all planning to swim, we decided to go bare bones. I took my insta360 X5 camera with its underwater case, a small dry bag (which spoiler alert wasn’t effective) for my car keys, and we took the two floats while the kids carried their goggles (side note: I wish I had taken my mask and/or snorkel).

No shirt, no shoes, no problem. We walked down the shaded boardwalk on this humid and hot summer morning to the first and larger entry point where my cousin stopped to use the portable potties (there are regular restrooms by the kayaks). Then we continued walking down the boardwalk to the furthest entry point.

I was glad to see a sign on the right of the boardwalk indicating that it’s the last entrance into the water. If you continue on, you can only view from the boardwalk, but cannot get in the water.

Matthew the Manatee

This entry point has lockers on the dock and a Blue Spring State Park employee monitoring the situation. She told us as we were entering the cold (72 degrees year-round) water that a manatee named Matthew was recently spotted.

She pointed us to swim against the current to the spring head. There were a good amount of people around, but it wasn’t so crowded that we were running into them.

The current is strong enough that swimming with my camera and towing a child filled float wasn’t working very well. My cousin, who also had a float with one of her three children on it, and I both decided walking along the shallow spring run was the best method.

I don’t even own a pair of water shoes, so I was simply walking along the sandy bottom, then the algae lined tree trunk, then some small rocks and occasionally a big rock to get to the spring head.

While I didn’t injure myself, water shoes, or even my scuba booties (should have thought of it) would serve a purpose in these conditions.

After a short journey up the spring run, with people passing us in both directions, we finally made it to the head of the spring. I did both of my scuba diving certification dives here, so I know the spring is far underneath. However, if you do bring a snorkel, it can be fun to explore a bit.

Well, we looked around for Matthew, but couldn’t find him. I asked some other swimmers and they mentioned he was gone already, but to look for the park employee in a kayak.

Disappointed and not feeling as optimistic, we started to float downstream.

We Never Saw Matthew, but We Did See..

As we were floating down the spring run, we saw the kayak. I stood up in the spring for a moment and sure enough, I could see a manatee!

The kids put on their goggles at the encouragement of their mom, and saw not just one manatee but two!

It was a mother and a baby manatee!

They were swimming up the spring run toward the head. My cousin looked at me and commented how chaotic it looked up that way, now with even more people. I agreed and suggested we just wait where we are as the manatee is bound to turn around sooner than later.

We were right! In almost no time at all, the mama and baby manatee had turned around and swam directly next to us!

We stayed still and watched them float gently by us and when they were a safer distance away, we began to follow them.

The kayaker guardian ensures no one gets too close and if you accidentally find yourself closer than the 20 feet of allowable space, you will hear him yell, “get back!”

For about an hour, we got to swim with manatees at Blue Spring State Park!

I was in amazement. My cousin was thrilled, especially for her kids. And we couldn’t believe this serendipitous swim.

Eventually, I noticed the swim area was roped off allowing for space in the spring run just for the manatees. As the mama and baby manatees headed closer to that area, we began to realize how cold we were!

The excitement lingered, but the time of our swim at Blue Springs had come to an end. With one kid’s teeth chattering, we headed for the exit.

As we walked down the boardwalk back to the car, we were able to spot the manatees in their protected area! We also saw some huge fish (gar) and enjoyed the beauty of this state park as we warmed up.

Swim with Manatees at Blue Spring State Park Details

Blue Spring State Park is inundated with manatees in the winter, so swimming is prohibited. This can be confusing, so I have created a winter vs summer Blue Spring State Park guide.

While the winter sees hundreds of manatees, there are a few resident manatees that stick around all year.

I saw them on a scuba dive a few years ago when preparing for my Fiji trip. Then I saw them last November on my paddleboard right before the spring run closed for the winter.

However, I still wasn’t sure I’d see them with the summer crowds at Blue Spring State Park.

Here are the details of our visit, but ultimately, look for the kayak guardians. They will be following the manatees.

• Day of the Week: Thursday
• Month of Visit: July
• Time of Day: 8:30AM to 10AM
• Tip: Look for the Kayak Guardian

Check out my full guide on Blue Spring State Park: Blue Spring State Park Guide (By a Local): How to Enjoy in Winter vs Summer

What to Bring for a Swim at Blue Spring State Park

While you don’t need much, there are things that may make your experience more pleasant.

I brought two floats from home, but you can also rent some there. The spring run isn’t very deep, but the water feels cold (even to the Colorado kids) at 72 degrees.

I don’t own water shoes as maybe I think I’ll lose my outdoorsy cred, but if you have sensitive feet and don’t want to have to swim against the current, they will come in useful.

Both my cousin and I got bit while in the water at Blue Springs. I’m not sure if her kids did as well, but it’s par for the course in summer in Florida. I can’t remember seeing mosquitoes land on me, so it might have actually been noseeums.

Blue Spring State Park has a lush forest on either side of the spring run, so repellant would come in handy whether for mosquitoes or noseeums. I’m torn as I really hate the chemicals, so I tend to choose slapping myself repeatedly. All jokes aside, consider bringing bug spray, but only use it if you must.

We didn’t really concern ourselves much with sunscreen. Well, I did, but in reality didn’t need to lather myself up. It was in the morning and mostly shaded, so the sun wasn’t a factor for us. However, if you’re heading in the afternoon, consider having it on in case, but the trees do offer a lot of shade.

Do NOT forget a mask or goggles! The last time I called Blue Spring State Park office, they said snorkel gear is sold at the park, but not rented. I wouldn’t chance it and absolutely suggest bringing your own!

While I caught the manatees on camera, I only saw them once when borrowing a pair of goggles briefly. I had snorkeled with manatees already at Crystal River, so I was happy to let the kids experience it, but I should have come prepared!

• Swimsuit
• Towel (we left ours in the car)
• Floats (or rent them)
• Mask/goggles
• Water shoes (optional)
• Bug repellent
• Underwater camera or case (optional)
• Pack a lunch and change of clothes (if making a full day of it)

Final Thoughts on the Swim with Manatees at Blue Spring State Park

I’m still thrilled I got to see the manatees so up close and for so long! A mama and a baby manatee for over an hour was more than I ever expected.

While this experience isn’t guaranteed, swimming at Blue Spring State Park is absolutely beautiful! The tree canopy, the clear spring water, the large fish and turtles all help to transport you. It’s a beautiful Florida jungle and manatees might just join you!

If anyone in your party doesn’t want to swim, the boardwalk is a shaded, beautiful walk along the spring run. Additionally, there is a boat tour of the St. Johns River (not the spring run) that is actually interesting and you may see a gator.

For whatever reason, alligators tend to not come into the spring run. I’m not sure why that is, but you can see them in the river which the spring flows into. Maybe they like their river water camouflage?

I hope you are inspired to swim at Blue Spring State Park and know what to look for if you want to spot a manatee.

If you are planning a trip, check out my Daytona Beach area guide or explore more destinations in Florida!