How to Swim with Manatees in Florida

Wondering how to swim with manatees in Florida? Well growing up here, I’ve swam with manatees by accident, seen them while paddle boarding in the ocean, viewed them at Blue Springs, surprised by them at a private boat dock and most recently I snorkeled with manatees at Crystal River.

These peaceful underwater blimps are a safe animal encounter that is bucket list worthy! My recent experience of snorkeling with manatees at Crystal River was very cold, but absolutely worth it!

I’ll review how to swim with Manatees in Florida, the tour I did, what to expect and also what to bring! If swimming with manatees isn’t your cup of tea but you want to see them, I’ll review some great areas to consider as there are plenty of options!

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Best Places to Swim with Manatees in Florida

There is really only one place in Florida where it’s truly legal to swim with Manatees and that is Citrus County on the west coast of central Florida. The main springs people swim with manatees at is Crystal River, followed by Homosassa Springs.

Crystal River

The most popular place people visit to swim with Manatees is Crystal River. It’s actually considered the manatee capital with numbers climbing to 1,000 during the winter months. Once cold weather sets in, the Florida manatees go in search of warmer waters. Most springs in Florida remain at 72 degrees year round, so that is when the manatees swim into springs all over the state!

Crystal River has multiple springs, which make it a great area to look for manatees! Along Crystal River, a popular spring is Three Sisters Springs, which is where the snorkel with manatees tour I took went.

Other popular spots on Crystal River include King Spring and Hunter Springs Park, though the latter is more for swimming. The good thing about this area is tours can journey around to find manatees when it’s not quite cold enough for them to congregate.

Homosassa Springs

Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is another great spot to see manatees and is also an option for snorkeling and swimming with them since it’s within Citrus Country.

While it’s not as popular as Crystal River, it could be worth considering, but since I haven’t been yet, I can’t really speak to it. However, it does seem to be a small zoo of sorts, beautiful nature walks and the springs with the manatees!

Best Places to See Manatees

When it comes to simply seeing manatees, there are plenty of places in Florida! I’ve seen manatees in the intracoastal, lakes, and in the Atlantic Ocean. However, the reason the springs are popular is they congregate there in the winter when waters elsewhere become too cold, so your chances to see them are high. Plus, the water at the springs are clear, unlike the lakes or intracoastals!

Both of the above mentioned springs, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge and Homosassa Springs, have view points where you can observe the manatees from dry land. However, I’ll highlight a few more to consider if simply observing manatees is your goal.

Blue Springs

Blue Springs isn’t far from me and is a very popular spot to see the manatees! Swimming is not permitted in the winter to allow the manatees to seek warmth in the springs unbothered.

Manatees pile in here by the hundreds. The most recent count I found was 577 a couple days ago. It costs $6 per vehicle, but it’s important to get there early if you want to visit. The park will close when capacity is reached and may take hours to reopen!

While they close swimming during the winter months, you can swim during the rest of the year and you just may encounter a manatee then, though it’s not guaranteed.

I was Scuba certified at Blue Springs in September. It was still hot in Florida, but I ran into some manatees on that dive. I think there’s a few manatees that just hang close year round and while there’s no guarantee of seeing them, it’s a beautiful springs to visit regardless!

After visiting Crystal River, I do have a new appreciation for Blue Springs. Unlike at Crystal River, Blue Springs is more protected with nature remaining in tact. It’s not built up all around it, the way Crystal River is. Overall, I’d give viewing manatees in a natural habitat to Blue Springs. It’s a really beautiful setting!

7 Sisters Springs

Down the road from Crystal River and Homosassa Springs, you’ll find 7 Sisters Springs. While it’s not as popular of a spot, you can see Manatees here as well. Unlike the three parks mentioned above, I don’t see any indication of a platform or area to observe the manatees. I haven’t been, but the reviews all seem to mention kayaking or canoeing.

Round Island Riverside Park

Round Island Riverside Park in Vero Beach is another popular area to see manatees. I have not been, but the park looks beautiful and offers nature trails and kayaking. The manatees are said to like this area as it has little boating activity and the water is warm!

