Yesterday's swim with the manatees with Blue Heaven River Tours was amazing. My wife did the…read moreresearch, and we were not disappointed with our day out. Wyn- the owner- did alarm us when he called 2 days before the tour to warn us that the recent warmer weather may drive the manatees further downstream and may make seeing them difficult, we were concerned...but these wonderful creatures do not plan their day around our arrival, so it was understood and, to some degree, appreciated.
This did not come to pass, and manatees were dutifully upstream, right where they should be.
Swimming with a manatee is an awesome experience. They are, as Captain Ron said, like big puppy dogs...but gentler, and they don't chew on things, like me. They are curious, friendly, and to some degree, love attention. One even rolled over on his belly to get petted there, like my dog, but in the water. When I got in the water and started heading towards the rest of the family, I was surrounded by 3 manatees...very cool, although a strange experience...glad they weren't sharks. Wonderful, beautiful creatures.
Captain Wyn met us at the dock, got us in wetsuits, and left us in the care of Captain Ron, who was informative, safety-conscious, and great at navigating on the river. The boat has a small bathroom and is safe for cell phones, etc. and was clean. Wetsuits and snorkeling masks/snorkels were provided, as well as a pool noodle to help with floatation. I brought a GoPro, and got some great footage. Captain Ron also took cell photos and sent to my wife. Very helpful.
After 2 hours in the 72 degree water, we were all cold and water logged. Wet suits were peeled off, and Ron took us on a quick ride down to see Monkey Island, a pretty interesting river feature.
A great day out with one of nature's most gentle, interesting creatures. Highly recommend Blue Heaven, and may come back for a scalloping tour on a subsequent visit!
