I did a manatee ID project with Fish and Wildlife back when I was a whippersnapper in my 40's. I got to touch them, and many of them loved it, bless their whiskers. My brother lives on a manatee preserve between two springs and I've seen up to 40 at a time there, but not in summer.
This time of year there ARE captive manatees at the Homosassa park that you can easily see from the banks and an underwater viewing aquarium, but not in the other springs.
I highly recommend the Homosassa trip...with the boat ride. you get a safe taste of wild florida, bird and possible wild gator sighting, sunning turtles for sure, and many, many other animals at the park, including a (chuckle) native hippopotamus.
Would not recommend the swim tour this time of year, and I hope the tour company doesn't either.
btw, at Homosassa you will be inches from the coast, and it might be worth an additional $$ to take a ride into the gulf, but not for manatees. go fishing.
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