Swim With Florida Manatees | Crystal River FL

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Swim With Florida Manatees | Crystal River FL

Рет қаралды 37,408

Күн бұрын

This video takes us back to Crystal River FL where we swim with Florida Manatees. Hundreds of manatees migrate to Crystal River Florida during the winter each year, and in this video, we get to swim with some of them.
We'll show you the entire underwater manatee experience, and will also share some information about our tour, our accommodations at the Plantation Crystal River, and how YOU can experience this amazing adventure for yourself by booking with the Plantation Adventure Center.
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#florida #explorcation #crystalriver #manatees
Timeline:
00:00 - #1 Intro
00:18 - #2 A Cold Early Morning
00:48 - #3 Arriving at the Adventure Center
01:32 - #4 Heading to the Springs
02:09 - #5 The Adventure Begins
03:24 - #6 Know your Manatee Manners
04:56 - #7 Manatee Protection
06:14 - #8 Big Fish and Manatee Facts
08:14 - #9 The Adventure Center Experience
10:01 - #10 Recap of Our Experience
10:33 - #11 More Manatees
12:06 - #12 Where to Stay
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Websites from Video:
Plantation Adventure Center - www.plantation...
Plantation Crystal River Resort - www.plantation...
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Music Credits:
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Explorcation consists of Jamie and Skylar, a couple who typically shares their experiences traveling and staying active via blogs and travel videos.
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Explorcation can be contacted at explorcationblog@gmail.com

Пікірлер: 92

@captmanatee 2 жыл бұрын

Hi there...THANK YOU for being passive. The wild manatees need more visitors like yourselves that did your research! I just want to add a few tips as I have been a huge part of the manatee rescue and recovery here in Crystal River for over 15 years. Most people on my tours didn't realize that manatees don't have blubber. Just to look at a manatee you would automatically think it is full of blubber from it's large round size. But that's why they have to find warm springs in the cold months. In spite of their size, manatees have relatively little body fat, and their metabolic rate is low compared to other marine mammals. exposed too long to cold waters below 68 degrees could put their body in to hypothermia-cold stress and they could die. So at Kings Springs the "keyhole" is right over the main spring head and why so many manatees are there. As you said, many more were in the closed off sanctuary but others will put up and mingle with humans, just to stay warm, afterall they are a curious animal. And many might even hold on to your "warm" body if you stay still like you did! Most aerial pictures show only about 1/10th of manatees hanging out with people and these are usually calves that get borded waiting for a sleeping mommy to allow them to nurse. (Manatee cows must endure the cold waters to feed so they can nurse their calves so after foraging, they tend to sleep a lot in the day). About the hair chewing....please tell your viewers not to let this happen for several reasons. It's dangerous for one - if the manatee had your hair or ponytail or braid in it's mouth and was spooked, it could snatch your hair out or hurt your neck trying to flee. Secondly, hair is not good for their intestinal tract. Last I again want to thank you for your "passive" behavior, one of the worse things humans can do to such gentle giants even if they seem to want attention, or as some say "act like dogs"...is NOT to habitualize.manatees...this causes them to be attrached to boats with people, boatstikes kill manatees and not all humans are nice to manatees. Take that from someone who had to recover 2 manatees this week in Crystal River.

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

@ManateeMomma first THANK YOU for your work rescuing and recovering manatees. The more we learn about these amazing creatures the more we appreciate everyone who works to save their habitat and rescue/rehabilitate 😍 Second, thank you for your comment. We had intended to share information about their body fat being low but ran out of time in the video. And really, you did a MUCH better job of explaining it 😊 it sure does make sense why the calves are more likely to be out and about. And thank you for the information about the hair chewing, it was our first experience swimming with the manatees and it took a bit to figure out how to prevent this from happening and not spook the manatees. Later on I was able to hold my hair close to my body (but I had to get comfortable floating first to be able to do that). I was thinking a swim cap would work best to prevent this. If you have any other suggestions do let us know 💗

@41052 10 ай бұрын

So would you say what Brave Wilderness did is bad?

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Hi everyone, thanks so much for watching our manatee adventure. Do you think you would swim with these curious creatures? If so, would you be nervous when they approached you? Let us know in the comments! Our experience with the @PlantationAdventureCenter in Crystal River really exceeded our expectations. If you are interested in booking a tour with the Adventure Center their website is in the video description. Manatees are protected animals. There are several rules and guidelines to follow when swimming with these incredible creatures so we would recommend booking a tour :) Also, if you have any questions about the experience leave those in the comment as well!

