To see a manatee in the wild you have to be in the right place at the right time. During the summer months, when the ocean waters are warm, the endangered West Indian Manatee is dispersed throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the southeast Atlantic coast of the United States. But during winter, manatees concentrate [...]
View Article florida, how_to, manatees, united_states
(click image above to play video) Each winter, Cristina and I make our way down to Crystal River, Florida to swim with the manatees. And every year we stay in the same place: The Port Hotel and Marina. It’s not that the place is especially nice. In fact, it’s kind of a dump. The [...]
View Article Crystal River, florida, lodging, swimming with, united_states, video
You slip into the crystal clear blue water and see that you are surrounded by slumbering giants. One slowly rises from the sandy bottom and notices you floating quietly on the surface. With a gentle undulation of her massive paddle-shaped tail she begins to swim toward you. As she approaches, you begin to appreciate the [...]
View Article Crystal River, florida, GoPro, how_to, manatee, swimming with, united_states
This is a quick clip showing the moment that Cristina shot her Photo Of the Week. We were snorkeling outside the mouth of the Three Sisters Spring in Crystal River, Florida. A sleeping manatee happened to pop up for a breath in front of Cristina and she snapped a photo with our Sea&Sea DX-1G. Underwater [...]
View Article Crystal River, florida, GoPro, manatee, swimming with, united_states, video
Coming to Crystal River to visit the manatees is the highlight of my year. This is the fourth time we’ve driven the 10 hours from our home in North Carolina. We don’t care. The long drive is well worth it. Plus we have an excuse to buy crisps and cookies and sugary drinks at gas [...]
View Article blogs, Crystal River, florida, manatee, swimming with, united_states