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A friendly Manatee in Crystal River, Florida that I photographed while snorkeling.
I have been to Crystal River on numerous occasions to photograph Manatees in their natural environment, and its something I very much enjoy. Manatees are big, friendly, vegetation eating mammals that are very endangered. They do not tolerate cold water well so when the weather turns cool they seek places with warmer water.
Crystal River is the name of a river and the name of a town on the West Coast of Florida, about an hour drive north of Tampa. During the winter several hundred Manatees gather in Crystal River. The attraction for the Manatees is the many springs in the river that are always 72°F.
The town of Crystal River has made a mini industry of swimming with the Manatees. The best time of year to see them is December through March. In the summer they are scattered up and down the coast. Practically everyone snorkels rather than scuba dives with the Manatees as the water depth is 10 to 15 deep, except in the springs.
The majority of Manatee photos you may have seen are taken in Crystal River. The advantage of photographing at Crystal River is that you can count on finding Manatees in the winter. The disadvantage is that the water visibility at best is just OK and it can be awful.
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This page was last updated: January 26, 2009