@6431harry 11 ай бұрын

I went on this tour, It was a great experience. We saw a Mom and baby manatee!

@Explorcation 11 ай бұрын

That's awesome! We're really glad you enjoyed it.

@PBD411 Жыл бұрын

Izzy thanks for the great tour had a lot of fun pictures came out great

@Explorcation Жыл бұрын

We're glad you had a great time on the tour, although I believe you may have intended this comment to go to the tour operator themselves. Either way, thanks so much for watching!

@ramunegaizutis1286 2 жыл бұрын

LOVE it! On my Florida bucket list for sure!

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

That's great to hear, Ramune. It's a one of a kind experience.

@sherlyroselada 2 жыл бұрын

OMG! I really do idolize persons who can swim and can stay that long under the water! Feel so envy! You guyz take care! See you around

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

I agree, Sherly. It's pretty amazing how long some people can do that. Fortunately with this activity though, all you have to do is float on top of the water with a snorkel. Pretty much anyone can do it!

@TravelInteresante 2 жыл бұрын

It does so cold for the Florida standards, absolutely agreed. What a fun experience swimming with the Manatees! They look adorable! Good to know they are curious and interested to hang out with people, I would love to have this experience myself. They indeed weirdly have resemblance with elephants and mermaids at the same time lol

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

It sure was chilly for Florida 😄 we really enjoyed learning all of the information about manatees from the guides. When they mentioned they were similar to elephants we had never really compared the two, but it doesn't actually make sense when you look at them 🐘

@romanandfizah 2 жыл бұрын

Nice video, a wonderful and enjoyable tour. Looks so beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Enjoy your weekend guys

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for watching, we hope you have a great week!

@TheAverageTourist 2 жыл бұрын

Haha Jamie your "not nervous face" was too funny!! I love that they have manatee manners for people - Its great that everyone in your group followed the rules - even if the manatees didn't. This seems like such an incredible experience to get up close with these beautiful creatures. I'd love to do this even though I'm not the biggest fan of water (really more of what *could* be underneath it). I had no idea they would be so friendly and curious. I'm so glad you braved the cold temps to take this adventure and share it.

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, we had been around manatees before on our paddleboards and thought we were totally prepared for what this tour had to offer, but I don't think either of us were prepared to have a manatee right in our face within seconds of entering the water! We couldn't believe how curious and friendly they were either. It was an awesome experience, and probably one that we'll go back and do every year.

@BeingBedingfield 2 жыл бұрын

Aww, the manatees are sooo cute 🥰 I would definitely have had a big fright if they came up to me straight away 😅 well done for staying calm Jamie 😊 Great job in getting up early and braving the cold! The experience looked so worth it!

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

I have to give credit to our guides for preparing us well for the experience 😊 I will admit I was a bit grumpy to have to get up so early 😂 but it was totally worth it!

@collegeboiuw Жыл бұрын

Great informative video, thank you! I always wanted to do this.

@Explorcation Жыл бұрын

Our pleasure. We hope you get a chance to experience it first hand someday!

@LeBoof 2 жыл бұрын

Great and super informative video. Love the footage. So glad that you was able to see so many so close. That is so awesome.

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for watching, we hope you both are doing well 😊💗

@waynerumambi3024 2 жыл бұрын

This is Awesome!! Thank you for the great video as always!!

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Wayne

@jimcwik7529 2 жыл бұрын

Wow, so cool! That’s going on the bucket list

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Definitely a bucket list worthy activity, Jim!

@TheMapPinners 2 жыл бұрын

Awww this looks like it was so fun! Manatees are so cute ❤ It's amazing how close the manatees allow you to get to them!

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

It really was such a fun experience. We were surprised with how friendly they were! We figured we may see a few, but there were tons in the area 😊

@wildfoxphoto 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you soo much for this video! Great help for us!!!

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

We're so happy to hear that you found it helpful, Lina. Thanks so much for watching!

@wildfoxphoto 2 жыл бұрын

@@Explorcation We decided to go there this winter thanks to you! Will tell the hotel owner that it was because of you! 👌🏻

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

@@wildfoxphoto @Lina Lindberg that's so great to hear and we would appreciate that so much, Lina!!!

