Florida's Nature Coast

December 29, 2022 9:55pm

I spent the day at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Florida.

This is the time of year hundreds of manatees return to Homosassa Springs, Crystal River, and King's Bay in search of warm water. Because these bodies of water are all fed from springs pouring millions of gallons of fresh water per hour out of the Floridan Aquifer, the water is a constant 72 degrees year-round. And while 72 degrees may not seem "warm," it's a lot warmer than the Gulf of Mexico this time of year (the Gulf is currently below 62 degrees). Manatees can't survive long in waters below 68 degrees, so they migrate back to these spring-fed waters every winter seeking warmth.

This state park has an underwater viewing platform from which manatees can be observed. This park in Citrus County is "Old Florida," meaning "pre-Disney." On the Gulf side south of Big Bend but north of Tampa, it is an incredibly beautiful part of the state. The marketers appropriately call this area Florida's "Nature Coast."

Although I have snorkeled with the manatees before, I did not go in the water today.