As we did our research on Florida, manatees and springs seemed to be a reoccurring theme. Even though you see them everywhere in Florida, they are a protected species. Therefore, the only place you can swim with the manatees legally is around Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River, Florida. And the only way to get there is either by kayaking, paddleboarding or taking a tour. We opted to rent our kayaks from Hunter Springs Kayaks as we wanted to spend more time exploring the area.
STATS:
Where:
Hunter Springs Kayaks Rental:
36 Northeast 4th Street, Counter A, Crystal River, FL 34429
Hunter Springs Park: (Launch Point)
18 NE 2nd St, Crystal River, FL 34429
Three Sisters Springs Coordinates: (Destination)
28°53’17.1″N 82°35’22.5″W
Parking:
You can either park in front of Hunter Springs Kayaks for free or inside the Hunter Springs Park. It is $5 to get into the park.
Restrooms:
There are restrooms at the Hunter Springs Kayaks and inside Hunter Springs Park. There are no restrooms on the way or at Three Sisters Springs if you kayak there.
Distance:
About 1.10 miles from Hunter Springs Park to the entrance of Three Sisters Springs. 200 ft from the entrance to the Springs.
Level:
Beginner-Intermediate. The river is wide and easy to navigate. However, the wind can be a little strong once you’re out in the open bay but they seemed to calm down once we enter the waterways.
Estimated Completion Time:
You can do it within 3 hours. We did 5 hours because we wanted to spend a lot of time swimming with the manatees.
Ideal Weather:
Dry, calmer days.
Ideal Time:
Nov 15 – March 31:
This is the manatee season. The good: there will be tons of manatees surrounding the spring. The bad: while you might be able to swim inside depending on the day, you can’t paddle inside the spring.
April 1 – Nov 14:
You will encounter the manatees along the river but not inside the spring. The water along the river is a lot murkier so the manatees won’t be as clear. However, you can paddle inside the spring. It was very beautiful inside.
QUICK INFO ABOUT THREE SISTERS SPRINGS:
Three Sisters Springs are gorgeous, clear, teal-water springs that are a sanctuary to the manatees during the winter. It is a perfect swimming hole in the summer. There are two ways to experience Three Sisters Springs.
By land:
You can access the boardwalk of Three Sisters Springs at:
601 Three Sisters Springs Trail, Crystal River, Fl.
There is no parking there except for handicap vehicles. You can either take a trolley, walk or bike in. There is no water access from here. You can only view the springs from the land. They also do not offer any water based activities. For more info, check out their website.
By water:
The only ways you can access Three Sisters Springs on the water are by either kayaks, paddleboards, boats or taking a tour. These tours and rental places are located throughout Kings Bay. We recommended Hunter Springs Kayaks, at least for your rentals. They do offer tours as well. If you want to swim with the manatees, you have to go this route.
Manatee Rules & Regulations:
These following actions are NOT ALLOWED:
- Chasing or pursuing a manatee.
- Disturbing or touching a resting or feeding manatee.
- Diving from the surface onto a resting or feeding manatee.
- Cornering or surrounding a manatee.
- Riding, holding, grabbing, pinching, poking, prodding or stabbing a manatee with anything, including your hands and feet.
- Standing on a manatee.
- Separating a mother and calf or separating a group of manatees.
- Giving manatees anything to eat and drink.
- Actively initiating contact with belted/tagged manatees and associated gear, including any belts, harnesses, tracking devices and antennae.
- Interfering with rescue and research activities.
THE ADVENTURE:
It was about a 1.5 – 2 hours drive from Orlando to Crystal River. It wasn’t the closest to us but swimming with manatees sounded like a dream come true. Unless you’re going with a tour group, there isn’t much information on the internet about how to swim with the manatees yourself. As we pulled up to Hunter Springs Kayaks, we still had no idea how we would go about it.
Once we got inside, we were greeted by Mark. As I voiced my concerns, he smiled and told us not to worry. In short, you can pay for your rentals at the counter. Three hours should be enough but we recommend five if you want to spend more time swimming with the manatees. They will give you a waterproof map to keep with you on your vessels. Then, you have to watch a Manatee Manners video. You have to obey all the rules while you swim with the manatees. After that, we headed over to Hunter Springs Park to pick up our rentals. Hunter Springs Park is only 2 short blocks away from the rental office. Mark recommended us to park our car in front of their office and walk there. It is $5 to park inside the park. Obviously, we would rather save $5 towards future adventures.
When we got to the park, Mark was there waiting for us with our rentals. He then again went over paddling etiquette as well as the directions to get us where we wanted to go. Three Sisters Springs is your destination if you want to swim with the manatees. When the water is warm in the river, you won’t see them inside the springs but you’ll see them in the waterways on the way there. During the manatee season, IF the spring is open for swimmers, you can drop your anchor and swim in. Make sure to do it slowly in case there are manatees underneath you. It is illegal to hurt these adorable creatures, and you could face fines and/or jail time.
