Manatees.....
 

Hello all. My wife and I spent a very nice afternoon today at Crystal River seeing the Manatees and also Monkey Island, etc. Here are a couple of pictures;

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...psd0807600.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...ps21fd24bc.jpg

We walked the boardwalk and I took these pics with my iphone. There were more Manatees than we could count. The water was so clear. To get there it takes lass than an hour from Brownwood, west on 44 to 19, then south on 19 for less than a mile. Very easy. Just thought I'd share these with you as many folks seem to look for quick and inexpensive things to do not too far from home.

Frank D.

Frank, Thank You, it looks beautiful!!

Thank-you, Frank
I don't want to swim with them I just want to look at them and shoot pictures. Now I know I can.

ps
The last thing I need to improve my self-esteem is for a manatee to laugh at me while swimming next to them.

Frank what was the name of the place you went to / I see a Crytal river on the map. But what location when you get there.
Thanks.

Tom....this area is Three Sisters. Their website is Three Sisters Springs Boardwalk Tour Crystal River Florida

It is right off 19, on the corner of 19 and Kings Bay Drive, less than a mile south of where 44 meets 19...can't miss it. The normal cost is $6.00...."Seniors" over 55 cost $5.00. Kids 10 and under are $4.00.

They drive you over there to the boardwalk, and you can stay there as long as you like. The bus ride is less than a mile. They then return you to the home base where you paid and parked your car. They say that the shuttle runs every 30 minutes, but today there were enough folks that it ran continuously...it was busy but not at all crowded....

I love doing things I could never do when I lived up North....

Last Weekend at Blue Springs State Park in Orange City (near Deland):

That looks like 3 Sisters Springs. And that is the only viewing boardwalk that I know about.

That's Blue Spring State Park all right. It has a boardwalk as well. We were there Friday, and the count was 242 manatees. Amazing.

We went to Blue Springs in December. Over 300 manatees, one giving birth! January in Key Largo, our canal rental had almost daily manatees wanting a drink of hose water. A pup was feeding from the mothers nipple located under her front flipper!

Frank,

You sure wouldn't find manatees in Batavia. Bet you are glad you aren't there now!

Thank you for sharing. It looks like a road ttrip in the not to distant future.