Manatee Tours in Florida

manatee,sea cow,mammal,water,river,homosassa sprin image by Earl Robbins from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>

Manatees inhabit shallow, warm, marshy coastal regions of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. This makes the Florida coast as well as its inland waterways a prime habitat for manatees, and they can be found there year-round. In fact, Crystal River, north of Tampa, has the highest concentration of manatees in the world. Though near the brink of extinction because of careless boating and pollution, there are several manatee tours in Florida that can get you up close to the gentle sea cow.

Crystal River Manatee Tour & Dive

Whether you want to scuba dive with manatees or just want to take their pictures, you can do either at Crystal River Manatee Tour & Dive on Florida's Gulf Coast. Take one of the three daily guided tours at 6:30 a.m., 10 a.m. or 1 p.m., or rent a kayak and go snorkeling on your own with the manatees of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge year-round.

Crystal River Manatee Tour & Dive
4 NE 5th St. (on Citrus Ave.)
Crystal River, FL 34428
888-732-2692
manateetoursusa.com

Sunshine River Tours

Captain Mike's Sunshine River Tours boasts that it has the only fully enclosed and heated houseboat on the Crystal River manatee tour circuit. That's something to consider if you're visiting in the winter months. Sunshine River Tours offers three plans. Tour A leaves at 7 a.m. on a large pontoon boat and gets you swimming with the Crystal River manatees. Tour B, on the shallower Homosassa Springs, is more suitable for younger children. Tour C, the fully customizable tour, features the enclosed houseboat and includes lunch and snacks. Scuba tours are also available.

Sunshine River Tours
5297 S. Cherokee Way
Homosassa, FL 34448
352-628-3450
sunshinerivertours.com/

Bird's Underwater

Bird's Underwater promises a three-hour tour of King's Bay from embarking to disembarking. Both snorkeling and dive tours are available. You can rent a wetsuit, mask and fins, and even have your manatee tour filmed and ready for purchase on DVD before you leave. Your tour guide will enter the water with you to supervise your swim. Tours launch at 6:15 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Bird's Underwater
320 NW Highway 19
Crystal River, FL 34428
800-771-2763
birdsunderwater.com

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Article Written By Joseph Nicholson

Joseph Nicholson is an independent analyst whose publishing achievements include a cover feature for "Futures Magazine" and a recurring column in the monthly newsletter of a private mint. He received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Florida and is currently attending law school in San Francisco.

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