It’s a Wednesday in December, just before Christmas, and a rather chilly morning — for Florida, that is. As I arrived at Bird’s Underwater dive shop in Crystal River, just as the sun was making its morning appearance, it was a brisk 48 degrees Fahrenheit — the perfect manatee snorkeling weather.

I’m greeted by senior in-water guide Robbi Stokes and boat captain Ben Ash. I’ve attempted to snorkel with manatees before in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, but I’ve yet to have that perfect combination of weather, knowledgeable guides and large quantities of manatees.

Each year, the refuge is home to the largest natural aggregation of West Indian manatees, and the Florida manatee is now considered the largest species of manatee.

As we depart the dive shop, I’m hoping to be lucky enough to see and swim with these gentle giants. As a native Floridian, I am no stranger to manatees, but I’ve never had that magical encounter in the crystal-clear water of Three Sisters Springs.

It’s not long before our first sighting. Several manatees are huddled together at the edge of Magnolia Springs. The area is a sanctuary for manatees, so no snorkeling is allowed inside. We admire the graceful creatures for a few moments before making our way to Three Sisters Springs.

Upon dropping anchor downriver of the springs, we are immediately greeted by a friendly juvenile manatee who is very curious about our dive ladder. I get geared up and ease into the water with my foam noodle and guide. Stokes leads the way as we swim toward the entrance of Three Sisters. The spring has already been closed off by a floating buoy barrier. The decision to close and reopen the spring is determined by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and comes with little to no warning, so keep in mind during high season (December to February) you might find it closed.

When the spring is closed, no one (or thing) is allowed in except for the manatees. The entrance closure doesn’t really affect your snorkeling experience since the manatees use the spring as a resting place. We wait patiently outside the floating barrier and watch as manatees come and go with the current. Several manatees rest just inside the barrier, bobbing up and down, but many come out to greet us.

One manatee in particular swims right up to my GoPro and nudges it, then comes back around to inspect Stokes and me. He swims over to the no-wake-zone sign and proceeds to rub his tail back and forth on the metal pole. I can’t help but smile and laugh at the overwhelming cuteness of these docile animals.

We spend two full hours in the water until we just can’t take the temperature anymore. My camera battery has long since died by now, but I was finally able to have that magical up-close encounter with a manatee in the water.

Back on the boat, Stokes gushes about the experience: “You can watch a movie, read a book, but until you have that in-water interaction with a manatee or personal experience it’s hard to fully appreciate them. You never know when one of these experiences can spike the interest of a kid to become a marine biologist and want to protect these animals.”

It’s obvious the manatees are special to Stokes and Ash, but for the entire ride back to the dive shop Stokes shares stories of past visitors. One in particular really stuck with me. Recently Stokes had a woman on a tour who recalled the time she had snorkeled with manatees over 20 years ago. The woman is starting to lose her vision and said she had to see the manatees one last time before she goes blind. I teared up thinking about what this woman must be going through, but then reflected on the incredible experience that is peacefully coexisting with these wild animals. It was clearly a special experience to that woman, and it’s an experience I will treasure forever.

Tips for the Best Experience

The Colder the Better: Plan your manatee snorkel for a cold day; the winter months draw greater numbers of manatees.

Weekday > Weekend: Schedule a weekday tour to avoid large crowds of people on the river.

Early Bird gets the Manatee: Manatees are most active in the morning hours, so keep that in mind when deciding on your tour time. Bird’s Underwater offers manatee snorkel tours as early as 7 a.m., seven days a week, departing from its Crystal River location.