Snorkeling with Manatees?

[bch7773 0]

Some KSUPC people are going down to Dublin boogie, then Florida for spring break.

There are a ton of websites offering snorkeling with manatees, we figure it might be a good activity on our SCUBA diving days, since we can't go skydiving the same day, we might as well do something.

Anyways, anyone here done the manatee swimming tours? Was it fun? Could you pet them or just watch them or what?
Anyways is it worth our time and about $30?

MB 3528, RB 1182

[pds 0]

scuba with manatees in crystal river, fla. couple hours north of tampa.

don't know about tours, we rented a boat and just dove offa the boat.

they are some cool cats just lookin to eat and sleep. what a life.

namaste, motherfucker.

[stitch 0]

I wasn't aware that Manatees snorkeled.

"No cookies for you"- GFD
"I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65
Don't be a "Racer Hater"

[bch7773 0]

Quote

scuba with manatees in crystal river, fla. couple hours north of tampa.

don't know about tours, we rented a boat and just dove offa the boat.

they are some cool cats just lookin to eat and sleep. what a life.

they offer that too, just renting a boat. So its pretty easy to find the manatees and you just hop in and swim with them?

(I know nothing about manatees)

MB 3528, RB 1182

[pds 0]

wherever you can rent a boat near a manatee reserve they will brief you on how to behave around them, where they are, etc

namaste, motherfucker.

[weegegirl 2]

i thought this thread was about cocheese!

[cocheese 0]

Manatees were meant for freeflying.

[weegegirl 2]

you would know... you ARE the freefly manatee!

[happythoughts 0]

Read this thread.

It answers most of your questions.

The attached pics were taken in probably 4-5 ft of water, so you can easily snorkel.

However, the water is 71 degrees year round, so I recommend a wetsuit and a hood if you have it. It is spring water.

By law, you can't "harrass" them, but they will let you know.
Some of the older ones are loners and will back off. The friendly ones will hang out for a back or tummy rub. Be nice, move slow.

Call ahead and rent a "party barge". Drive slow and watch out for them. They have 3 favorite hangouts.

The food at the bar next to the ramp is great.

[FlyingJ 0]

As someone else mentioned, Crystal River is a pretty good place for manatee snorkeling trips, and for learning to dive if you want to do it in a spring. Bird's Underwater is the best outfitter I found in that area. They had the best prices and the most personalized instruction of everyone I looked into when I was learning to dive, and my brother, dad and several friends have since used them. When I learned in 2002 the price for open water certification was $225, all inclusive, no additional costs for gear rental, books, etc., AND they gave you three free dives with them (gear included) for you to use after you got certified. I'm sure prices may have gone up a bit. Also, if you take a class with them and are interested in purchasing gear they will give you prices you won't believe.

I bought all top of the line Scuba Pro brand gear for more than half off the cost that I was able to get it at other retail prices.

If you do go to Bird's, or even if you go to a different place in Crystal River, check out the ice cream shop that is above Bird's Underwater. Awesome, and they make their own waffle cones right there. The smell when you walk in is worth the trip on its own!

The other nice thing about Bird's is that they use a variety of sites for their diving, so it won't all be just in one place.

Killing threads since 2004.

[bch7773 0]

thanks for the help everyone!

I think we probably will rent the pontoon boat and some snorkels, and go to the manatees ourselves.

And birdsdivecenter is the one I am looking at right now. They go to devils den and blue grotto for scuba. i haven't done cave diving before, I guess I'll give it a shot.

MB 3528, RB 1182

[ChangoLanzao 0]

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thanks for the help everyone!

I think we probably will rent the pontoon boat and some snorkels, and go to the manatees ourselves.

And birdsdivecenter is the one I am looking at right now. They go to devils den and blue grotto for scuba. i haven't done cave diving before, I guess I'll give it a shot.

Just did it about a month ago and it was a blast. The birdsunderwater people are cool!

We did the Devil's Den on our own though.

CLICKY

[FlyingJ 0]

The people at Bird's are great. Bill Ostrich (hence the name "Bird's") is awesome and all of the instructors there when I went were great. They are huge into cave diving there, however, none of the training dives will be caves unless you have the training already or are doing that training. They dive in a lot of places that have caves, but you wouldn't do any cave penetration without the training.

Just be careful with the renting of your own pontoon boat and making sure that you understand the harrassment laws, etc. in regard to swimming with the manatees. The best thing about just going with a tour is that it is their job to find manatees for you to swim with, they know where to look and know how to get to the places quickly enough to let you see them during the morning hours when they are most active. You could spend the whole time that they are out and about putzing around trying to find your way around. The last time I was down there doing training they gave us the manatee snorkel either free or at a very good discount because we had been taking a week and a half or so of classes there. Ask if there might be a discount for your friends if they are learning to dive also.

