SILVER SPRINGS, Fla. — This time of year, hundreds of people head to Silver Springs every day to get a glimpse of two main attractions — manatees and monkeys.

Both animals make their home in and around the Silver River this time of the season.

Montana “Sassy” Steele of Kayaking Florida wants you to experience all the creatures that live along this waterway, as well as learn about its unique relationship to Hollywood.

For years, she has been taking guests out to explore the pristine waterway.

When visitors book a tour with Sassy (she prefers that name), kayaking equipment will be waiting and ready to go upon arrival at Silver Springs State Park in Marion County.

Silver Springs State Park kayaking tour (Spectrum News/Randy Rauch)

You can rent both kayaks (clear kayaks are available) and paddleboards with Kayaking Florida.

To begin, instruction is provided to all guests on how to maneuver a kayak or paddleboard and some basic rules of the river.

From there, a tour guide leads visitors along the river, sharing her vast knowledge about the spring and waterway to her group.

“This first spring we get to is called the head spring or Mammoth Spring. It is the largest natural artisan spring in the world,” Steele said as she paddled along the water.

During the winter months, manatees are often abundant in the water because of the cooler temperatures and a solid supply of seagrass to eat.

They are easy to spot and photograph because of the extremely clear water.

“We try and take as many pictures as we can because, a lot of time, people are from out of state, and they have never seen one of these (manatees) before,” Steele said.

Silver Spring State Park kayaking tours (Spectrum News/Randy Rauch)

Guide also share their knowledge about the area’s relationship with Hollywood.

“That is where ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’ was filmed,” Steele said.

Silver Springs was once a location for shooting movies, TV series and commercials, and pieces of movie sets remain above and below the river.

Steele said she likes guests to also see the Rhesus Macaque monkeys that live along the Silver River, but they can be tricky to find because of their coloring and the fact the primates are always on the move.

“We’re pretty dedicated,” Steele said. “We learn their behavior and where they like to hang out at,” she said.

Monkeys arrived in the area during the 1930s, when a tour operator placed a troop on an island in the river. 

Little did he know the monkeys could swim, and they disappeared. Some have been found as far south as Sarasota and as far north as Jacksonville.

An estimated 400 monkeys roam the riverbanks at any given time.

“We ask that people don’t come under the trees they are in,” Steele said. “And you stay off the sides of the banks. And obviously, never feed any wildlife.” 

Kayaking Florida operates tours each week, and the cost is $75 per person.

For more information and reservations, go to Kayaking Florida‘s website.

Silver Spring State Park kayaking tours (Spectrum News/Randy Rauch)