The one drawback that I am deducing from photos and my experience of the intracoastal in general, is the water will not be clear like you would find at a spring. However, after trying to spot the manatees, you can walk over to the beach and enjoy a dip in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Best Time to Swim with Manatees

The best time to swim with manatees is unfortunately when it’s COLD! Now you might be thinking it’s not that cold in Florida, but it can get very cold here! This last week our temperatures dropped into the 30s. It even stayed in the 30s during the day due to wind chill!

Thankfully, frigid temperatures don’t last and today we’re in the 60s. Manatees, like me, prefer warmth. Unlike the west coast of the USA, our ocean waters do warm up, which means the manatees will disperse as it heats up. When it gets cold though, the manatees seek the warmer waters the springs offer.

Florida springs are 72 degrees year round, so once the temperature drops enough, the manatees flock to the springs! Manatee season is considered November to March, but temperatures fluctuate a lot in Florida, so pay more attention to the actual weather.

Cold Mornings vs Cold Days to Swim with Manatees in Florida

With our winter months varying greatly when it comes to temperatures, you will likely want to book a morning tour. If the day is cold, you have more flexibility with the time of tour you choose. However, mornings are a more reliable time to book.

If we haven’t received a cold snap yet, you may still get to swim with them, but the tour guide will have to go searching and it won’t be as clear of water.

A cold morning is a good time for a tour! If it is a cold day overall, you will have more chances throughout the day.

The day I did my tour, it was a high in the mid fifties. We did the 1:30PM tour and since it was such a cold day, it worked well!

If it won’t be super cold on your visit, book a morning slot! With it typically being cold overnight, the manatees will likely be at the springs in the early morning. As the day warms up, they may leave for a while and your chances of seeing them in the clear water of the springs will go down.

Tips for Swimming with Manatees Responsibly

When figuring out how to swim with manatees in Florida, it’s important to know that it is illegal to touch these gentle giants. When you are near a manatee, it’s advised that you remain as still as possible, which can be difficult in the water near the current of the springs.

While you can’t touch manatees with your hands, feet or any other part of your body, they can touch you. They might get close or you will feel them swim under you. However, it’s imperative not to disturb or stress them out in any way!

How to Swim with Manatees in Florida

Passive observation is allowed. Just don’t do anything to disturb them. The manatee tours will review all the rules and expectations before you head out.

Additionally, at Crystal River, there is an area that is roped off to prevent swimmers from entering and disturbing the manatees where they congregate. However, it’s still possible to get close outside that area, especially as they warm up and start swimming around.

Booking a Manatee Snorkel Tour

How to swim with manatees in Florida, starts with booking a tour. While it’s possible to encounter manatees organically, to actually swim with them requires booking a manatee tour as these are protected animals.

There are multiple companies to choose from in the Crystal River area. I chose one of the longest running companies to book the swim with manatees in Florida tour and the hot chocolate was a good selling point for my friend and I. Scroll down a little more and I’ll share my experience of this OG Manatee Snorkel Tour.

The ‘OG’ Manatee Snorkel Tour with In-Water Guide/Photographer

Below are some other tours to consider. While all might be trying to gain your business on the front end, they are all courteous, seemed to have in-water guides and there was a sense they want to give anyone around a good experience.

What to Bring on Your Manatee Snorkel Tour

Swimming with manatees is a cold experience! There’s no way around it. However, here are some things you should bring to make your experience better.

While I prepared well in some ways, my experience taught me a few things.

Swimsuit

The tour will provide a wetsuit, but you should bring your swimsuit to wear underneath. Once the tour is over, you’ll want to take your wetsuit off partially and get your core area warm!

Towels

I’m saying towels, because a couple towels would be useful! As we were checking in, a group came back from their tour and I asked how it was. They responded “cold” and suggested two towels.

After I got out of the water and used my towel, I can definitely see how a second towel would have been useful. One towel dries you off, but the other helps to dry you completely and keep you warm if used as a blanket!

I ended up using my towel to dry off, then the captain had a swimmer’s parka on board that I could use. The towel was quickly soaked and just sat on my lap. I did have a fleece that I brought and planned to wear, but ended up using it to cover my head and ears. If it wasn’t for the parka, I’d have worn the fleece and wished I had a dry towel to keep my head warm.