@rhondalyn100 2 жыл бұрын

What a fun video! Your videography skills are wonderful, from the way the story was put together to the informative narrative, the close-ups of your subject and the dreamy music which underscores it all. What a pleasant get away escape this morning! Thanks so much. :-)

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for this incredibly kind comment, Rhondalyn. We are always trying to improve the quality of our videos, and we really appreciate when people notice the improvements! We do put a lot of effort into selecting the right songs to match our content, so thank you for noticing!

@AnimalEncountersEP 2 жыл бұрын

great video my friends, I had the same experience a few years ago, greetings from Ecuador!

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

That's great that you had a chance to experience this awesome adventure as well. Hope all is well in Ecuador!

@JC-po6yj 2 жыл бұрын

woww what an amazing experience! for sure in my list of things to do! the “not nervous face” moment was brilliant! hehe. Great video guys. 🐠 🌊 🤿

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Hey JC we hope you get to do this while you are in the area, it really is incredible, one of our favorite experiences to date 😀 What a way to experience a manatee for the first time 😬😄

@gladysgriffin7347 8 ай бұрын

Amazing ! Thanks

@Explorcation 8 ай бұрын

It really was a truly amazing experience!

@BKTV100 2 жыл бұрын

I enjoyed Crystal River in the 60's and 70's and the 80's. I would often have 3 sisters springs to myself and about a dozen manatees. around 1990 diving in the springs became quite popular. Inexperienced divers would cloudy up the springs by touching the bottom with their fins. Another Paradise lost to development

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

It was pretty clear in King's bay when we got out, but we were also the first tour of the day. By the end of our 2.5 hours in the water it was definitely getting murkier. We would have loved to experience Three Sister's back when it wasn't so heavily trafficked. That's great that you were able to. Thanks for watching, Robert.

@LucasWorldTravel 2 жыл бұрын

You almost got a manatee hair cut Jaime! 😂This looks like an amazing experience though! We would love to try it! Great find guys!

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Right 😬😄 thankfully they have no front teeth so my hair is still the same length!

@BobCarlson 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve seen a lot of manatee over the years from shore or a boat and even once while swimming, one surfaced right next to me. I was no where near as calm as you. Being a new comer to FL I was not expecting such a huge creature to bump me in the water. Now that I’ve seen this I really want to do it.

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Bob, that is so cool you've had one surface next to you, although probably a bit surprising...or startling😄 It sure helped us to have the guides prep us for the experience. I (Jamie) was still quite nervous at first! I hope you get to swim with the manatees some day 😊

@AquariusTraveller 2 жыл бұрын

OMG guys what an amazing experience and you have made me sooooo jealous ! we do get Manatees over here in areas, not no where common that they run tours like this. As a diver, crystal river has been on my list for ages and getting to photograph them - I guess it will stay on my list for a while longer! Thanks so much for sharing guys...It was awesome !

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

You would LOVE the Crystal River area 😍💗😃 It is such a unique experience to swim with the manatees. Someday you will make it there...and you will take some incredible photographs for sure 😊

@AquariusTraveller 2 жыл бұрын

@@Explorcation looking forward to it 💖💖

@LiveLongNaturee 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice thank for sharing my friend greetings from Turkey👏👏👏🌹🌹🌹⚘🙋‍♀️👉🛎 Stay Coñnected

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Greetings from Florida, and thanks so much for watching!

@TideKnotTravellers 2 жыл бұрын

Your not nervous face was absolutely brilliant Jamie! 🤣🤣 we found a manatee (or maybe now seeing this he found us) while kayaking in Key Largo and the one thing we definitely noticed was the smell when it came near. Did you notice a certain smell too? We would love to swim with manatees and will definitely add this to our next Florida trip, I’ll be sure to plait my hair when we do though! Loved the manatees behaviour with you, so friendly and gentle (even when nibbling your hair) I react exactly the same way every time I see a huge fish like you did with the giant Tarpon, we saw so many barracudas while snorkelling/diving in the keys and they weren’t interested in us either but they just look so menacing! 😅 Loved this video, you did a great job describing and showing the experience, thanks 😊

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

😬😄 i had to adjust to the temperature of the water and manatees all at the same time, I was just focused on staying calm! You are probably right, the manatee probably found you. I had no idea their hairs were so sensitive. That is funny you ask about the smell, I personally didn't experience it, but I heard the guides talking about the manatee farts 😂 and apparently that is how they control their buoyancy! You two would love the experience 💗 we hope you get to swim with them some day. We did find them to be so gentle. I sure would recommend securing hair better. I had no idea my hair looked like sea grass to them prior to this experience! Until I was able to hold my close to my body there were multiple that came up to try and get a nibble!

