Homosassa Springs Underwater Manatees

This underwater camera dives into Homosassa Springs to open a window into the crystal-clear Florida water where Florida’s most beloved aquatic mammal, the West Indian manatee, swims with a jubilee of fish through crystal-clear water. Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park provides a year-round sanctuary and home to two permanent resident manatees that cannot be released back into the wild due to injuries. The park also serves as a rehabilitation facility for manatees with injuries or illness before release. In the winter months (November 15th – April 1st), the two permanent residents are in a different area of the park and a gate connecting the spring to the river allows wild manatees to use the spring as a warm-water sanctuary. Between April 1st – November 15th, the gate is closed and the permanent resident manatees enjoy the spring and can be seen on the webcams. Since they are permanent residents, the manatees are being fed romaine lettuce and other vegetables by park staff. (Please note: It is illegal to feed manatees in the wild.) Through this lens, viewers can get up close to these gentle giants and enjoy the serene sights and sounds of the springs. The park’s natural freshwater spring bowl remains a constant 72-degree temperature year-round. The two permanent resident manatees – Ariel and Betsy – are in Save the Manatee Club’s Adopt-A-Manatee ® program. To learn more, visit savethemanatee.org/adopt. 

Music by Pablo Arellano