Manatee Swim

This winter I had the opportunity to swim with manatees in the springs in Crystal River, Florida. The picture is of me having some fun with an especially friendly one. Even though it was about 50 degrees out and all I was wearing was a wet suit, it was one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my entire life! The manatees go to the springs in the winter for warmer water (hence the 50 degree weather), so there were about 30 of them congregated in the springs. They were such gentle giants. They would swim right up to you so you can give them a good rub down on their backs and behind their flippers.
The touring company my friends and I went with was Bird's Underwater Manatee Tours. On their web site you can find amazing pictures, info on manatees, videos, and the different tours they offer. I really recommend them. They even film you under water with the manatees. The dvd they make cost a bit, but we were lucky enough to get one free because we were in a huge group from the Pre-Vet Club of University of Florida. I think they wanted to get some free promotion!