Swimming With Manatees??

[FLORIDA DREAMING]

My DS would love to swim with dolphins but don't think we will be able to stretch to it. However, on looking at Attraction Tickets Direct website, they offer a swim with manatees at Crystal River (about 1 hour drive from WDW) and I thought this might be a good alternative.

Has anyone heard about this or had any experience of this???

 

[DisneySurfGirl]

I did it and it was amazing. I love manatees and when I finally got the chance to swim with them I actually ended up getting all weepy (and when you're wearing a snorkelling mask it's not good!). It's a little more than an hour away and it's a v. early start (you have to be there for 7am so they can tell you all the rules). Because manatees are really endangered there are so many laws protecting them. You're only allowed to touch with one hand and you're not allowed to dive under the water to touch them - floating on the surface only. There is also a scuba dive site there too. It's a cave site and it's really cool. The boat trip incorporates the two but if you don't dive you can go back in the water and swim with the manatees some more! I loved it and it was well worth the trip for me.

Try www.dolphins.org if you want a cheaper but much longer-than-average dolphin swim. It's a long way off as its in the Florida Keys (Grassy Key) but if you're heading down that way (like to Miami) then it's worth the detour. Have fun! x

 

[nizziemum]

I would also love to see manatees in the wild, but we always go to Florida in July. Do you think this trip would be worthwhile doing then, as I imagine the chances of seeing manatees at that time of year would be pretty small?

 

[barrett7890]

we did this in may last year and loved it

cami
x

 

[vernon]

I haven't had the chance to use this service yet, but when I contacted them I found they were extra ordinarily helpful. At that time my trip was outside of the best times of year to see manatees and the company advised me that there was only a very small chance of seeing manatees at that time.
Here's a link to their website.
http://birdsunderwater.com/

 

[minkydog]

If you are interested in seeing manatees, rather than swimming with them, I highly suggest Homasassa Springs, near Crystal River. It is a rehab center for hurt manatees and they live there year round. You can even adopt one, through Save the Manatees. They also have other animals, but nothing tops seeing those huge manatees up close, in the underwater observatory.