|
BOOBYTRAP CHARTERS & Manatee Tours |
|||||
|
IMAGINE THE THRILL OF SWIMMING WITH A MANATEE |
|||||
|
|
|||||
| Come to beautiful Homosassa Springs Florida and swim in it's crystal clear spring fed waters, taking advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity to have an encounter with the gentle Manatee. Our tours depart at 7:00-8:00 am, depending on the weather. The tour visits points along the Homosassa River where our knowledgeable Captains will locate and assist you in swimming with the Manatee. Manatee tours take place year round in the warm 72-degree water of the Homosassa River; the Manatees are present in much greater numbers during the fall and winter months of October through April. | |||||
| This makes for a great opportunity to swim up close and personal with the Manatees in the clear 72-Degree waters. Manatees are very photographic, and pictures turn out great in the clear springs. The winter herd of Manatees, and the resident herd of Manatees, coming together for the winter, is very beneficial for both Manatees and humans. | |||||
|
|||||
| Manatees have social groups, as well as a more diversified herd for mating. Humans have the advantage of learning how to preserve this resource, not to mention the pleasure of swimming with such a magnificent mammal THE MANATEE | |||||
|
|||||
|
Daily Guided Manatee Tours |
|||||
|
A Manatee tour can be specially scheduled for any time throughout the day but remember, Manatees are wild animals, and we normally pick the early morning hours based on the fact that the Manatees are more active and amenable to human hands at those times. Call us and schedule your Manatee Tour today and swim with the Manatees! Manatees usually prefer the absence of scuba bubbles. Snorkeling is the best way to view a Manatee in its natural habitat, making this a wonderful experience for you! Our Captains are well experienced and knowledgeable in the Manatees activities and Manatees habitat, and how they interact with humans. An experience with the West Indian Manatee is an experience that you will always remember! Do you want to swim with Manatees or take a Manatee Tour? Maybe you just want to take pictures of Manatees. You can choose from several different Manatee Tours in the Homosassa River. |
|||||
|
|||||
| Come swim with the West Indian Manatee at BOOBYTRAP Charters & Manatee Tours, our Captain�s knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm will give you the best Manatee experience available. Come meet the endangered West Indian Manatee today! | |||||
|
BOOBYTRAP Charters |
|||||
|
|||||
|
& Manatee Tours |
|||||
|
352-212-4867 |
|||||
|
|||||
|
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MANATEE |
|||||
| Manatees are very gentle and loving mammals. Crystal River and Homosassa have a year round population of West Indies Manatees. Crystal River and Homosassa are also home to the largest herds of wintering Manatees. Manatees seek warmer water from October to March. You will see the resident Manatees and the wintering Manatees gather in the warm waters during these months� | |||||
|
|||||
| DESCRIPTION OF A MANATEE: Large, seal-like body, that tapers to a beaver- like tail. Manatees have two forelimbs with three or four nails on each. Manatees have thick skin with stiff whiskers on its upper lip. The Manatees closest land relatives are the elephant and the hyrax, a small, gopher-sized mammal. Manatees are believed to have evolved from a wading, plant-eating animal. The West Indian Manatee is related to the West African Manatee, the Amazonian Manatee, the dugong, and to the Steller's sea cow, which was hunted to extinction in 1768. | |||||
|
|
|||||
COLOR:
Gray or Gray-Brown  |
|||||
| SIZE: Typically the average adult Manatee is about three meters (9.8 feet) long and weighs between 362-544 kilograms (800-1,200 pounds). Manatees can grow as large as 13 feet, weighing more than 3,000 pounds | |||||
| BEHAVIOR: Completely harmless and non-aggressive, Manatees are often shy and reclusive, however sometimes playful. Manatees are gentle and slow moving. Most of their time is spent eating, resting, and in travel. Manatees are completely herbivorous. They eat aquatic plants and can consume 10-15% of their body weight daily in vegetation. They graze for food along water bottoms and on the surface. They may rest submerged at the bottom or just below the surface | |||||
| VISION: Depth perception may be limited. Manatees can differentiate colors | |||||
