CENTRAL FLORIDA
CRYSTAL RIVER Our time with the manatees was fantastic; you literally have to keep your face in the water. This isn’t a heavy swimming event, in fact manatees prefer shallow warm water, so most of the time I was nearly standing on the bottom of the river or just barely floating. According to Jerry Hogan, owner of Crystal Lodge Dive Center and Vice President of the Manatee Eco-Tourism Association, divers should always float and never put their feet down. It stirs the bottom and destroys the visibility in the water. Federal law requires all professional boat rental operators, kayak rentals etc to have all their customers watch an 11 minute video on Manatee etiquette to help prevent harm to manatees and more enjoyment of the trip for site seers. The manatees move at their own pace, slightly faster than paint drying but slower than the algae growing on their backs. A manatee would literally be swimming within inches of the snorkelers without notice along the bottom of the river. We were told to look for small circling ripples in the water and if we found some, it was probably a manatee getting a sip of air before slowing sinking back to the bottom. Our guide and family member, Jeremy Lee, was an expert in pointing out what I thought were rocks on the edges of the channel, but were, in fact, baby manatees sleeping. Even at rest, they simply float. No noisy blows or thrilling breaches, no spy hops or cartwheels, just slow elegant movements. Who knew something so huge could also be so graceful. I could have spent all day meditating and floating with the manatees. According to Capt Traci of Native Vacations, who offers guided Manatee trips, “Manatees are extremely gentle & curious, and seem to be almost as interested in us as we are them. They come to look at us, and sometimes touch us. If a mother does not want her calf near us, she will simply call the calf and they will leave the area. At no time, has a manatee ever been aggressive toward another
You haven’t dived Fiji until you dive
wananavu
From beginners to braggers, there’s something for everyone at dive wananavu; from the thousand fish frenzies of Sailstone Reef to the awe inspiring soft coral and big, big fish of the bligh waters.
679.669.4433 www.wananavu.com
Local divers don’t just dive locally - they dive globally!
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