Manatees

   Tuesday,  we decided to go to Blue Springs State Park. It is located in Orange City which is southeast of here toward Daytona.

The manatee swim up into Blue Springs in the cold weather where the water is warmer. The water temperature in the springs is about 72 degrees year around. 

Last year when we were here we went to Homosassa State Park in Crystal River to see the manatees. There they go up into the springs because it is warmer. They have a few manatees that stay there all the time that are protected by the state. Homosassa also have other animals and birds.

At Blue Springs the manatees are “wild” and from Jan-April they stay in the springs. When the waters of the river warms up they swim back to St Johns River out to sea.

Today, we saw quite a few manatees. They were swimming in the springs, laying in the spots were the sun hit the water.

There are quite a few viewing spots along the boardwalk that you can walk along the shore of the spring to the head where it comes out of the ground.

Lewis Thursby bought the land there from the government in 1872. He built the house above for his family. He also had a boat dock there in St Johns River that people used to travel by steamboat from the north. He even had a railroad car that was pulled by horses. When the railroad was built from the north to other places south the steamboat travel can to a halt.

It was a very interesting place to visit.