If they are learning, Bird's is the place to learn in that area. There are other operations in town (American Pro for one) that offers some good prices, but I was always happy to see when I was learning that I was out there with two other students and one instructor while the American Pro boat was out there with 4 instructors and a whole boatload of students. We got tons of personalized time.

Between me and other folks I know that learned through Bird's they took us to about half a dozen different places, neither of which were devil's den or blue grotto. We also went to Manatee Springs State Park, locally in King's Springs, up to Hal Watt's 40 Fathom Grotto for some deep diving. Can't remember the other places without finding my log book.

If any of you are up for it and they think it is ok, ask about doing a night dive at Catfish Sink (or maybe it's called Catfish Cove)...anyway, something like that. It is just off the end of the dock behind the Best Western hotel. It is a chimney about 10 feet in diameter that goes straight down and opens up into a small room, pretty much just big enough for 3 or so divers to move around without running into each other. I've done it a few times and always enjoy taking someone new down there.

Rudy was my instructor for everything I did there, and both my brother and Dad had Mike for all of their dives. Both were awesome.

Good luck with everything. Make sure to let us know how it goes, and if you remember, shoot me a pm to point me to the thread so I don't miss it.

Have fun!

Killing threads since 2004.

[FlyingJ 0]

Oh, and I forgot to mention...if you do go to Bird's, or anywhere in Crystal River, in addition to stopping at the ice cream place above Bird's make sure to grab lunch at the Brooklyn Deli that shares the parking lot with the dive shop. The Brooklyn Bomber sandwhich is to die for. It's best to go earlier than later in your stay, otherwise you try it at the end of your trip and wonder WTF you were thinking eating lunch at McDonalds the whole time when you could have been going to the deli.

If you do go to Crystal River, and will be there over a Friday or Saturday night, you HAVE to go to dinner at the Margarita Grill. If you'll be there on Fri or Sat let me know and I'll get the info from my relatives that live there regarding where it is.

Killing threads since 2004.

[grue 1]

http://spiceweasel.net/hugemanatee.jpg

cavete terrae.

[soberamprat 0]

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thanks for the help everyone!

I think we probably will rent the pontoon boat and some snorkels, and go to the manatees ourselves.

And birdsdivecenter is the one I am looking at right now. They go to devils den and blue grotto for scuba. i haven't done cave diving before, I guess I'll give it a shot.

just make sure you are not caught in a restricted area they will slap your pee pee really hard

http://www.swoopstudios.com/videos/videos-rex.php

[freeflir29 0]

Just don't SNORKEL WITH A NUTRIA!

[bch7773 0]

i talked with the blue grotto/devils den people and for experienced divers, you can just rent gear from them and dive all day at both caverns for $100. thats a pretty good deal I think. Its not like we will need a guide for a cavern that has maps lol.

someone did have a point with renting our own boat to see manatees... it might be better just to pay the extra money to have them drive us to the best spot.

I will also talk with the birds people about getting a discount, thats a good idea. we have like 10 people doing manatees with them, so the discovery scuba might be cheaper.

oh the blog with the manatees, the photos were all broken for me.

MB 3528, RB 1182

[freefal 0]

Brian,
A bunch of us went snorkeling with manatees when we were in Tampa and it was awesome! Ask JJ about the baby one that thought he was his mama.

"Ignorance is bliss" and "Patience is a virtue"... So if you're stupid and don't mind waiting around for a while, I guess you can have a pretty good life!

[EDYDO 0]

Took my grandchildren to see the manatee the last of December. They are ages 6 through 12. Then took them to fly in the wind tunnel in Orlando. They haven't stopped talking about it to this day.

Rented gear and a boat at Port Hotel and Marina. If I can take 5 kids with me, it should be a snap without them. Manatee came right up to us to play. The kids will never forget it.

Ed

[bch7773 0]

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Brian,
A bunch of us went snorkeling with manatees when we were in Tampa and it was awesome! Ask JJ about the baby one that thought he was his mama.

I have no idea on how a manatee would think JJ was one

we will have to watch allison though. a manatee might think shes a baby shrimp and try to eat her


edit: my poll shows that everyone who swam with manatees liked it. also it shows there are 4 admitted retards on dz.com

MB 3528, RB 1182

[happythoughts 0]

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I have no idea on how a manatee would think JJ was one

(understanding that this was a joke)

It is easy enough to do. Manatees don't see that well.
I always wear a dark colored wetsuit.

If you bring your elbows into your sides and move slowly, you resemble a manatee to them. They will come up VERY close to look at you.

Overall, they are cool with swimming around them.
They are very gentle. Top view

[AllisonH 0]

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I have no idea on how a manatee would think JJ was one

we will have to watch allison though. a manatee might think shes a baby shrimp and try to eat her

I do read these things ya know!!