ALABAMA


GEORGIA


ATLANTIC OCEAN


Tallahassee Panama City Jacksonville


UNITED STATES


Gulf of Mexico Kings Bay


Manatees on the Move


The ocean is too cold for Florida manatees in winter. Many fi nd a home in Kings Bay where the water is warmer.


There’s a welcome sign just outside Crystal River. It will give you infinformatioion a


n about manatees. You t m es. Y


can ask a shop owner in this small Florida town, too. Some shops off er snorkeling tours. Others rent kayaks. Maybe you want to see them from dry land. If so, head over to T ree Sisters Spring. It won’t take long for you to spot a manatee.


T e manatee looks much like a


chubby dolphin. Or maybe a small whale. Florida’s manatee population is more than 6,000 strong. Many live in and around Kings Bay. Here’s why.


4 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER The Perfect Home


Manatees are big animals. Yet they lack the blubber, or fat, layer that keeps some types of animals warm in the cold. In water below 20° Celsius, manatees begin to weaken and die. In summer, manatees can live in


the ocean and Gulf of Mexico. But in winter, they must move inland. Manatees have a near-perfect winter home in Kings Bay. T ere are dozens of warm springs for them live in.


Crystal River Springs


CRYSTAL RIVER Orlando Florida manatee range Tampa FLORIDA Okeechobee Lake West Fort Myers Palm Beach Fort Lauderdale Miami


Year-round Warm-weather months


ATLANTIC OCEAN


Gulf of Mexico


Key West


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