Crytal river manatees snorkeling questions

[htn123]

I have an inflatable dive-yak. Thinking about taking it to Crystal river to do some manatees snorkeling.
Where is the best kayak launch ramp? I looked at google map and the closest to King bay is Pete's pier.
It it the closest one to the manatees?
Is that a public ramp?
Any other accessible launching ramp?

Any tips/pointers would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Shcubasteve]

Not sure about where to launch, but I would recommend waiting 'till the water clears a bit. I lead a trip 2-3 years ago at about this time of year... The water surrounding the springs was still warmer then the actual springs themselves, so the manatees were out in the bay- I’m talking about 6" of visibility! really sucked. There should be something about false advertising calling the area crystal river. I have a few videos of the Kings/tarpon spring cavern that are really cool. Give me a little to get it back on youtube.

 

[PepsiTwist]

I honestly have no idea, but I would love to find out as well! Hopefully, someone will know!

 

[Captain Carl Mayhugh]

What time of year is best to snorkel with the manatees? I'm going to be in the area in March/April, is that a good time?

Thanks,
Carl

 

[Shcubasteve]

OK here are some pics from my trip back in 2008. Did a snorkel session with the manatees- I guess the visibility was a little bit better then I remember- maybe 2' as you will see in the video. As noted above, the manatees here not in the springs. from what I understand, January- February is best to find them in the clear water. Rented a pontoon boat and made a dive in the King's/ Tarpon spring. really cool. Visibility got consistently better as we descended to a max depth of 54'. The vertical shaft was like 20-30' wide with what looked like a debris cone starting at 20-25'. it gets dark down there and flashlights would be required. This is the type of place that is open to the public, provided you can get there. This means that there is no one to stop you if you don't know what you are doing. We finished up with a kayak trip into three sisters springs. not too much to see fish wise- some Small bass and bream, no cavern. Kinda picturesque tho. Here is the video from the trip

YouTube - Crystal River, Kings / Tarpon Spring, Three Sisters Springs

 

[CaptEsteban]

I used to run charters out to swim with the manatees. The best time, is when it is the coldest !! Dec.- mid Feb. Yes, you can see manatees all year, but your best chance is during this period. Most people wear a 3mm wetsuit. There are many restrictions about the activity & " do's & don'ts " online. Please obey. There is a one lane public ramp next to " Bird's Underwater " [ you can rent gear there or arrange a tour with them ] on Hwy 19/98. This ramp is free & Pete's is not. Many of the motels in C.R. have a free ramp for customers. Three Sisters Springs usually has the largest congregation of manatees && people/boats/noise !!

TIP; Go on a cold weekday morning & get out to Three Sisters at daylight. BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE !

Free " Manatee Kiss " below.

 

[htn123]

Thanks for all the info, yall.

Just talked with a few guys here at work and they said some of the "residents" manatees stay there year round.

@CaptEsteban, Bird's ramp is free but that's a haul and a half to get to Kings bay vs paying a bit to launch from Pete's, don't you think?

 

[CaptEsteban]

To me, it is not very far from the ramp at Bird's to Pete's Pier. I guess it is according to how much you like kayaking & your condition. Do it at an outgoing tide & it helps a lot. Come back in on an incoming. There is one motel just a short distance to Kings Bay. [ not the best place for swimming with manatees ] but, I don't recommend it because of its poor condition. You can also launch a kayak at Hunter Spring City Park, in town. Once in awhile, you will see manatees back in that area. If you see a pontoon boat stopped & anchored, it is because they are at an area with manatees.
I know of 20+ manatees that stay all year. If you are wanting to snorkel with them,[ you can't SCUBA with them ] they can be hard to find when looking for so few. Also, there are a couple of those who don't care to mingle with people & boats You may paddle all day & not see one.
As I said above, the colder the weather, the better . Please OBEY the rules attached below.

http://myfwc.com/conservation/ConservationYou_Living_w_Wildlife_manatees.htm

 

[scubaskipper]

Just a side note to those that may want to go out looking on your own, sometimes you may come across a manatee with a tracker ( float). These animals may be tagged because they have some issue going on that may affect survival. They don't tag the friendly ones to make them easier to find! These animals need to be given some space and left alone. Capt. E gave some good advice. New rules sound like they are on the way, we'll hear more next month. Closest public ramp to 3 Sisters is Pete's. Closest to main spring is Port Hotel.

 

[jl_va_21]

Hi All,

I'm schedule to do manatee snorkel, followed by dive, with American Pro Dive in late November. What should I expect? Is that a decent time to go? Sounds like the vis will probably not be as good as I had hoped.