Swimming with ther manatees

We go to Florida for 3 weeks in Nov this year and I wouyld really love to go see the manatees. I have found a websire selling tickets to go on a boat ride and it gices you the chance to go in beside them if they are there! (Crystal Springs River)
has any one done this and is it worth it? Is there anywhere else you can see them (apart from Seaworld)?

Thanks

There is a park in HOMSASSA and they have mannatees there injured ones as well as others ,You can also see them on inland water ways at TARPON SPRINGS they are a drive from ORLANDO it is north of TAMPA, But if you dont mind driving around futher it is worth it,You wilthe find places on the maps from tourist offices in orlando.
MAUREEN
www.onlinefloridavillas.com/villas/1683.aspx

We do a swim with manatee trip including transport here https://secure.orlandovillas.com/par...etChooser.aspx

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Pamela
We go to Florida for 3 weeks in Nov this year and I wouyld really love to go see the manatees. I have found a websire selling tickets to go on a boat ride and it gices you the chance to go in beside them if they are there! (Crystal Springs River)
has any one done this and is it worth it? Is there anywhere else you can see them (apart from Seaworld)?

Thanks
[/quote]

We would thoroughly recommend this as a lovely way to see these wonderful creatures. Our boys did this a couple of years ago and thought it was better than the theme parks.

We booked the trip ourselves as our eldest had his contacts through his University and all his own gear.

The best place we know for seeing manatees is Blue Springs State Park, only an hour's drive north of Orlando. Entrance fee is only $5 (for the car load). There are usually dozens there on a cooler day.

We saw the Manatee in Blue Springs State park - a really lovely place to visit, not to far from Mt Dora - you could easily do both in a day trip.

Manatees in Blue Spring State Park are normally only at the spring from November to March. The rest of the year they tend to be in the St Johns River itself. So going to Blue Spring in August probably won't give a sighting of the manatees. I was theer in late April & didn't see a one.

It sounds lovely, that's something I will pencil in for our next trip.

Julie

Do you dive? If so, drop me a direct message, because I can give you an e mail address of a dive master in the area. We went with him (in January) to dive with the Manatees, you're not actually allowed within 50 feet of them. However, the Manatees haven't read the rules, and therefore when you're diving they swim up and push you, it's absolutely amazing, and much cheaper than SeaWorld!!!

My son swam with them but it was in the Florida Keys and he loved it.