Swimming with Manatees

If you haven’t immersed yourself into the very chilly waterways in western Florida to swim amongst the manatees, what are you waiting for?

Swimming amongst these gentle giants is very special. They migrate into the springs areas to escape the bitter cold ocean waters.

Needless to say, I wasn’t very thrilled at the thought of a 4am wake up call in order to get to the docks in time for the first tour boat. But I got over it quickly, as our small group of 6 donned our wetsuits in preparation for our arrival at the extraction area. As soon as we plopped in the water, the manatees were swarming as they fell in line to exit the narrow inlet. I assume they know how massive of a surface area they cover, because they could have cared less that we were all there gawking. A few sweet ones literally swam within inches of our masks and absolutely loved being caressed and doted over. Most of these grand specimens just floated below our dancing feet, while we snapped numerous pictures and tried not to disturb their daily routine.

An absolutely fascinating experience that I recommend for everyone to make time for. These creatures are beautiful!