| HEARING: Manatees can hear well, despite the absence of external ear lobes; directional hearing is limited. | |||||
| COMMUNICATION: Manatees emit sounds that are within human auditory range. Manatees make squeaks and squeals when frightened, playing or communicating, this happens particularly between cow and calf. | |||||
|
BREATHING: Nostrils are on upper surface of snout; they close tightly like valves when submerged. Manatees surface to breathe on the average of every three to five minutes. When Manatees are using a great deal of energy, they may surface to breathe as often as every 30 seconds. When resting, Manatees have been known to stay submerged for up to 20 minutes. |
|||||
| RANGE/HABITAT: Manatees are primarily restricted to peninsular Florida, and South Georgia. Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals and coastal areas; particularly where sea grass beds flourish. Manatees can live in fresh or salt water. Manatees are a migratory species. Within the United States, West Indian Manatees are concentrated in Florida in the winter, but they can be found in summer months as far west as Texas and as far north as Virginia. However, these sightings are rare. Summer sightings in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are common. West Indian Manatees can also be found in the coastal and inland waterways of Central America and along the northern coast of South America, although distribution in these areas may be spotty at best. | |||||
|
|
|||||
| MANATEE REPRODUCTION: The reproductive rate for Manatees is slow. Female Manatees are not sexually mature until about five years of age, and male Manatees are mature at approximately nine years of age. On average, one calf is born every two to five years, and twins are rare. The gestation period is about a year. Mothers nurse their young for one to two years, so a calf may remain dependent on its mother during that time | |||||
|
LIFESPAN/MORTALITY: West Indian Manatees have no natural enemies, and it is believed Manatees can live 60 years or more. Many Manatee mortalities are human-related. Most human-related Manatee mortalities occur from collisions with watercraft. Other causes of human-related Manatee mortalities include being crushed and/or drowned in canal locks and flood control structures, ingestion of fishhooks, litter, monofilament line, and entanglement in crab trap lines. Ultimately, however, loss of habitat is the most serious threat facing Manatees today. |
|||||
|
MANATEE POPULATION: There are approximately 3,000 Manatees remaining in the southeastern U.S. concentrated mostly in Crystal River and Homosassa Springs Florida. |
|||||
|
LEGAL PROTECTION: West Indian Manatees in the United States are protected under federal law by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which make it illegal to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal. West Indian Manatees are also protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978 which states: "It is unlawful for any person, at any time, intentionally or negligently, to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb any Manatee." Anyone convicted of violating Florida's state law faces a possible maximum fine of $500 and/or imprisonment for up to 60 days. Conviction on the federal level is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and/or one year in prison. |
|||||
| CONSERVATION: The Florida Manatee Recovery Plan was developed as a result of the Endangered Species Act. The recovery plan is coordinated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and sets forth a list of tasks geared toward recovering Manatees from their current endangered status. Save the Manatee Club is part of the Manatee Recovery Team, which carries out the tasks in the plan under the auspices of the USFWS. In addition, SMC is part of the Manatee Technical Advisory Council, which makes recommendations to government officials on Manatee protection issues. | |||||
|
BOOBYTRAP CHARTERS & MANATEE TOURS is looking forward to hearing from you. We await your visit for the Experience Of A Lifetime! |
|||||
|
Captain Harry Arnold U.S.C.G. Certified |
|||||
|
1-352-445-2755 |
|||||
|
For Homosassa Boat Rentals Call Natures Resort 352-628-7514 |
|||||
|
Nature Coast Tours We Offer |
|||||
| Crystal River Manatee Tours | |||||
| Snorkel or Swim with Manatees | |||||
| Manatee Tours Homosassa | |||||
|
Homosassa Manatee Tours |
|||||
|
|
|||||
[Home] [Manatee] [Backwater Tours] [Snorkel] [River Tours] [Rates] [Lodging]