Manatees in Florida Springs

Posted on by Andrew Furness

Florida is the spring capital of the world. The state contains 700 natural springs. 33 of these are first-magnitude springs, or those that discharge at least 100 cubic feet per second (which amounts to at least 64.6 million gallons of water daily). This is more first-magnitude springs than any other state in the United States, and more than any other country in the world. Most of these springs are in north and central Florida, within an hour drive of Gainesville (where I live). These springs are one of the highlights of living in this region.

Map of Florida springs.

Many of these 33 first-magnitude springs are protected in state parks and offer year-round swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving (including in caves), underwater photography, canoeing, kayaking, and tubing in crystal clear water with a constant average temperature of 72 degrees F (22 C). This last point is important. Since the water from these springs comes from deep within the earth, it remains a constant temperature year-round, irrespective of the outside (surface air) temperature. As such, these springs provide warm water refugia for West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) during the winter months in north and central Florida.

The water gushing from first-magnitude springs flows from its origin (the headspring) into larger rivers, and these eventually flow into the ocean (the Atlantic to the East and the Gulf of Mexico to the west). In winter, the 72 degree water emerging from these springs is warmer than the surrounding water, and manatees seek out these springs as a warm water oasis. During other times of the year besides winter, when the spring water is colder than the surrounding waters, manatees are not found in the springs but instead in rivers, oceans, bays, estuaries – the places you would typically expect to find manatees. It is during winter, when the weather gets colder in north and central Florida, that manatees swim up rivers and seek out the springs, where they often congregate in large numbers.

This past week it has been cold in the United States, including most of Florida, and over the weekend I visited a spring not far from Gainesville, Fanning Springs. This is one of Florida’s 33 first-magnitude springs, located in a state park. Here I was able to photograph and snorkel with the approximately 12 manatees that were in the spring on the day I visited (1/26/2025). Below are some of the photos I took of this spring and the manatees which have temporarily taken up residence in this warm water refuge during the winter months.

Fanning Springs, viewed from the dock. At the back left of the photo is the headspring, a deeper pool at the bottom of which is a hole in the earth where water gushes upward. A few manatees are resting on the sand in the center of the photo.
A manatee swam underneath the floating dock that I was standing on.
Since this manatee passed directly underneath the dock I was standing on, I was able to get a good view of its back.
Several manatees were visible while standing on the dock and looking in the opposite direction. In the background is the mighthy Suwannee River. The crystal clear 72 degree waters of Fanning Springs flow for only about 100 yards before merging with the darker (and at this time of year, colder) waters of the Suwannee.
Manatees surface for air every 3 to 5 minutes when active and 10 to 15 minutes when resting.
I counted 9 manatees near the headspring when I first began snorkeling. It was sunny and the air temperature was about 60 degrees. I wore a wetsuit despite the water being 72 degrees, as I planned on staying in for a long time and taking lots of underwater photos. When I go snorkeling in Florida springs at other times of the year, besides winter, I forgo a wetsuit and can comfortably stay in for 30 minutes.
While snorkeling, many of the manatees made their way from near the headspring to slightly further downstream (closer to the Suwannee River). Some of them did so by swimming underneath the floating dock. This photo, although blurry, captures the moment a manatee is directly under the dock.
Two manatees grazing on algae, surrounded by fish (mostly bluegill).
One manatee swam to the juncture of where the clear warm waters of Fanning Springs met the dark cold waters of the mighty Suwannee River. The waters of the Suwannee remind me of dark billowing storm clouds moving across a landscape.
Immediately after entering the dark cold waters of the Suwannee, this manatee turned around and swam back to the rest of the group in the clear warm waters of Fanning Springs! I also swam into the Suwannee and I would estimate it was 20 degrees colder. It was a really strong thermocline with almost no mixing / gradient between the two contrasting water types. Interestingly there were also a lot of large fish (not pictured) hanging out right at this boundary including bowfin, carp, snook, and mullet.
Perfectly positioned at the boundary between clear warm water and dark cold water.
Some mullet also swimming at this boundary between the two waters.
A head-on view of a manatee floating above fish (bluegill).
This manatee reminds me of a walrus, given its body position and algae-tufted mustache.
After about an hour of being the only person in the water, some people learning to scuba dive entered. The divers were focused on learning their equipment and ignored a nearby baby manatee. This baby eventually rejoined the larger group.
An underwater view of the headspring. This pool is about 20 foot deep, and at the bottom is a hole from which all this clear water flows. In other north Florida springs (but not Fanning) people cave dive by entering into these holes and exploring the dark underwater labyrinth.

West Indian manatees in Florida are at the northern limits for the species. This is because water temperatures below 68 degrees F (20 C) induce stress and increase mortality. Manatees that seek out warm water refuges during winter are exhibiting behavioral flexibility that allows them to live in areas that they otherwise would not be able to. Humans are of course famous for this. Lacking fur and blubber, we are not naturally cold tolerant. Yet we have managed to colonize all 7 continents due to our behavioral ability to construct shelter, make and wear clothing, and burn fuel to keep warm. Manatees are doing this on a somewhat smaller scale by seeking out those naturally warm-water areas (springs) or artificially warm-water areas (runoff from power plants) and thereby surviving in environments in which they otherwise wouldn’t be able to physiologically tolerate. Finally, manatees must have a very accurate mental map of the landscape, for they are spread across an enormous watery landscape for most of the year, but reliably find their way back to these few and far-between warm-water outposts when it is required for survival.

One thought on “Manatees in Florida Springs”

  1. Beautiful photography as usual, and well researched article. I have been to a number of these springs and am always amazed by them. Have even seen a few manatees in some.

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