Florida Outdoor Getaways 2008 - (Page 18) Manatee in the Crystal River. > See Manatees on the Crystal River In winter, the Crystal River becomes home to more than 300 manatees – an estimated 10 percent of Florida’s population. These gentle sea cows flock to the warm waters north of Tampa and west of Ocala from October to March. There are plenty of captains who will take you to them, but with Kayaks and Beyond (352-795-2255, www.kayaksandbeyond.com) and Adventure Outpost Tours (386-454-0611, www.adventureoutpost.net) you’ll see much more. These relaxed paddling trips give a quiet view of 32 springs, overgrown Native American villages and temple mounds along the coast of Kings Bay and the headwaters of the Crystal River. The immediate thrill is having a 1,200-pound herbivore elephant-cousin surface beside your kayak. Crystal River is the only place in Florida where you can legally swim with manatees (and only with a proper guide) and it is illegal to purposefully touch one of these protected creatures. See visitcitrus.com. Meet VISIT FLORIDA’s Adventure and Outdoor Experts Online at VISITFLORIDA.com, watch as Adventure Expert Lauren Tjaden goes boating in the Florida Keys and Outdoor Expert Doug Kelly explores the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway. To send a question, read their blogs or see their videos, visit their pages on VISITFLORIDA.com. Lauren Doug Reader Response 14 18 VISITFLORIDA.com/outdoors http://www.kayaksandbeyond.com http://www.adventureoutpost.net http://visitcitrus.com http://VISITFLORIDA.com http://VISITFLORIDA.com http://www.floridaseminoletourism.com http://www.floridaseminoletourism.com http://VISITFLORIDA.com/outdoors
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