Dawn’s Embrace: Serene Swimming with the Manatees of Crystal River

by Angela Perez

It is now March 6 - just one month since I swam with manatees in Florida and already, I am eager to return before the season ends. If you have been dreaming of swimming with these glorious creatures, March hasn't ended yet. Here we go...

It’s early February in Central Florida, and the past few weeks have been chilly. Excellent weather for meeting manatees, proclaims the handsome, charismatic dive instructor at the shop where I am taking the “Swim with Manatees” tour. Crystal River is the only location in North America where you can legally swim and interact with these West Indian sea cows in the wild. According to the Visit Florida travel website, the prime manatee viewing season usually runs from Oct.1 to March 31. The manatees enjoy the year-round 72-degree water of Florida’s second-largest spring system.

It is 6 a.m. I'm sleepy and have had no coffee, but my heart is already racing in anticipation of getting into the cold water and seeing my first manatee up close. I join about ten tourists from all over the world who have come to Crystal River for the unique experience of sidling up to these gentle, gray giants. I am lucky - this group consists of scuba divers and snorkelers. That means they are quiet, enthusiastic, and know what to do. No loud chit-chat, confusion, or endless questions about what is next.

Everyone quickly dons their wetsuits and boards the boat with the captain and our guide. We depart before the sun rises and head towards a known “hot spot” for manatees, where dozens slowly roam the springs in an endless search for something to eat (they are herbivores and love seagrass and aquatic plants).

There are no children on this early-morning trip, which I must admit, I am grateful for. As I mentioned earlier, everyone in my group, all seasoned divers and snorkelers, knows that to truly come face to face and swim astride these beautiful creatures, we must be calm, cool, collected, and quiet. There must be no yelling, squealing, flailing, or kicking up sediment in the shallow spring waters. [RECOMMENDATION: To be grouped with more experienced divers, snorkelers, and few to no children, your best bet is to sign up for pre-dawn trips. I am a solo traveler always searching for calm, relaxing, bespoke experiences, and I prefer no tourist children wherever I am traveling. This type of travel is the focus of my writing.]

As the sun rises over the chilly, crystal-clear spring waters, our guide directs us, one by one, to put on our snorkel masks, quietly descend the boat ladder, and, once in the water, fall backward. The water is ice-cold, even though I wear a 3 mm wetsuit and gloves. Next time I swim here, I will wear a 5 mm and add a scuba diving hood.

Over the course of an hour, I swim with about 40 – 50 manatees. Initially, I am nervous as they fearlessly swim up to me, some bumping or nudging me. These mammals are massive and as curious as cats. They look like giant potatoes (though, don’t be fooled – they aren’t mush balls. Their tails are all muscle). I quickly calm down as a manatee swims up, looks me in the eye for a few seconds, and then slowly swims away. Another swims under me and lifts me out of the water. Oh, joy! From then on, I am too mesmerized by the experience to be nervous.

No less than three manatees swim up and bop me in the face. Another one rolls over, seeming to ask for belly rubs. As much as I want to scratch that big ole’ tummy, I hold myself back. Before heading out that morning, our dive guide warns us not to pet or grab the manatees, simply to observe. He does, however, say that sometimes they will grab onto swimmers or start nibbling their hair, and only then can we push out with a flat hand to move them away. If you do need to put out a hand to discourage a manatee, avoid the area under the flippers - this is the area where baby calves suckle. That's right, they drink from the armpit.

At one point, I am in the midst of a group of about eight manatees, getting gently nudged to and fro. Suddenly, a baby manatee appears from the herd, making sounds like a dog’s squeaky toy. I had no idea that manatees squeak, chirp, and grunt. The more I learn, the more I love them.

For years, I have been telling myself I need to head down to Florida from North Carolina and swim with manatees. But I always find a more “exotic” scuba diving trip to take. I am now kicking myself for not taking this trip to Crystal River sooner. The calm and peacefulness I experience swimming amongst these perfect, gentle animals reinvigorate my appreciation for Florida's travel experiences. I am both a scuba diver and a snorkeler, and I have to be more active about getting into the water more frequently. Life is too short not to swim with manatees every single day.

Where to stay: There are no “fancy” hotels close to the swim sites. Most visitors choose the Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn in Crystal River (especially if you love to rack up hotel points). Some tourists drive up from Tampa or Orlando for the day or a one-night stay and then return to fancier lodging.

Where to eat: Dan’s Clam Stand, Grannie’s Restaurant (they have biscuits and grits - I’m from North Carolina and gotta have both)

For more travel ideas and tips, visit my blog, Speaking of the South, at https://speaking-of-the-south.com/2024/03/05/dawns-embrace-serene-swimming-with-the-manatees-of-crystal-river/

#swimwithmanatees #solotravel #CrystalRiver #FloridaTourism #adulttravel