@exploreaswego 2 жыл бұрын

Woah! You guys had to sign waivers? We didn't have to for ours in MEXICO! HAHA. NOT NERVOUS FACE FOR THE WIN! They really look like peaceful creatures and love the manatee manners! Love that there was a reservation and great for the animals. Honestly loving the whole experience. When we did Whale Sharks, they just swam by and we could barely capture them. You guys got the BEST SHOTS! They got so close! Thanks for taking us along!

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

We sure did. It is a big deal to swim with the manatees in the US :) I didn't know you could do it in Mexico too! The manatees were so curious, especially once we got the hang of floating calming on the surface 😊 Thanks so much for watching guys!

@ScullyPop 2 жыл бұрын

Super cool 🔥

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much 😊💗

@valerieyugova1876 Жыл бұрын

We had a great experience in the place 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

@Explorcation Жыл бұрын

That's so great to hear! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

@cupsonplushproductions5959 Жыл бұрын

in the late summer I actually was swimming with manatees and understood I couldn't unless it was by pure accident when most of the time it's hard for me to move around the water especially when I really don't like touching water plants, there was one right under me and I just froze not trying to touch it, I also heard them eat, I saw a baby nursing, and I think I might have seen a Manatee that was newly born.

@Explorcation Жыл бұрын

Wow, that sounds like quite the amazing experience. Thank you for taking the time to share it and for watching our video!

@LiveLongNaturee 2 жыл бұрын

Muhteşem canlılar, Doğayı sevip koruyalım.

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching.

@andreadiego8095 8 ай бұрын

Thank you for the video!!! Quick question did you guys spend the whole 3hrs?

@Explorcation 8 ай бұрын

Our pleasure. We spent pretty close to the full three hours. It definitely got quite cold by the end, but when you're surrounded by manatees you tend not to notice it to much!

@dasaxophonist 2 жыл бұрын

This is what I wanted to go on but my tour wasn't like this. Instead of Kings Spring we went to Pete's Pier in Kings Bay, literally 10 seconds from the boat ramp, many of us thought it was a joke. The water was super murky, we were charged for parking, and they didn't give towels or beverages. Next time I'll book with the adventure center, I was fooled by trip advisor and went with another company

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

I'm so sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience! The Adventure Center was extremely professional and will surely give you the experience that you are looking for. We're hope you are able to make it back to Crystal River soon!

@LeonKuijl 2 жыл бұрын

Hi! How many pepole is it on a trip? And also very good video!❤️

@Explorcation 2 жыл бұрын

Hello! On our trip there was around 10 of us plus two instructors. The boats hold a max of 11 to 14 people according to their website. Thanks for watching!

@josephboley3217 Жыл бұрын

What about sharks and gators?

@Explorcation Жыл бұрын

We're happy to report that we did not encounter either!

@hayleehartzell9254 9 ай бұрын

If the manatee comes to you can you touch it?

@Explorcation 9 ай бұрын

That manatees will swim up and touch you whether you like it or not. So yes, you can touch them. But you should not actively try to.

@Amanaki Жыл бұрын

😍😍😍

@Explorcation Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for watching!

@SullenGirl1984 2 ай бұрын

On a s ale of 1-10 should i book ?

@Explorcation 2 ай бұрын

😆if it were winter, we'd say 10, while for us it was a bucket list experience that was 100% worth it, we aren't sure what the experience is like in the summer. The manatees gather around Crystal River in the winter months.

@ResidentNotEvil5 11 ай бұрын

Don't you feel scared mantes might attack

@Explorcation 11 ай бұрын

No they are very friendly creatures!

@ResidentNotEvil5 11 ай бұрын

@@Explorcation OK thks for information and can you feed them or not allowed

@Explorcation 11 ай бұрын

@@ResidentNotEvil5 that wasn't allowed, there are a lot of rules around the interactions because they are protected, but they have you watch a short video first to know what you can and can not do.

@ResidentNotEvil5 11 ай бұрын

@@Explorcation I haven't watch it yet will watch it 👍