Want to know the best way to visit the manatees from Gainesville?
Get a room in Crystal River, go have a nice dinner and get to bed really early.
Get up before dawn and head to Bird’s Underwater (where you already booked a manatee tour – tell him Kathleen says hello!)
Go out on the pontoon boat and enjoy yourself…
Pro tip – if you want to see dozens of manatees you should go during a cold snap in the winter. They all huddle up in the springs to stay warm, and Bird knows where to take you. I’ve done this a couple times and it is fantastic!