The outside air temperature is 4C β definitely not inspiring. And although I know the water temp is significantly warmer probably 22C or so , I dread the events that will follow my snorkelling session: a minute or so boat ride back to the dock in Crystal River, Florida, when my hair and full-length wetsuit will be soaking, my lips blue, toes white, and any words incomprehensible thanks to the uncontrollable chattering of my teeth.
Often referred to as a sea cow, the manatee is a large marine mammal with flippers and a flat tail and a big head shaped like an egg. The endangered Florida manatee is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee. Manatees in Florida are found in Kings Bay, which is an embayment near Crystal River and one of the natural landmarks in Florida , and a number of other places year-round but the best time to swim with manatees in Florida is between mid-November and late-March when their numbers swell to around Susceptible to hypothermia, these aquatic mammals are here seeking refuge from the chillier, potentially lethal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
While there are several places you can see manatees, Crystal River is one of the best places to swim with manatees. When I visited Three Sisters Springs, one of the most important manatee habitat and wintering havens in Kings Bay, air temps were warmer and the water crystal clear. While plenty of manatees were in the springs β resting, travelling in and out through a channel, and, in a couple of cases, nuzzling their human visitors β the springs seemed un-crowded.
But this weekend, thanks to the unseasonable cold, over manatees have gathered at Three Sisters Springs. In efforts to protect these charming vegetarians and give them plenty of space, the USFWS has temporarily closed the springs β the manatees are free to come and go, of course, but humans are prohibited from entering.
These include continuing to implement full closures of Three Sisters during extreme cold events; prohibiting kayaks, canoes, and large floats; restricting in-water human visitation during the early morning and late afternoon; and requiring a special permit for flash photography. Then I spot a face β grey wrinkles, a prominent whiskered snout, and tiny black button eyes staring back at me, less than an arms-length away.
