Manatees March 2019 - where, when and with whom should I go?

[Pat.D]

Thanks for great info in this thread...

I'm spending the month of march (minus a week on the NCL Bliss) in Hollywood/Hallandale FL this winter so I'll be looking into some diving and if at all possible diving/snorkelling in a manatee area where it is legal/ethical to do so.

I don't want to hijack this thread so I'll start a new one when it gets closer to my travel date, and will definitely use that meetup group.

Pat

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

No hijack, as the only place where it is legal to snorkel with them is in Crystal River. It is also the only place where you have any reliable chance of seeing them. No where around here (Ft. Lauderdale area) where you can do this.

Once you are away from Crystal river, the enforcement against harassing manatees is MUCH more strict. If you are diving in the bay (like the BHB) you might get a random swim-by but that is so rare as to be a non-event for planning purposes. If you try to get in the water where they congregate (near cooling canals for power plants due to the warmer water), you will find yourself in major trouble.

Just go to Crystal River and avoid any of these issues, and also be pretty much guaranteed to see them.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Almost any canal in the upper keys has manatees in it.

 

[Katch]

The below is a snip from Google Earth of the entrance to the 3 Sisters Springs area. The image was taken in March, 2017. You can clearly see dozens of manatees hanging out in the restricted areas of either side of the spring entrance. You can also see all the kayaks and manatee watchers.

I plan to stop there next weekend on my way to Clearwater.

 

[Get Wet Images]

I help swim for Birds Underwater and am the only professional level photographer in the bay on a regular basis. I Realize the time period you were talking about going is right now. If you're still in the area, there is a cold front coming through that will guarantee manatees everywhere for the next couple days 05Mar to 10Mar 2019 for best viewing. Almost every guide on Crystal River from any company will have a camera to get photos for you but Bird's Underwater is the only place that has a fully professional underwater photographer you can request for the highest quality images possible.

One thing I can guarantee is that Birds will do what ever they can to give everyone the best trip possible. I'm usually going on a manatee trip several times a week and have current info on the conditions if anyone wants to know, just ask.

Bird's also offers Rainbow River drift dives and there will often be groups who do a manatee tour in the morning and dive Rainbow in the afternoon. Jeff leads all the dives and is an excellent instructor who teaches about the entire area along with history and points of interest during the dive.

 

[Get Wet Images]

Just got back from this mornings manatee tour. They're starting to come into the springs now that the cold hit. Usually the first day it gets cold there isn't as many and the next day they all come in. This morning was alright with around 5-7 manatee at Three Sisters Spring and it was open to go in. I'm sure the it will be cold enough by tomorrow that Three Sisters will be closed off at the entrance and you'll have to stay in the front area. there's clear water at Three Sisters but it's also the main place everyone wants to go. Including kayaks and rental boats that don't know how to properly interact with these amazing animals. As a result they usually aren't as active there. My favorite place is King Spring if the conditions are right. The water isn't as clear but interaction is incredible. I know a tour guid that had a manatee grab onto her leg and fall asleep for over 45 min. She swam around with the manatee attached the whole time. I'm trying to put a video together that shows the main locations and what you can expect between hot and cold days.