Up Close with Manatees

In this episode of Nature is Fly, Luke, Aria, and Kailiana fly to Crystal River, Florida to go swimming with Manatees. See photos from the Tipple's underwater adventure with these large aquatic herbivores and find out why they're nicknamed "sea cows."

September 22, 2022

By: Discovery

Show: Nature is Fly

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Crystal River is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with manatees.

Each winter between 500 and 1000 manatees head to Crystal River, Florida in search of warm waters.

Luke, Kailiana, and Aria Tipple prepare to get into the water with manatees.

Kailiana gets a pep talk from dad, Luke before getting into her snorkel gear.

Getting into the water to meet new manatee friends.

Manatees are a unique species. They cannot survive in water temperatures below 60 degrees.

Swimming with manatees is quite an honor!

Manatees are naturally curious. When they detect a change in their habitat, like human snorkelers, they will observe any visitors and even may come up closer to see.

When encountering manatees, passive observation is the rule. Stay calm while looking, but don’t approach a manatee, especially when one is resting.

Manatees are also known as “Sea Cows” because they graze on seagrasses, move very slowly, and are peaceful creatures.

Manatees are protected under the Endangered Species Act and under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, however, they still need our help in conserving their habitat and food sources.