Crystal River is known as the "Home of the Manatee." The warm water is what attracts the large seal-like manatees during cooler weather, when temperatures in open water fall. Manatees are a tropical animal and cannot survive for long periods of time in water temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit. By late December over 100 of these giant "seacows" can be found congregating in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, an area established to protect the West Indian Manatee. The manatee is an endangered species, typically weighing 1,000 pounds, and scuba diving offers an extraordinary opportunity to get up close and personal to this magnificent creature.
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