One of the many advantages of living in Florida is being able to be outdoors year-round and interact with animals and nature. During the “winter,” manatees will come inland to find warmer water as temperatures below 60 degrees can kill them. Just north of Orlando is Blue Springs State Park, which is a designated manatee refuge during November-April. With temperatures in the low 80s, today seemed ideal to take a trip.
Entrance fees for cars is just $6 ($4 if you’re alone), making a visit an affordable activity for all. The park is open from 8am until sundown, 365 days a year. There is a limit as to how many cars can enter, so it is better to get there earlier rather than later.
As always, I feel pictures are worth more than words, so enjoy!
Can you find the alligator?
Herd of Manatees (Under Water)
Birds & Manatees
Coming Up For Air
I thought I heard someone following me...
He needed a better angle
Mama & Baby
I wear my hair like my hero, Katniss Everdeen. It's pretty cool.
Just in case you were wondering...
Keep your eyes open, not everything is cute!
If you’re in the area during November-April, Blue Springs is a lovely day trip. Overall, it took about two hours to leisurely walk and see the sights. However, you could make a day of it if you pack a lunch and rent a canoe or kayak. Despite my extremely reasonable fear of fish, I was willing to rent a canoe, but someone said no. I won’t name any names.
But she looks like this...
If you have any questions about Blue Springs that I didn’t answer here, please don’t hesitate to email me and I’ll do my best to respond.
Hope your weekend was remarkable,
Stephanie
Almost Thirty-Something 
Before they were endangered, we actually used to be able to swim with the manatees at BSSP… now, I’m dating myself. But it was pretty awesome. They may just be these quiet creatures, but they were pretty amazing to swim with under the water. Great blog. It brought me back.
That’s interesting because there are Groupons for swimming with the manatees all the time? I wonder why? Thanks for the like!
Well, probably there was such a drop in their population because of all of the motor boats in the 90’s, they had placed huge restrictions on even getting close to them. Now that there are better laws on wake limits in manatee areas and that they are tracking them better, I believe the population from last year was up in the 4,000+ area. So that must be why there are now regulated areas to swim with them through Groupon?
I think there may be approved groups that can host a swim with them and that’s it. They are still protected and the law is you can’t swim with them still, so I think you’re on to something!
Awesome pictures Stephanie! I soooo wish I lived in Florida – or at least was there for our cold Midwest winters…
🙂
Hi Heatherlee! Where in the Midwest are you from?
I’m in the Twin Cities, cold Canadian air hits us here all winter, brr.
Wow what a lovely place to visit! Maybe the next time we go to Disney World we might go do that! I’d love for my son to see something like that!
I’m reading The Hunger Games Trilogy. Only on the second book so far.
I just finished Catching Fire. I can’t put these books down!
LOL….subtle! Way to not mention any names….you make me feel like I’m on on wanted poster! 🙂
You should be…I’d watch out if I were you. Muhahahahaha!