Getting up close with the manatees

They are suspended like strange alien spacecraft in the clear water, their deliberate movement made buoyant despite their huge mass. They look a bit like odd mermaid smiling at you. However swimming with the manatees in Florida's Crystal River and Kings Bay brings another view of The Real Florida, away from the theme parks, busy beaches and nightlife. It's a wintertime Florida, chilly in the mornings and mild during the day, in an area a bit removed from the annual influx of snowbirds. These stange but utimately graceful creatures are well worth visiting.

Taking about the fantastic experience "The water is 72 degrees, so it feels pretty good when the air's cold," says Marty Senetra of Bird's Underwater in Crystal River. "The boat is like a greenhouse." Spring-fed Kings Bay becomes the Crystal River, flowing 6.7 miles westward to the Gulf of Mexico. The route is a renowned scuba and snorkeling paradise, and ideal for a close-up view of the endangered manatees. While more spread out during the summer, the manatees congregate in warmer water during the winter months, and the Crystal River is a prime hangout.

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