One of my favorite things about living in Florida is having access to amazing experiences and opportunities year-round that most people have written on bucket lists and have to plan way in advance for. One such experience is the ability to hop in my car and take a very short drive to a place like Silver Springs in order to paddleboard with manatees – and I’ll say this, paddleboarding with manatees in Florida is amazing!
Why do manatees swim inland in the winter?
During the cooler winter months in Florida, manatees move inland from open waters to the some of the state’s numerous springs. Manatees lack the thick blubber that insulates other marine mammals like dolphins and whales, so they swim up the springs in order to seek out warmer water.
The springs in Florida are a consistent 70 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just the way these water puppies like it. The number of manatees you’ll encounter on a paddle can change from day to day, with some areas seeing huge groups.
My day started out in Jacksonville with a quick stop for breakfast, and then I drove to Silver Springs State Park where I met my guide from Latitude29 Paddleboard Company and we headed out on the water. Check out the video below for the in depth experience and SO MANY of these awesome animals that we encountered.
In addition to seeing manatees we saw plenty of turtles, fish, alligators, and birds. Silver Springs also boasts a few monkeys that you can sometimes catch a glimpse of.
I enjoyed this trip so much that when my mom came to visit me in Florida a year later this was one adventure that I knew we absolutely had to do – and although she didn’t want to paddleboard the option to rent kayaks made it so that we didn’t miss out.
Several calves were born at Florida springs this year (2024) and they quickly became local celebrities. If you’ve been paddleboarding with manatees leave a comment below and tell me about your experience!
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