In my years of travel, I’ve become smarter about the animal encounters I engage in. I learned my lesson about riding elephants in Thailand and have avoided places like tiger “sanctuaries” and poorly run zoos and aquariums. So when I planned a trip to the Crystal River area in Florida, I was unsure about the many “manatee swimming” tours that can be booked year-round.
The protected river habitat is known for its bright blue water and springs that remain the same temperature year-round. But if you are conscious of your environmental impact and want to visit the area, there are a few ways to do it right.
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Choose your tour operator carefully.
Tour operators are admittedly better these days now that the area is so heavily regulated, but make sure that the companies don’t get too close to them and give them their space. There should be no feeding of the manatees to make for a better photo or any sort of touching or manipulating them.
I went with Plantation Adventure Center, which operates out of Plantation on Crystal River, where I stayed. I loved staying right on the river with easy access to the dock and would highly recommend it!
Keep your distance from the manatees.
The Department of Natural Resources encouraged what’s called “passive observation,” meaning look but don’t touch. Manatees may get close to you, but let them do that rather than reaching out to touch them. You’ll be given a wetsuit or noodle to help you stay above the surface and asked to keep your legs still.
This is to keep you from kicking up debris that causes the visibility to worsen as well as to keep you from accidentally kicking a manatee. You’ll also be required to watch a video before you go, telling you not to kick, touch, feed, follow, or ride the animals. If you see anything like this behavior, immediately report to your guide or to the DNR.
Set your expectations.
Most of those photos you see online with hundreds of manatees is during the winter months, when the population swells from about 30 to over 800. Because of this, these tours are booked early in the year. But you can go anytime of year and will likely see manatees, but the water isn’t so clear during the summer, full of algae and other plant life. And while tours last two hours, you might only be in the springs area for 45 minutes or so.
Seeing the gentle giants up close was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I highly recommend adding a trip to Crystal River for all travelers passing through Florida. Just be sure to respect the creatures that call it home!
Plantation on Crystal River hosted my stay as well as my manatee tour.
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