100 million gallons!
That is how much water flows out of the head spring at Blue Spring State Park each day. The water is a constant 72 degrees, which means it is a magnet for manatees (also known as Chubby Mermaids). During the cold weather Manatees depend on the warm water for survival (they can’t tolerate temperatures below 68 degrees), and Blue Spring provides a safe haven for them (you can’t interact with manatees in the water). Visitors can view them from the boardwalk, which runs along the spring in the park. This made Blue Spring the first stop on our first camping trip of the year. During our stay they averaged about 230 manatees a day. After we left, the temperatures dropped and the numbers rose to 600-700! Click here to view the live underwater or above water cameras at Blue Spring. Here are a few of my favorite manatee pictures (click on an image to view it full screen).
Blue Spring, and the St. John’s River into which it flows, are also home to lots of fish and a wide variety of terrestrial creatures. We took advantage of the park’s 2 hour river cruise and visited a nearby wildlife refuge, which provided an even greater opportunity for viewing wildlife. Here are a few more pictures from around the park and beyond.
