From the reel · verified facts + the Google Maps pin 📍
From mid-November to March, hundreds of manatees gather in Blue Spring's 72-degree spring run to shelter from the cold. In 1970 researchers tracked 14 manatees here; by 2023 the winter count reached a record 729.
✅ Good to know
The waters of Blue Spring are a refreshing 72 degrees along the St. Johns River. Source ↗
In 1970, two years before Blue Spring State Park was established, researchers tracked 14 manatees in the spring run. Source ↗
By 2005, wintering manatee numbers at Blue Spring exceeded 200, and by 2023 that number skyrocketed to a record 729. Source ↗
From mid-November to March, hundreds of manatees congregate in the spring run at Blue Spring to seek shelter from the cold. Source ↗
Gold Rush prospector turned orange-grower Louis Thursby purchased Blue Spring in 1856. Source ↗
An episode of the Underwater World of Jacques Cousteau called 'The Forgotten Mermaids' was filmed at Blue Spring in 1971. Source ↗
