Crystal River, Florida: Kayaking in a Manatee’s Winter Wonderland

Have you ever wished to swim or kayak with manatees? Well, winter is the best time for it! And Crystal River – about 90 minutes north of Tampa on Florida’s West Coast – is the only place in the U.S. you can do it legally. From mid-November to late-March (especially December to February), manatees head to Crystal River’s dozens of warm-water springs to escape the Gulf of Mexico’s colder temperatures.

First, who exactly are these fascinating beasts? West Indian manatees (pop. 13,000, about half of which inhabit the waters around the southeastern U.S. and Puerto Rico) are large aquatic mammals weighing about 1,000 pounds and measuring about 10 feet in length. Imagine seeing (and petting) a creature that huge in person!

These docile and slow-moving “sea cows” eat about 10 to 15 percent of their bodyweight daily in seagrass and other aquatic plants, which averages to about 32 pounds of plants a day. That means they spend between 5 to 8 hours per day eating! Oh, how I wish I could do that, too.

While active, manatees surface for air every 30 seconds, and while sleeping, they can surface as rarely as every 20 minutes. Although they have no natural enemies, the biggest threats to their survival are interactions with watercraft and loss of habitat. The West Indian manatee was placed on the endangered species list in 1966 and since then has been under close watch to ensure the species’ survival.

Get this: manatees have very little body fat! I know this seems hard to believe, but their rotund bodies are comprised mostly of intestines and stomach. This lack of insulating fat makes the manatees intolerant of winter’s cold water temperatures, attracting them to Crystal River’s warm springs.

As many as 1,000 manatees winter at Crystal River, and if you want to get your manatee fix here, you can take a boat tour, swim, paddleboard, snorkel, or dive. However, my favorite mode of transportation is by kayak, which offers a close-up manatee viewing experience while allowing you to cover a wide territory. Below is my ideal kayaking/manatee watching itinerary.

Begin at Hunter Springs Park in Crystal River (see map). There is a convenient drop-off and kayak launch there, and free parking is just a few steps away. After launching into Hunter’s Cove, circle around its three springs – Jurassic, House, and Hunter Springs – where manatees like to warm up (and where I had my most up close and personal manatee encounter). Then, hit the bay! Kings Bay, that is – the headwater of Crystal River. Skirt the bay to the left around Pete’s Pier and cross into canals lined with residences.

Eventually, you will come upon the south end of Three Sisters Springs. While you may have already spotted several manatees on the way, here you will see the manatee motherload, as they are known to congregate in these springs’ warm, inviting waters. There is a cordoned-off observation area where you can stop your kayak and watch the manatees in action, albeit their characteristically slow and deliberate action. You will not be alone, as quite a few paddlers and snorkelers stop here for their own manatee sighting.

While I encourage you to spend some time at this observation point, there are countless canals to explore, beautiful waterfront homes to gaze at, and other amiable manatees to befriend! Manatees are very curious by nature and often initiate interaction with humans, but because they are heavily protected by law, you should learn manatee encounter rules before planning this outing.

Hunter Springs Park closes at sunset so be sure to paddle back before then. The best time to view manatees is in the morning anyway, when they are most active.

This recommended route took all of two hours.

That completes your guide to communing with manatees in their winter home! While there are still hundreds of manatees in these waters in summer, their concentration here in winter and the hassle-free starting point of Hunter Springs Park will assure a fun and rewarding cool-weather visit!

You may also find manatees at Cumberland Island and St. Marys, Georgia! Join one of our tours, such as our St. Marys Murder, Mayhem, and Martinis Walking Tour or our Cumberland Island Walking Tour: Haunting Ruins and Wild Horses to learn about manatees here and these places’ fascinating history!