Saturday was a beautiful sunny and warm day so we went to the Manatee Festival in Crystal River. Along with 100,000 other people.
That festival was huge. It was spread from Heritage Village all the way to the river at Hunters Springs Park. And every inch of that area was filled with people.
During the manatee festival there’s a free bus ride to the Three Sisters Springs which we love to visit.
Here’s the line for the bus….
Yeah, we weren’t waiting in that.
I had read in the newspaper that they were allowing walkers and bicyclist in just for this weekend so we drove over the to plaza closest to the gate, and walked to the Spring.
Well worth the little extra stroll.
Although it was a warm day, there were many manatees hanging out in the area. Just catching the rays. There were a lot of swimmers and snorkelers, too, but unlike past years, they weren’t in the actual springs area. I thought that was pretty cool.
Next Open House for Three Sisters Springs is in February. Otherwise you can catch a bus at the Visitor Center on US-19 just south of Crystal River and pay $15 for a ride and entrance into the park.
I’m skipping my usual Friday meandering to talk about a meeting Terry and I attended at the Plantation Inn on Wednesday evening regarding Three Sisters Springs.
I hate to be boring.
Sorry if this falls into that category.
But, I really am trying to understand the whole manatee, eco-tourism and “save our springs” issues. So I’ve been attending any meeting I see mentioned in the local paper. This one was particularly interesting because I had met the speakers previously. Not that they remember me, but back when we attended the Friends of the Crystal River Refuge meeting in January, we had a brief conversation. I had asked a question and the woman from USFWS that was speaking answered it incorrectly. During the break a man and woman approached me to give me the correct response. I’m guessing they thought I was a reporter since I had my camera, a tablet, and was taking copious notes and they wanted to get the record straight.
No, not a reporter, just a blogger. Looking at the world with my own little skewed view and posting about it.
So when I saw the meeting advertised I thought it just might be those two interested and very interesting people.
And I was right!
These two were scientists conducting a study from the boardwalk at the Crystal River Spring and this meeting was a presentation of their preliminary findings.
First Andrew Gude, refuge manager with the US Fish and Wildlife Services, opened the session by informing us that this study was made by volunteers and the conclusions were made by the authors, not the USFWS.
I’m okay with that. I’m all about disclaimers.
Andrew Gude, Refuge Manager
I met Andrew Gude at an open house at Three Sisters Springs just over a year ago. (I’m pretty sure he doesn’t remember me either) It was our first visit to the Spring. I had no idea who he was but he spoke with so much passion about the refuge that I was impressed. And wanted to know more. That’s when we joined the Friends of the Crystal River Refuge. And we’ve been following him ever since.
The volunteers, Rae Ellen Syverson and Carl Wolfe, gave us a brief history of their vast education and experience and then spoke of their observations. They, along with several other volunteers and interns with USFWS, stood on the boardwalk at Three Sisters Springs between December 10 and January 31 from sunrise to sunset and counted manatees, swimmers, and paddlecraft as they entered and exited the Springs. They also recorded the weather, the temperature of the gulf, air, and springs, and the tides.
Carl Wolfe and Rae Ellen Syverson
While the study will not be complete for another month, what they observed from the boardwalk confirmed that more manatees used the Springs than had been realized or estimated; manatees were affected by the tides; boardwalk visitors love the Springs but disapproved of swimmers and boaters in the Springs; groups of swimmers with a tour group behave better than non-accompanied; and holidays are chaotic because of high numbers of swimmer and boaters.
Then the speakers continued that from their personal observation the high number of swimmers and boaters degrade the manatee experience; the Springs run is a major management problem; and current practices will not support the long-term eco-tourism business.
Several tour operators were in attendance. They had numerous questions and comments. It was not a hostile exchange–rather very constructive. I had the feeling that USFWS and the tour operators work very hard to stay amicable. It’s a win-win situation.
Well, this post is way too long and you have probably stopped reading by now. But it was a very informative and educational meeting. I look forward to attending more in the future.
And, by the way, if you want to get the perspective from the USFWS, they released their own findings on Thursday that you can read on their website.
Manatees at Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River
Saturday was the last open house at Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River for this manatee season.
And we were there because it is such a great spot to see manatees and it was free! The park is usually only open to one tour operator but three times a year there is an open house and we try to make it to a couple of the events. We went to the open house in October and took son Darin and his fiancée Kathryn. This time our little 4-year-old grandson Jack reluctantly went along. (He really just wanted to go fishing with Grandpa off of our dock.)
After a week of chilly temperatures, Saturday was a pleasant spring day. Such a nice change. We arrived at the parking area about 10:30 am and there were already a couple of dozen people in line for the bus. But the buses run non-stop so it wasn’t long before we were at the boardwalk.
There were a LOT of other manatee lovers at the park!
Usually the sanctuary is open to swimmers but it was closed due to the cold weather and the high number of manatees so paddlers and swimmers were limited to the area outside the buoys.That dark blob on the right of the photo is dozens of manatees.
This narrow section is where the manatees can go in and out of Three Sisters Springs. When the spring is open to the public, swimmers also use this inlet.An example of the bank erosion.
There were a few tents set up. Not as many as the October Open House.One of the many buses that provided transport.And this is the line that greeted us when we got off of our bus!Grandpa, can we go home now?
Although it was a warm day, there were many manatees hanging out in the area. Just catching the rays. There were a lot of swimmers and snorkelers, too, but unlike past years, they weren’t in the actual springs area. I thought that was pretty cool.
