Manatee Update: Seasonable Weather

Manatee season is here, and our marvelous, majestic, and magical marine-mammal neighbors have been in and around our springs. With cold nights and warm afternoons, the manatees have been utilizing the springs for their overnights and have been spreading out across Kings Bay and to the Gulf during the day. As always, the colder the day, the better the manatee viewing. Access to Three Sisters Springs, Jurassic Spring, and House Spring is now driven by Gulf temperatures. To check the status of these springs, you can visit the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Facebook page and check their banner photo.

Manatees We’ve Spotted This Week

There have been manatees big and small, male and female, and mothers and calves inside Kings Bay. Yesterday, an orphan manatee calf was rescued thanks in part to the fine folks at River Ventures, as well as FWC and the rescue team. Some of the manatees inside the bay are still covered or semi-covered in barnacles—a saltwater species. Most have lost some or all of their barnacle hitchhikers inside the freshwater of Kings Bay.

Where We’ve Seen Manatees

Everywhere. From the coves of the south end of the bay to the north end of the bay and the springs there, across to Three Sisters Springs, King Spring, and even at the town beach. The manatees have been sticking close to the springs themselves overnight, but by late morning/early afternoon they’ve been pushing out to the coves and canals. This means that water visibility and conditions have been different for each trip on the same day. Even our clearest water can get mucked up when there are many thousand-pound animals swimming and resting in it. Access to Three Sisters and the conditional springs was closed for most of this week, but that didn’t stop us from having some amazing in-water experiences. Our dry tours have been seeing manatees resting and swimming across the entire bay.

Wildlife Highlights Beyond Manatees

Dolphins! They’re an infrequent visitor inside Kings Bay given the long distance in and out

from the open water. Recently, they’ve come in to feast on our plentiful mullet and have put on some amazing shows while fishing for their favourite food. Redfish have been spotted in many areas swimming among the many other species of fish. Tarpon, a very large fish, have also been spotted in and around the springs.

Around Town: Food, Fun, and Local Events

December 5th is First Friday in Downtown Crystal River and will also feature the Christmas tree lighting.

December 6th in Homosassa is Santa by the Sea. From 11:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m., it promises to be a day of holiday festivities.

December 12th, Crystal River Yoga is having a Girls’ Night Out — Christmas Edition.

December 13th is the Homosassa River Lighted Boat Parade. The event starts at dark.