Click on any of the links under “Manatees” on this page and see our Helpful Hints below to get started. Citrus County has many features that have allowed for legal swimming with wild manatees in their habitat. Extremely! Manatees are among the most passive animals you could possibly find yourself in the water with. They are gentle giants fading fast and … The video was shot in part at Crystal River, Fla., where people are allowed to swim and interact with manatees. Crystal River offers the best location to see and interact with the Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, also known as gentle giants. Unlike other areas of Florida, the Federal Government allows for "passive observation" in the water between manatees … If you ever get the chance, you should swim with the manatees. Travis writes about Citrus County in Florida being the only place where you can swim legally with manatees in the wild in North America. Photo credit: HitherAndThither.net Yahoo News Travel writer Helen Anne Travis has a great piece entitled How Not to Be a Jerk While Swimming With Manatees in Florida. We will embark on a nature cruise, to Kings Bay in Crystal River, where you’ll swim with manatees in the wild. You experience most activity during the early morning. Swimming with manatees in Crystal River provides a peak experience with these gentle giants in their natural habitat. Crystal River, Three Sisters Springs, Florida. If you don’t think too deeply about it I suppose, a “swim-with” experience may seem like a harmless way to get an up-close look at some of the world’s sea animals. We at Captain Mike’s “Swimming With The Manatees” provides guided manatee tours in the Crystal River area. Here's how to tell when it's safe -- or not. The most popular and best swimming tours are offered by River Ventures USA: Crystal River Florida - 3 Hour Swim with Manatees (safe and reliable booking via GetYourGuide, with excellent service). Our most popular tour, offers a short boat ride to find where the manatees are lazing around, hop in the water and enjoy the best nature has to offer. River Ventures: swim & snorkel with manatees, paddle tour, kayak rental, airboat tour, scallopping tour, eco boat tour. We have the best boats and trained personnel in the area to keep the tours safe and enjoyable. Manatees. When I was in primary school, my class would go every year to Florida and swim with the manatees. Here's everything you need to know about booking one of these eco-friendly Florida manatee tours in Three Sisters Springs, and why you should! Here's why we decided to go against conventional eco-wisdom and swim with manatees in Crystal River, the best place to see manatees in Florida. For instance, the area has numerous outfitters, such as Captain Mike’s, who offer snorkeling excursions that enable people to get closer to the animals in a safe and lawful manner.