One of my underwater manatee shots was picture of the day in the Telegraph this week. The image was taken at Crystal River, Florida. Its an amazing place to view manatees in great visibility conditions. Kings Bay and the headwaters of Crystal River, encompasses more than 70 natural springs which produce a constant flow of 72°F water. Combined with areas of shallow water, the abundance of natural springs provide a winter haven for hundreds of wild manatees. The best time to experience the manatees at the springs is early in the morning as they tend to disperse to the wider area to feed in the afternoon and you also avoid the majority of other tourists. Winter mornings are surprisingly cold in Florida, getting down to only a few degrees Celsius. Once we has stepped out of the warm of the chalet into the frosty dawn conditions, a rapid change into a wetsuits was required! This was defiantly more reminiscent of getting ready for a cold winter surf at one of our local spots in the UK rather than what you expect in the ‘sunshine state’! The manatees were incredibly curious and playful, particularly the young calf's. They would often come right up to our masks and swim all around us, often turning onto their sides for a belly rub!
