This video was taken by the Scuba Adventures team (videographer Robert ) in 2006 on one of our fascinating underwater excursions in Crystal River. Also in this video, "The Mudmaster", a Florida diving instructor, takes us to Three Sisters Springs, King Springs and in the Crystal River in Florida to swim with one of nature's most fascinating animals: the endangered manatee. These enormous creatures are as curious about humans as we are about them! 

Crystal River

Join Wes Ayers & the crew on our Adventure to Crystal River, Florida, where the manatee migrate in the hundreds. With your guide from Scuba Adventures, this is way more of an experience than most people bargain for. It is incredible to interact with these gentle, friendly creatures and learn more about them in their own environment.

This is probably the only place in your life you'll have this experience - being able to swim with one of nature's most fascinating animals: the manatee. These enormous creatures are as curious about humans as we are about them -  and actually touch them.

Manatees are large, fully aquatic marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. The name manatí comes from the Taíno, a pre-Columbian people of the Caribbean, meaning "breast". They contain three of the four living species in the order Sirenia, the other being the dugong, which is native to the Eastern Hemisphere. The Sirenia are thought to have evolved from four-legged land mammals over 60 million years ago, with the closest living relatives being the elephants and hyraxes.

Manatees are mainly herbivores, spending most of their time grazing in shallow waters and at depths of 3-7 ft. Much of the knowledge about manatees is based upon research done in Florida and cannot necessarily be attributed to all types of manatees.

Generally, manatees have a mean mass of 900-1200 lb, and mean length of 9-10 ft (the females tend to be larger and heavier). When born, baby manatees have an average mass of 30 kg.

On average, most manatees swim at about 3 to 5 miles per hour. However, they have been known to swim up to 20 miles per hour in short bursts. Manatees inhabit the shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon Basin , and West Africa.

Florida is usually the northernmost range of the West Indian Manatee as their low metabolic rate makes cold weather endurance difficult. They may on occasion stray up the mid-Atlantic coast in summer. Half a manatee's day is spent sleeping in the water, surfacing for air regularly at intervals no greater than 20 minutes.

Florida Manatees have been known to live up to 60 years, and they can move freely between different salinity extremes; however, Amazonian Manatees never venture out into salt water. They have a large flexible prehensile upper lip that acts in many ways like a shortened trunk, somewhat similar to an elephant's. They use the lip to gather food and eat, as well as using it for social interactions and communications. Their small, widely spaced eyes have eyelids that close in a circular manner. Manatees are also believed to have the ability to see in color.

They emit a wide range of sounds used in communication, especially between cows and their calves, yet also between adults to maintain contact and during sexual and play behaviors. They may use taste and smell, in addition to sight, sound, and touch, to communicate. Manatees are capable of understanding discrimination tasks, and show signs of complex associated learning and advanced long term memory. They demonstrate complex discrimination and task-learning similar to dolphins and pinnipeds in acoustic and visual studies.

Manatees typically breed only once every other year, since gestation lasts about 12 months, and it takes a further 12 to 18 months to wean the calf. Only a single calf is born at a time and aside from mothers with their young or males following a receptive female, manatees are generally solitary creatures.
The main difference between manatees and dugongs are the tails. A manatee tail is paddle-shaped, while a Dugong tail is forked, similar in shape to a whale's.

You may see huge tarpon and it is not uncommon to see a dolphin or two!! and a variety of other amazing fish!! We may also dive Blue Grotto or Devils Den!!

What's included in the price for only $399.00

• Three nights lodging
• All boat rental fees!
• Tanks, air fills
• Free snorkel lessons for the kids. Price is based on double occupancy. Free gear rental.

Snorkeler Special Only $350.00

Per person double occupancy

Complete Open Water or Advanced Certification Only $250 - This trip only!

When are the trips?

Because the manatee migrate to the springs in the winter we do our manatee trips from December to February we will post the dates soon.

OUR NEXT MANATEE TRIP IS
January 14-17, 2010.

Tell Me More!!

Trips require a $100.00 deposit to hold your place and full payment 2 weeks before the trip.
For more info, and to schedule your slot, call Scuba Adventures at (615) 826-1725 or drop us an email.