How safe is it to swim with manatees in Florida?
How safe is it to swim with manatees in Florida? Observing manatees from a boardwalk is a fantastic way to spend your time, but you should never try to swim with them or disrupt their natural lives in other ways, like throwing food to them.
Are there alligators in the Manatee River?
Wildlife in and around the river includes alligators, herons, manatees, dolphins, and fish such as bass, bluegill, catfish, and gar. Bull sharks are occasionally found in the brackish water near its low-lying outlet. The river includes the Upper Manatee River Canoe Trail for paddlers.
Is it safe to swim with manatees in Crystal River?
Crystal River is the only place in Florida where it's legal to swim with manatees in their natural habitat. Located in Citrus County, the area gets busy and draws crowds because of the high number of manatees found in Kings Bay.
Is it worth swimming with manatees?
Tour operators do a great job keeping down egregious behavior, but it takes super quiet guests for the manatees to feel safe enough to initiate interaction. (more on that later). That being said, if the only time you have available is a holiday, then it's still absolutely worth going.