Crystal River

The springs here discharge water at a constant twenty-two degrees, and when the Gulf drops below about twenty in winter the manatees move in - several hundred of them, sometimes over a thousand across the system, packed into the spring runs to avoid cold stress, which kills them. Kings Bay and Three Sisters Springs hold the largest concentrations. This is the only place in the United States where in-water interaction with manatees is legally permitted, under passive observation rules: no chasing, no touching with two hands, no riding, no separating mothers from calves, with tour operators required to brief and monitor. Whether it should be allowed at all is genuinely contested among biologists.

What you actually see

• Several hundred manatees - wintering in twenty-two degree spring water.
• Three Sisters Springs - the densest concentration.
• Legal in-water observation - the only such place in the country.
• Passive observation rules - no chasing, touching or separating animals.

When to go

November to March, when the manatees are in. A full day.

Honest expectations

Numbers depend entirely on cold weather - a mild winter thins them out. Tours are crowded and busy mornings put many people in the water at once. The ethics of in-water interaction are contested. Some springs close to swimmers when manatee numbers are high.

Nearby

Homosassa Springs is south; the Gulf coast is west.