Best Places to View Manatees in Florida
Four of the five best places to view manatees can easily be reached from Sundance Vacations curated destinations in Florida! Manatee viewing is best in the colder months (November through March) when these gentle creatures seek warm water seeping out from springs in the rivers.
These amazing sea-cow spotting locations are:
- Crystal River
- Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
- Blue Spring State Park
- Tarpon Springs
Destination Information and Manatee Facts
Crystal River, Homosassa, and Tarpon Springs are all located northwest of Orlando. If you book one of our many partner properties in Orlando, you can be at the Homosassa Springs and Crystal River areas in an hour and forty-five minutes.
You will fall in love with the manatee after embarking on this easy day trip from your home base.
Manatees are struggling, and the presence of manatees in natural environments is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem. Some manatees get injured by boat propellers and many are losing weight due to the lack of sea grass. It’s important to be aware of these sheepish animals, as they consume invasive species that plague bodies of water, and they keep sea vegetation regulated and fertilized.
Did you know? According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, “manatees are more closely related to the elephant than they are to other marine creatures. Each species of manatee is a member of the sirenius family, which shares a common ancestor with the elephant, aardvark and small gopher-like hyrax.”
Blue Spring State Park is also a great day trip from various properties, like the Grande Villas Resort! Sometimes families prefer to break away from theme parks for a day, and Blue Spring State Park is the perfect solution. Blue Spring State Park is just forty-five minutes north of Orlando and offers great opportunities to rent kayaks and boats. You can even take a dip in the water! Blue Spring State Park is also easily accessible as a day trip from any of our Daytona Properties, like Daytona Beach Regency. I warn you, once you visit you will become obsessed with these giant mammals! If you can’t get enough (like me!) you can follow the live camera feed from Blue Spring State Park.
For those of you looking for something extremely special (limited availability and extra charge), check out Deland, Florida. The Grand Lakefront Resort Club/Holly Bluff Marina has a few select dates available to vacation in a houseboat on the St. John’s River! The extra charge covers fuel and special orientation for the houseboat. Select dates are available in the late spring.
There’s plenty of fun to be had at Florida during the wintertime. Plan a trip to see these chubby cuties before they migrate by perusing available Sundance Vacations resorts!
Read more about Florida fun by checking out these blog posts:
- “Florida’s Best Hidden Secrets”
- “2022 EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival | Sundance Vacations”
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