Swim with the manatees? Anyone done this?

[chabs]

Has anyone been on the swim with the manatees tour that Florida Dolphin Tours provides? It is about $120 per adult and kids over 9, so I didn't want to sign up for this without checking to see how it was and if it was worth it. We did Discovery Cove a few years ago so I was wondering if it compares at all.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

Is this in or near Clearwater? Someone I know did this and they said it was great.

 

[lsayd]

We have never done this tour, but we have rented a pontoon boat from The Port Hotel and Marina (http://www.porthoteldivecenter.com/boat_eq_rentals.html) in Crystal River 4 times now and plan on doing so again December 26. For almost the price you're paying for one person you can rent the boat for 4 hours (very easy to maneuver if you've never driven a boat before). You have to watch a video about manatees and rules before they set you out since you are in the Manatee Wildlife Preserve. They give you a map and general instructions. If you don't have snorkel gear and wet suits (depending on the time of year and if you want one - we own our own snorkel gear that we bought at Target and have never bothered with wet suits) they rent those as well. We have gone in Feb, Jan, and Dec. Last time we went in early Dec and there were LOTS of manatees. Two in particular were very interested in us and one (who we named Gladys) stayed with us in the water for over an hour. We pet her and she actually played with us, it was though she was almost playing hide and seek!

Here are a couple of pictures of Gladys - if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask either here or you can PM me.

 

[Detailor]

Here are a couple of pictures of Gladys

Those are great pictures. You've got to love that face!

Dick Taylor

 

[chabs]

We have never done this tour, but we have rented a pontoon boat from The Port Hotel and Marina (http://www.porthoteldivecenter.com/boat_eq_rentals.html) in Crystal River 4 times now and plan on doing so again December 26. For almost the price you're paying for one person you can rent the boat for 4 hours (very easy to maneuver if you've never driven a boat before). You have to watch a video about manatees and rules before they set you out since you are in the Manatee Wildlife Preserve. They give you a map and general instructions. If you don't have snorkel gear and wet suits (depending on the time of year and if you want one - we own our own snorkel gear that we bought at Target and have never bothered with wet suits) they rent those as well. We have gone in Feb, Jan, and Dec. Last time we went in early Dec and there were LOTS of manatees. Two in particular were very interested in us and one (who we named Gladys) stayed with us in the water for over an hour. We pet her and she actually played with us, it was though she was almost playing hide and seek!

Here are a couple of pictures of Gladys - if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask either here or you can PM me.

That looks great! Thank you so much! Are the manatees always around? We are going just before Labor Day.

 

[mjohnson96]

No, they are not always around. There are certain times of the year they come up to the springs and stay, which is usually during the winter months. You might want to call around to a few dive shops or search on the internet for more information on sightings.

I'm from Crystal River, Florida and that is a great place to swim with the Manatees. There is a wonderful resort called the Plantation Inn there that my DH and I worked out before moving North and they have packages and boat rentals plus a pretty good location.

Hope you have lots of fun!

 

[lsayd]

Thanks for the compliments on the pictures - she was a great subject! We definitely saw more manatees in Dec and Jan than in Feb. The "manatee season" as I've found from info is from Nov - March, so unfortunately Sept may not be a good time to see them, but it's worth calling down there and asking. The Port Hotel is right near The Plantation Inn. Boat rentals were cheaper at The Port and we weren't looking to stay overnight. If we were planning on staying I'd definitely go The Plantation Inn route. I'd rent a boat at The Port, but would not consider staying there.

Lucky you, mjohnson96, to have lived there! I'd love to spend a winter there and see the manatees everyday. They are just wonderful creatures!