If you don’t take the extra towel on the boat, it will come in handy when you change into dry clothes. Regardless how you approach it, two towels are useful!

Dive Socks or Booties

You will not wear fins on the manatee snorkel. In fact, you aren’t supposed to kick at all! Having dive socks or booties can really help with staying warm.

I took my dive booties thinking I’d need the fins and I’m so glad I had them on! They really helped keep me warm.

My friend took two layers of dive socks! She gets cold super easily when she goes Scuba diving, so she has some great gear including dive gloves. She was well outfitted!

While the tour will provide a wetsuit, if you have dive socks, gloves or booties, definitely consider taking them!

Warm Clothes for on the Boat

This is where I came up short, but my friend was super prepared! You will want a warm sweatshirt or something to wear after the snorkel. Something you don’t mind getting a little wet, but that will help to warm your core after you’ve partially removed your wetsuit.

Change of Clothes for After

Whether you change back into the clothes you wore or a different set, be sure to have dry clothes to change into after.

Once the tour was complete, we went back to the tour site and used the changing rooms to completely remove the wetsuit and put on dry clothes. After being cold, those dry clothes will feel amazing!

Underwater Camera

The tour guide will take photos for you, but you can also take your own! My friend took her dad’s GoPro and I took my underwater phone case that I got for my solo trip to Fiji.

It works great and is inexpensive! All the photos I have in this post were taken with my phone using that case. If you do consider purchasing it, just double check that it actually fits your phone.

Again, you don’t have to take anything as you can purchase the photos from the tour. However, if you have something, then be sure to take it.

My Experience Swimming with the Manatees

My friend had reached out to me about this activity and after layering up in my house the last few days I wasn’t jumping at the chance. However, it didn’t take long before I was researching how to swim with manatees in Florida and soon talked myself into it.

Booking Process

We booked the OG snorkel with manatees tour on Viator. There were two options when we booked. One was for the advertised price and a second was $5 more for a guaranteed manatee swim tour. It basically said you get a full refund if you don’t swim with a manatee.

With our knowledge of the weather and manatees habits, we felt confident and booked the normal tour. However, if you’re unsure the extra $5 could be worth it.

Once we booked, we received an automated message from River Ventures. We knew it was automated because it said “as we approach winter months” and “the weather is still quite warm here.” There was just record breaking snow in north Florida, and we had freezing temperatures in central Florida, so I knew that wasn’t true.

Either way, they likely have an automated message going out to everyone to set your expectations appropriately. They stated they can search the 600 acre bay to locate the manatees to ensure their guests have a good experience.

The Friday we booked was sunny and in the mid 50s. We both thought a weekday would mean less people, but there were plenty of people out there. Since we had a two hour drive across the state, we chose the 1:30PM tour, allowing for it to be a day trip!

It is worth noting that the time worked out for us because it was such a cold day (and a cold week), but morning tours are generally better.

Checkin Process

I don’t recall reading any suggestion on when to arrive, but we pulled into their location about 15 minutes early. The checkin process was smooth and we simply filled out the typical release form.

The gentleman who welcomed us, told us who our guide would be and they would call us from the lobby, shop area at 1:30PM. There was coffee and hot chocolate available as well.

Right at 1:30PM our names were called! There was a mother and daughter and another family of four on our tour. We were all taken to another room where our guide went over a few things including how to behave around the manatees. He then put on a video that went into more detail of what to do and not to do with examples shown.

Changing into Wetsuits

Once the video was complete, he asked for our shirt size and then handed out wetsuits. If the sizing didn’t work, there was an option to trade it out.

They had a line of dressing rooms and requested people use the dressings rooms and not one of the two bathrooms to change.

There was also an open storage area if you wanted to keep your change of clothes there. We opted to just put it in the car.

Once we had our wetsuits on, they handed out snorkels and masks, but my friend and I had brought our own.

Transport to the Manatees

Now that we were all ready to go, we hopped in a van that took us about five minutes down the road to the docks.

The pontoon boat had plastic window panels down which really helped block the wind and kept it warm! The ride on the boat was about 10 minutes, because the manatees were still congregated by the Three Sisters Springs.

Should the manatees be dispersed, the boat ride could last longer in order to locate them.

