With 5 days in Florida again before I returned to Sydney, I decided to head up to Crystal River with Elena (2014 EU Scholar) and Daniel to spend some time swimming with the manatees. From Fort Lauderdale we drove and stayed overnight, then headed out with Birds Underwater early the next morning for our first swim with the manatees. The sun was just rising as we jumped in the water, and the visibility would have been about 1 metre. Within about 2 minutes I felt something swim by and bump me. I popped my head in the water and there were 2 manatees just cruising around me and hugging my legs. It was pretty surreal.

We spent about 1 hour in the water with them before it was time to head back on the boat. We decided to hire some kayaks for the rest of the afternoon to try and sneak in some more manatee action. We headed to Three Sisters Spring, which is known for its crystal clear water and fantastic photo opportunities when there are manatees around. Daniel grabbed a cool over/under shot of me as I was filming a couple of manatees exiting the spring. We paddled around for the rest of the afternoon and had some hilarious encounters with these strange animals. It’s like they sometimes demand attention and contact with you in the water.

The next day I was flying back to Sydney in the evening from Orlando, so we hired a boat for the first half of the day. We headed back to Three Sisters in the early morning to try and see the manatees while they were still active. As we left the site, we were heading through the channel on the boat and noticed a large number of manatees just cruising about. Daniel stopped the boat and Elena and I hopped in the water. What happened next is hard to explain, but it’s something I’ll never forget. We instantly had about 15 manatees surround us, fondling the two of us, almost demanding cuddles and tummy rubs. I had one that stayed with me for the next hour, and followed me around wherever I went. Check out the photos Daniel grabbed using my iPhone so you believe me!