Bloop! goes the sound emanating from the long, shadowy shape hovering inches from my nose, as I stifle a joyful giggle.
I’m suspended in the turquoise waters of the Three Sisters Springs in Kings Bay, off Crystal River on Florida’s Gulf coast, trying to stay perfectly still as a veritable armada of walrus-shaped, whiskery mammals placidly circulate around me.
These are manatees, also known as sea cows, not least because of the way they feed off the fields of seagrass that grow on the riverbed.
Aside from the endearing ‘bloops’ they make as they surface for air, you can hear munching sounds as they set to their task of eating – they can consume up to 100lb of the stuff a day – causing them to be known affectionately by locals as underwater lawnmowers.
Despite their appearance, they are unrelated to walruses, seals or porpoises and have more in common biologically with elephants (although centuries ago, sailors who spotted them in the sea believed they were mermaids – albeit mermaids that needed a shave).
This tiny spot is the only place in North America where you can legally swim with them (from £65pp, plantationoncrystalriver.com), although you have to abide by a strict set of rules that helps avoid causing these gentle giants any distress.
Up until a few decades ago, they were endangered – people hunted them – but since 1972 they’ve been protected by US law. Their number has now grown from about 1,200 in 1991 to more than 6,300 in Florida.
My enthusiastic guide, Dustin, has been photographing and swimming with them for years. He explains that adult manatees can grow up to 13ft long and weigh up to 3,500lb, although most of that bulk isn’t blubber (it’s lungs and cartilage), which is why they seek warm water.
Between about mid-November and March, they head inland to creeks and springs such as Three Sisters, where the temperature is a balmy 20C-23C.
After donning a wetsuit to help with buoyancy, I gingerly descend the steps of Dustin’s boat and paddle slowly towards where a group of manatees, large and small, is congregating. At first it’s a little disconcerting, as some are the size of barrage balloons, but I quickly learn to just float, unmoving, near them, and swiftly become absorbed.
Dipping my head underwater I can hear the adorable squeaks the little ones make to communicate with the adults. A young one keeps coming up to me, its tiny eyes peering blearily into mine, before darting shyly off again. I now want a baby manatee for Christmas.
I see more of Florida’s wildlife on an airboat safari from nearby Homosassa Springs (from £60pp, riversafaris.com). As we skim the surface of the marshy swampland, the captain, Gavin, points out other native flora and fauna; we see egrets, ibis, pelicans and cormorants. Also, rather less exotically, are some cows, wading knee-deep; Gavin explains that several farmers have ranches by the marshlands.
We head out to the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico and are rewarded by the sight of a couple of dolphins frolicking close by. Then we head back to the dock via the picturesque Pepper Creek – Homosassa means ‘place where the wild peppers grow’ – where trees draped with Spanish moss overhang the water, causing beautiful reflections.
Then, heading into what is delightfully known as Manatee County, I round off my trip with a visit to Anna Maria Island – a two-hour drive south, close to Tampa Bay.
A seven-mile spit of land reached by a causeway from the nearest town, Bradenton, it’s a peaceful enclave of old-Florida-style pastel clapboard houses and charming beach cottages.
I summon the free trolley car that takes you around the main circuit of the island, known as the Monkey Bus. A converted school bus with Caribbean vibes and pumping music, it drops me off at the lively Bridge Street area, lined with bars and restaurants.
Before I hit the nightlife, I’m here for one more chance at a manatee sighting, on a sunset cruise (£29pp, seedolphins.com). The skipper, Justin, says about 180 bottlenose dolphins live in these waters, and points out a mum with two babies.
Sadly, there are no more manatees, so I head to the souvenir shop, coming away laden with themed notebooks, T-shirts, postcards and pens.
If I can’t take a real one home with me, well, that will just have to do.
How to swim with manatees safely
Any visitor planning to swim with manatees has to follow guidelines from the US Fish and Wildlife Service instructing you how to behave when you’re in the water with them.
● You should not approach a manatee, particularly if it’s resting and not moving.
● You should not enter cordoned-off sanctuary areas.
● Do not chase or pursue a manatee, or disturb or touch a resting or feeding manatee.
● Do not separate a mother from its calf, or separate a manatee from a group.
● If they approach you, keep as still as possible.
● Keep movements to a minimum when entering the water, and try not to splash.
● Avoid swimming over or hovering over manatees.
Rooms at Plantation on Crystal River from £130pn; rooms at SpringHill Suites Sarasota Bradenton from £140pn; flights from London to Orlando from £308 return via British Airways. For more information, visit discovercrystalriverfl.com and visitflorida.com
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