After we all settled into our kayaks, Mark helped us push them out. From here, you’ll want to go to the right and head toward the light gray building with a blue roof. Be careful around here as you could find yourself in the way of much bigger boats. Once you pass the light gray building, hang a left and head toward the white bridge that crosses the canal that is just slightly to the left. You’ll want to go under the bridge. The area between the gray building and the bridge could be windy because you are in the open bay. Luckily, the wind gets calmer once you get under the bridge. You might also see tons of fish jumping out of the water here.
As we got closer to the bridge, we saw a couple of kayakers heading toward us from the opposite direction. They told us that there were one or two manatees hanging out right in front of the bridge. Sure enough, we saw their tails flapping above the water as they went up for air. It was a mother and her baby. They seemed to follow us as we paddled along the canal toward the spring. It was adorable seeing the little baby manatee swimming along with its mother. The water was a bit murky here but still clear enough for you to see them underwater.
If you’re not sure where to go at this point, just follow either the tour boats or other paddlers in front of you. The waterways are beautiful with tree-lined shorelines across from some nice on-the-water homes. You’ll know when you get to Three Sister Springs. As soon as we pulled up right in front of it, the water turned from murky to super clear with a gorgeous teal color. There is a big sign in front of it with warnings of what not to do here. From here, you can either kayak into the springs if it’s not during manatee season or anchor your vessels and swim in. It is about a 200 ft swim to the springs. During Manatee Season, it is policy to wear a snorkel/mask & wetsuit while swimming.
Since we went right before manatee season, we were able to kayak right into this breathtaking swimming hole. The water here is so clear that you can see right through to the bottom. I still can’t get over how teal that water is. The temperature was also perfect as it was at a constant 74 degrees.
There were a few people inside the springs, either being flabbergasted at the gorgeousness of this place, swimming or snorkeling in it. As we were trying to figure out how to get out of our kayaks, Jake, a volunteer at Three Sisters Springs helped us out. He was talking to some visitors on the boardwalk. He told us that we could pull our kayaks onto the rocks and go from there.
As I followed Dustin near the rocks, I heard a little yelp from him. Apparently, there’s a small water snake swimming right next to the rocks he just pulled up to. Because the water was so clear, you can see the snake very clearly. Jake said it wasn’t a poisonous one so we weren’t worried. The snake wanted to have nothing to do with us either as it zigzagged its way away from us. Be careful when trying to get on or off the rocks. These rocks are super slippery as they are covered in moss. We wore our water shoes so it helped. There weren’t any manatees inside the spring but it was such a neat experience to swim and snorkel inside water this clear and brilliant. With Jake’s help, Dustin found the spring boil at the bottom and dived down to it.
After spending way too long here, we climbed back on our kayaks and heading back out to the waterways. Dustin decided to see if our manatee friends were still out front. Sure enough, there were a few of them this time, grazing around. So, we both put our snorkels back on and jumped right back into the water. It was such an amazing feeling to swim with the manatees. They were busy snacking on their lunches so we circled around and made sure to leave them plenty of room. Neither of us wanted to leave. But all good things must come to an end.
As we said bye to these magnificent creatures, we headed back the same way toward the park. The wind seemed to favor us a bit on the way back. We can’t wait to go back again, maybe during the manatee season to have a better view of them. We definitely recommend putting swimming with the manatee on your bucket list. Another unique adventure here in Florida is bioluminescence kayak or airboat ride. If you want to spend more time with the manatees closer to Orlando, check out Blue Spring State Park.
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our Youtube channel, and sign up for our newsletter!
RECOMMEND GEAR:
Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
• Hiking shoes
If you want to do the hike. Vy’s shoes are North Face HedgeHog GTX. Dustin’s shoes are Coleman Tasman Hiking Shoe.
• Sunscreen:
If you need sunscreen, we use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter – Zinc Oxide – Coral Reef Safe and All Good Sport Sunscreen Lotion – Coral Reef Safe (3 oz)(2-Pack) or Stream2Sea SPF 30 Reef Safe Sport Tinted Sunscreen.
• Water
It’s a short drive but if you want to spend some times at these different spots or do the hikes, we recommend bring some water with you
• Bug spray
You’re in a tropical rain forest. There are a lot of bugs and mosquitoes. We recommend using bug spray. We use REPEL Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent.
CAMERA GEAR:
• Camera:
Sony a7 III
Gopro Hero 7 Black
• Lenses:
Sony 24 -70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T Zoom Lens
• Accessories:
Bobber – Floating Hand Grip for GoPro HERO Cameras
One Comment
maria cristina martinez
We guarantee that after you meet our friendly gentle-giants you will never be the same! You will never forget your adventures here in Crystal River, and chances are – we will see you again!