Hello readers! I am really excited about this post! I finally got to go on my ultimate bucket list experience and I got to do it with my man and my momma. I have always been fascinated with manatees, they are so majestic. We journeyed to Crystal River, Florida to swim with these creatures and observe them in their natural habitat! "Manatee season" is the winter months of Florida of November-February. The manatees swim into the springs to keep warm from the dropped temperatures of the Gulf. The springs have a constant temperature of 72 degrees which keeps them warm during the winter. This trip was dedicated to me getting to see these creatures and I highly recommend this experience to everyone! Even if you are not "into" these animals.
We flew into Tampa on a Tuesday early afternoon. We picked up our rental car then made our way to eat some lunch at a pizza place called Fabrica which is located near the aquarium. The restaurant was confusing to find parking and to locate it, but the pizza was good! They also had a special red wine vinegar that was really good on the pizza! After pizza, we made about a 20 minute drive to the Tampa Electric Plant. This plant has created a manatee viewing deck that is free to the public. The manatees migrate to these waters in the winter because they are warm from the output of the plant. There were hundreds of them floating trying to stay warm! It got us geared up for swimming with them the next day! This place is so cool and I cant believe it was free. You also can touch sting rays!
The next day we had to wake up around 5 am to arrive at our 7 am booking with River Ventures in Crystal River, Florida. When you arrive they make you watch a video explaining the dos and don'ts of swimming with these creatures. Then they assign you a wet suit and bus you to the pier where you meet your captain. This company was great! There was only one other couple on the boat with us so it felt almost like a private tour! On our way to the springs, we had the rare occurrence of seeing three dolphins in the bay! It was an exciting start to the day. Our crew was Irish Dave and Emerson and they were great and really made sure we had a unique experience. When we got to the springs where we would set up to swim, I was in shock with how many manatees there were.
The week before a cold front had come in which increased the number of manatees. We made our way into the water and within 2 minutes one swam at me! It LITERALLY took my breath away. At first it is a little frightening, you underestimate how giant they are until they are right under you. The best experience is to float with your arms out and allow them to swim to you. The second manatee I saw swam up to me and kissed me right on the face! It even allowed me to pet her! It is important to allow the manatee to interact with you first, this shows they are energetic and awake. The springs have no food for the manatees so their energy is precious. It was amazing to float above the manatees that were sleeping on the bottom. They arise about every 20 minutes to get air. We also were able to see a baby nursing her mother under her flipper which was magical. I think I barely breathed the entire hour we were in the water because I was so elated. There were hundreds in the water, and I was able to touch 4 of them that interacted with me! The last five minutes I came in contact with one that loved me so much it followed me, once I pet it once it rolled over and made me touch his tummy! He followed me to the boat and did not want me to leave! If the day doesn't sound magical enough, a rainbow appeared over the area we were swimming in! It was perfect!
This was by far one of the best experiences of my life. The swim was about an hour, then they loaded us up and brought us to the dock so those that wanted to kayak or paddleboard were able to!
GO momma GO! Once the tour was over the company provided pictures they took of us all day for a small 30 dollar fee and they came on a manatee USB! Once we cleaned up we headed to Tallahassee! Tallahassee is about a 3 hour drive from Crystal River. We made this trek so Chris would be able to see another state capitol! We then made the four hour drive back to Tampa to our hotel!
The next day we headed to St. Petersburg to explore this neighboring little town. First we stopped in the park to catch a sight at the famous tree there. It was massive!
It was so uniquely pretty and was the best backdrop for pictures! We then headed to the Sunken Gardens. The location used to be a lake but now houses gardens that are below the ground where the lake once was! This was such a cool attraction and was only 10 dollars to see!
We then walked on the beach and felt the freezing water! After we enjoyed part of the day on a rooftop bar just taking in the beauty of the beach with the wind in our hair.
After seeing the main views in St. Petersburg we made our way back to Tampa to visit the Lowry Park Zoo. We love visiting zoos in new cities we go to! This zoo was a bit on the pricier side of 40 dollars a person. It was fun though! One unique experience was a train ride that is included with admission. It takes you behind the scenes of the African exhibits and a tour guide tells you facts about all the animals. This zoo does offer a lot of cool behind the scenes experiences that cost a little more. For example you can feed a rhino, or stand next to a giant tortoise to name a few. My favorite animal here was the pygmy hippo and she had just had a baby! They were sooo adorable! They also had a very neat bird exhibit that you walk through and really feel like you are in a tropical jungle somewhere.
After the zoo we headed to the airport and flew home! I am really proud and surprised at how much we were able to pack into a 2.5 day trip to Tampa! We didn't even feel rushed! Sometimes a couple day get a way is all you need especially when a great Southwest sale is going on!
