Enjoy a snorkel adventure with manatees in Crystal River from the Plantation Adventure Center!
Have you ever looked at a manatee and say “I wish I could swim with these amazing animals?” Well with the Plantation Adventure Center you have a chance to do just that! Crystal River is home to hundreds of manatees when the water gets cold. During the winter months, the manatees swim into crystal river to seek shelter from the frigid water and take shelter at some of the many natural springs that stay at 72 degrees year round. Normally swimming with these gentle giants is forbidden by the marine mammal protection act, however, it’s allowed here at Crystal River. I had the chance to get in the water with these amazing animals and I wanted to pass along my experience with you all!
The Plantation Adventure Center is located at The Plantation Resort and Spa in Crystal River, Fl. Here you can rent kayaks, go on a fishing excursion, and yes take a trip into the springs to swim with the manatees! We arrived at 7 am for a 7:30 swim with nothing bur our swim suits and excitement! After checking in, getting our wetsuits on and seeing a safety video, we boarded our boats for the swim!
Once we got to the springs we found a great area where the manatees were and we got into the water. Crystal River is one of the only places in the world that you can swim with these creatures and also get a chance to touch them. This is normally not allowed, however, if the manatees approach you then you can rub them down!
We saw plenty of manatees in the water and had a fun chance to spend a good 20 minutes with a baby manatee who loved being rubbed on the belly and giving kisses! Swimming with the manatees is something that I will never forget!
Having a chance to get into the water and see these babies up close really gave me a new love for the sea cows! Our guides at the Plantation Adventure Center were amazing. They were extremely knowledgeable about the area, manatees, and making sure we had a great time without interfering with these animals in their natural habitat!
Next time you’re looking for something fun and unique make sure you check out swimming with manatees with my friends over at the Plantation Adventure Center! To learn more about swimming with manatees with the Plantation Adventure Center check out their website here!
Check out my video below of my time in the water with the manatees!!! Thanks again to everyone out at the Plantation Adventure Center for an amazing morning with the manatees!!!
Jason Mayhew
My name is Jason Mayhew, and I am the owner of OFF On The Go. When not traveling with the website, I own my own marketing and PR company, J Mayhew Marketing. I have the best job where I get to travel the world and showcase the most amazing and unique experiences!