Crystal River | Kings Bay

When we arrived to the Three Sister Springs along Crystal River, the area was full of other tours. There were several pontoon boats, some kayaks, paddle boarders and plenty of snorkelers! The boat pulled into an area between other pontoon boats and one by one, we got into the water.

Unless you are a cold plunger, I cannot imagine thinking this water is warm. Even as a child, I always found the springs to be cold. Of course, as a kid you don’t stop moving and eventually get used to it. Well, to observe the manatees we were advised not to move much, and I stayed cold!

Each of us were given a blue pool noodle and as we moved toward the area with the manatees, it was obvious each tour used their own color.

Swim with Manatees

Between boats and swimmers, the water was cloudy when we first got in! As we swam toward the springs where the manatees were, my friend was surprised when a manatee swam underneath her because it was hard to see it coming!

The swim to the springs area was slow, because we were advised to move slowly for the manatees sake. We were also asked not use our feet, which was harder than I expected.

The area where the manatees congregate by the springs is roped off, so snorkelers line up around it. The tour guides show courtesy to each other and lead their groups to good areas.

You have the to option to return to the boat at any time, and some in our group did go back early. It was very cold so I don’t blame them! However, we stayed out there for a good 30 to 45 minutes!

As we moved closer to the spring, the water became clear! It was beautiful watching the manatees relax and occasionally some moved about. The current isn’t super strong, but it is noticeable. Even though it’s shallow enough to stand, you don’t want to put your feet down because it will impact the clarity of the water!

After being on the edge of the roped off area for a while, our guide led us back to the boat. When we got to the area with our boat, there were a couple manatees around, so we continued to observe them. The water clarity wasn’t great, so you had to be closer to see them, but they were hanging around this area to eat and were very active!

It was nice to have experiences both by the springs where the water was clear and by the boats, where the manatees were more active. Of course, experiences will vary from tour to tour and day to day!

End of the Tour

When we climbed up the ladder into the pontoon boat, the captain was there to pour some warm water! It made a positive difference after being so cold!

Once on the boat, I walked inside plastic shielded pontoon boat and began to strip the arms of the wetsuit off. As I dried, someone from the family who returned to the boat earlier offered the swimmer’s parka the captain had on board. I gratefully received it and used my fleece as a hat to stop shivering!

After we were all on board, the guide and captain prepared coffee or hot chocolate for anyone who wanted it. The hot chocolate was a wonderfully warm treat! Thankfully, the drive back to the docks was only 10 minutes and the guide and captain answered any questions we had.

The van was waiting for us when we got to the docks and the short drive to the tour headquarters wasn’t bad considering we all still had our wetsuits halfway on. Once back, there were plenty of changing rooms so no one had to wait and having dry clothes on again was wonderful!

My Thoughts on this Manatee Swim Tour

Overall, the experience was amazing! I didn’t love how crowded it was, but that’s the only really negative part and it wasn’t that bad. The tour itself was a well-oiled machine. They do everything possible to keep you warm, which really helped!

The whole tour was well organized and a great Florida bucket list experience!

The guide and captain were great at answering questions and we never felt rushed! The whole tour was well organized and a great Florida bucket list experience!

How to Get Around

Florida is definitely a rent a car kind of place. There are exceptions like Miami or Disney where ubers can fill in the gaps for getting around. For Crystal River, it’s a bit of a drive from Orlando or Tampa airport, so a car is essential.

From Orlando Airport (MCO), it will take about one hour and forty minutes to drive to Crystal River and Tampa airport is actually several minutes longer. Sanford/Orlando Airport (SFB) will take two hours and fifteen minutes to drive. Of course, all of these estimates are without traffic.

Overall, renting a car is recommended! If you wanted to add Blue Springs to your manatee trip, it is a two hour and fifteen drive from Crystal River through some country roads. However, you could make a whole road trip of springs, especially if you hit Ocala area as well.

How to Swim with Manatees in Florida

I hope this guide on how to swim with manatees in Florida was helpful and that my experience provided good insight! As someone who hates being cold, there was definitely an uncomfortable aspect to this whole experience, but that usually offers the best adventures!

Whether you swim or observe from dry land, I hope you have a great time learning about and admiring those sea cows we call manatees!