Swim with Manatees in the Wild

Every January, Crystal River in Florida celebrates manatee season and the area’s most beloved residents during the annual Florida Manatee Festival. The 33rd Annual Florida Manatee Festival returns Jan. 18-22, 2020, with tours, music, food and more.

Widely known as the Manatee Capital of the World, Crystal River and Homosassa are among the only places in North America where swimmers can have an up-close encounter with manatees in the wild. Crystal River becomes a sanctuary for Florida’s official state marine animal from Nov. 15 through March 31, as the beloved manatee seek refuge from the colder waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Located on Central Florida’s Gulf Coast, Crystal River and the surrounding cities of Old Homosassa, Inverness and Floral City are an authentic showcase of outdoor adventure and scenic beauty. Within tens of thousands of acres of protected state parks, forests and wildlife refuges, visitors can explore miles of bicycling, walking, birding, horseback riding and hiking trails to unlock a wild and wonderful world of natural, recreational and archaeological treasures. Pristine swimmable springs and a shimmering network of rivers, lakes, marshlands and mangroves make Crystal River perfect for kayaking, paddle boarding, canoeing, boating, fishing, scalloping and floating.

Discover more to do and see here.