ORANGE CITY, Fla. — It’s a winter home to hundreds of swimming gentle giants and is one of the most popular state parks in all of Florida.

What You Need To Know

  • Hundreds of sea cows come to rest and warm up in the 72 degrees spring water
  • Visitors from around the country come each day to watch, learn and photograph the creatures

Blue Springs State Park attracts over 700,000 visitors each year, all hoping to see manatees.

Often it is so busy this time of the year, the park shuts down because of high demand.

Save the Manatees Club Associate Researcher Cora Berchem says it’s a good time of the year for guests to visit the park to see manatees.

“They are coming in here to rest. And conserve energy. And nurse their calves. And just be manatees. It’s really special for them,” said Berchem.

Manatees retreat to the park and other springs around the state in the colder months. 

In December, the count was 325 sea cows, something Berchem believes is a good healthy number.

“In the wintertime, when the St. Johns River drops below 68 degrees, that’s when they come in here for the warm water. There is no food in here for them. They just come in here and warm up,” said Berchem.

The spring water stays a constant 72 degrees, which, believe it or not, keeps the animals warmer.

The best part about the spring is the way it is designed, making it very visitor friendly.

Over the years, workers at the state park installed viewing stations, a boardwalk, and paths that take guests around parts of the 3,000 acre park that includes the spring.

Pennsylvania resident Al Senteio came to Volusia County just to see manatees in person.

“It’s interesting just watching them come up out of the water and flap their tails,” said Senteio.

New York state resident Dillion Vaurtin and his son enjoyed the manatees and other wildlife that is visible from the viewing stations.

“There are a lot of fish in here. Did not think I would see this many fish. And we have some Heron’s flying around. And lots of different things to check out here,” said Vaurtin.

State Park officials and Save the Manatee Club keep a close eye on the manatees with daily counts being done by canoe.

Berchem says the counts help them keep track of every animal where experts know their names and can identify them by scares on their bodies.

“So, we have scare sheets. And really, every manatee we have here that has some sort of identifying mark is drawn on there,” said Berchem.

This researcher says experts are seeing a near record number of calves totaling 90, which is near their record of 93.

Admission to Blue Spring State Park is $6 per vehicle of two to eight people and $4 for a single-occupant vehicle.

It’s $2 for pedestrians and bicyclists.