Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida

I got to meet up with some folks from Paddling.net and paddle the Weeki Wachee Springs in Weeki Wachee, Florida. We could not have picked a colder day to do so. With an air temp of about 45 degrees, it felt more like I was getting ready to paddle the Fox River than a tropical spring. I was nervous that the weather would ruin this experience for me. Sitting in 45 degree weather for a few hours could go drastically bad, let a lone whatever the water temp was going to be.

I was SHOCKED to find that the water temp was about 70 degrees (based on some internet info). I was even more pleased to feel how warm it kept my boat. It was like sitting on a heating blanket...lol. The difference in the water / air temp also produced a cool mist that rolled in the breeze the whole trip. Right off the bat, I noticed how clear the water was. I found myself looking at the landscape of the bottom of the river more than the trees and vines of the banks.


We started right at the Weeki Wachee Springs Park, made famous by the resident mermaids. We paddled right up to there sanctuary, but didn't see any of the rare women of the Spring. We then spun and headed down river to start our long adventure.

It was not long before we saw the wildlife of the river. As we rounded the first bend, we startled a deer that was enjoying a snack on one of the tiny islands of the river. As we came around the backside of the island, we were able to watch her run across the shallow river and blend back into the forest on the shore. This encounter set the pace for the trip. We saw a lot of needle fish and other random fish as we made it through the very clear water. One of group members also got to see a needle fish breech the water. There was also a lot of birds a long the river. Many Storks, Cormorants, and Robins watched us float past.

The Weeki Wachee River is also known for another amazing creature. The laid back Manatee is very common in the area and I was excited to see one! We were about half way through the trip when we spotted a little Manatee headed up river. I was surprise that he was able to move pretty quickly upstream. We were able to spin around and meet up with him in a small cove in a river bend.

I was told that he was a 'small' manatee, but he seemed to be a good size to me! I was happy to have seen this little guy and my goal of grabbing a picture of one was accomplished. The rest of the trip would be all bonus!

Before we started the final section of the river, we regrouped and chatted about what we had seen already. Nothing compared to what we were going to see at the end of our trip. It just got better and better. The scenery was awesome (both above and below the water) and the residence of the river we also very interesting.


As we entered the more populated section of the river, we were greeted by a mother and baby manatee. The led us to whats known as Hospital Cove. From what I understand, there is a high amount of sulfur in this little spring, and the Manatees refresh here. Our group joined another small group of paddlers already in the cove and quickly I saw why it was the place to be.


There was about 8-10 Manatees floating just below the surface of the water in this area. The water was a lot cloudier in the cove due to the activity in the area. You could still see about 2 feet into the water before it became too dark. This added to the eeriness of the experience. You could see these beautiful creatures emerge from the depths of the cove and come up for a breath. They would stick their snouts out of the water right next to the kayaks. They would also give us a little show as they headed back underwater, poking their back and tail out of the water as they dove. There was one that we were catching glimpses of that was massive. At one time, it was right under one of the kayaks and it was longer than the boat. When you caught a glimpse of it from above, you could really get a good look at how wide this animal was. It was a great experience.


Most of us agreed that we could stay in Hospital Cover for hours....but the weather was taking it's toll on the majority of us. We were now closer to the Gulf and the wind was coming down the river pretty strong. This made the 45 degree air feel even cooler. So, we had to say goodbye to the creatures of the cove and head around the corner to the take out location, Rogers Park.

This was the best paddling I have done in Florida so far, and honestly, it will be hard to beat it. After taking two trips to the coast and not seeing much, this was a great change of pace! This was what I was thinking Florida paddling would be like, and I was very happy to experience it