Crystal River

Visit the coastal waters of Crystal River, home to the largest population of manatees on the west coast of Florida! Known as gentle giants, the Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, takes life at an easy pace – moving slowly and spending most of its time grazing for food, resting or migrating to warmer waters.

Kings Bay and the surrounding areas in Crystal River are popular natural habitats for this creature because the warm-water springs, rivers and other waterways offer an escape from the colder waters of the Gulf of Mexico where temperatures can dip below 68 degrees. November through April offer the best chance of seeing manatees here, however, recent years have provided successful sightings all year, making this area an increasingly popular vacation destination.