Do not dive at Blue Springs in the winter!

[reefsavers.org]

This really did happen and If you are planning to dive Blue Springs State Park Id suggest you read this!
About a month ago a friend and I went to BLUE SPRINGS STATE PARK, we were charged the usual $10.oo something per person to dive there. As you are probably aware the manatees are in the springs in the winter as we were aware. We entered the spring on the North stairs and swam up to the sink. while we were up at the sink about 25 manatees came up too! There are strict regulations about approaching manatees and we were abiding by them. After waiting 30 minutes for the Manatees to move downstream so we could get out of the water without getting too close.
We decided to move downstream to get out, there were signs warning no swimming therefore we walked, mind you there were no manatees downstream and figured this would best to not disturb the ones who were congregating at the north stairs.
When we arrived at the south stairs a park ranger escorted us out and to our vehichle
and wrote us a warning citation and stated we had to leave. We tried to explain why we ignored the no swimming sign. they didnt want to hear about our reasons.
It really is a no win situation for divers when you pay to dive and where you are diving is against the law.... If divers are going to be allowed to dive and the authorities are the ones charging the diver, Knowing they will have no choice but to break a law, then I say it is the purest form of entrapment and changes need to be made. for starters how about if the manatees are in the spring, close it to divers.
there are other springs and Im sure divers would understand rather than go to jail or being cited.
second it doesnt make sense to close off parts of the spring because of manatees being there if they are going to go to the part that is open, close it all!
third if you tell divers that call for information about diving that the springs is partially closed you probably wont have any divers there in the first place.
It is illegal to approach manatees and it is illegal to swim away from them and it is illegal to exit the springs via the shoreline then what the hell are we doing charging divers to go in the water anyhow? I will never dive there again at any time and I will recommend that divers go elsewhere.
I love the manatees and my problem is with the ignorant law makers of this state,
after all if you've ever been diving with manatees you would know it is almost impossible to get away from them, they love divers and they want to see what you are.
so much they'll pin you against a sunken tree and use you for a scratching post like they did to me! long live the manatee they are smarter than the people running the springs! I recommend Alexander springs or some place similar to that, its a matter of opinion but I think your dive will be more fun and less exspensive!

 

[matt_unique]

From what you described it sounds like some ignorant park rangers. You should write the applicable manager.

--Matt

 

[OneBrightGator]

Maybe you should have asked a few more questions or thought ahead since you knew you were going to be diving around manatees.

Please stay out of all of our state parks if you cannot abide by the rules.

 

[CBulla]

Amazingly, this boils down to the rangers at the park. In my only experience there the Ranger happened to be elsewhere at the time. My buddy and I geared up and hit the water, he a little ahead of me since I was playing picture hound..

I finally hopped in the water and began to swim up to meet him near the spring. During the entire time we'd been there so far, no manatee's had been seen in the park at all - the next thing I know I'm being bumped by one of the largest I'd ever seen and the tiniest I'd ever seen.... awww mama and brand new new born! Mama races back up toward the sink and there's my buddy and 2 snorkelers up on a fallen tree! After making sure they weren't leaving to follow she zips back, collects the baby who'd been hanging out with me and left. Come to find out she RAMMED my buddy in the hip so hard he had a bruised side and cheek out of it!

Anyway, moral of the story: The Blue Spring ranger is a ticket happy person who I am glad we didnt run into that day because we'd have been ticketed for the manatee showing up and treating my buddy like an aqua rodeo clown!

 

[simbrooks]

I was there (not diving unfortunately) on saturday. I havent dove that spring this winter, but was intending to that day. We walked along the boardwalks and noted that there were signs up about not opening the swimming areas until 1pm (i believe that is the lower swimming area near the restrooms, not the upper by the spring head).

I saw dozens of manatees in the protected reserve area that started just upstream of the canoe launch and went up to just downstream of the lower swimming area. It looked like the area upstream from the lower swimming area was also roped off, with the area defined by another rope across the surface (hard to see from UW i will agree as i have crossed the one at Alexander Springs a couple of times by a few feet before finding out) just downstream of the upper stairs. I believe this is another reserve area during the winter.

I believe that they arent allowing people to drift (either tubing, swimming or diving) down the run whilst the manatees are in town and that there are two areas of reserve, with the lower swimming area being an "island" between them. I think you might have been in the wrong on this one as you were diving in a reserved area (seasonal) just as you cant swim in the reserves over in Crystal River, but just wait outside them for the manatees to come to you - only in that area it seems, not allowed in state parks as you found.

 

[adder70]

I think it's interesting the way some people assume the official was right and that the divers were not victims of overzealous or just plain bullyish law enforcement, even to the point of ignoring part of the situation explained in the original post.

They stated that they exited the south stairs to avoid the manatees that were blocking the only "legal" exit. So when confronted with a situation where you either break a rule and increase the risk to the manatees or you break another rule and minimize manatee contact, what do you do?

The ranger may have been overzealous and too "by the book", or he may just be the type who likes his job for the badge and its power to intimidate. He also could be an environmentalist who believes the park should be completely closed every manatee season, and that all rivers should also all be closed to all activity during the manatee season, and thus been looking for any reason to discourage any activity under any pretense.

I think the moral of this story is if the legal exit is blocked by manatees, you should wait as long as possible, and then just shove the manatees out of the way if necessary to avoid entering the restricted area.

 

[OneBrightGator]

I think it's interesting that manatees are now running diver blockades at Blue Springs.

 

[simbrooks]

I think it's interesting that manatees are now running diver blockades at Blue Springs.

I believe it is in their cost centre for the year, they are on the payroll, both as a viable commercial interest attracting tourists and also either getting folks tickets for touching them or for straying into manatee sanctuary areas

Yeh, the man is really beating down on us by the state parks and the DEP telling us the rules for going near manatees, providing sanctuary, putting up signs about this stuff and barring putting down a net to stop divers (and manatees moving out), doing all they can to inform you not to go into certain areas. Then following through on their published penalties for disobeying those rules. Its pretty black and white, you just sit out the time while they are blocking your exit, they will go away soon enough. If you want to see the complete reverse of this, see the free for all on Crystal River, the tourists positively chase the manatees back into the sanctuary in their charging to be the first to touch one! I am shocked the officers there dont issue more tickets with some of the stuff that goes on. BTW - yes i am a tree hugger in every way i can be

 

[FL_Chad]

dont sweat the comments from the people who think that Save the Manatee Club are really out to save the manatee. My wife and I camp in state parks all over Fl and Blue Springs is one of the more poorly run parks we have camped at. The problem is that the ranger more than likey has the "manatee madness" beat into his head from his managers since the state bends over for Save the Manatee Club.

I cetainly dont advocate harrassing manatees and enjoy them as much as the next person, but after all, the water is for US to enjoy also (unless, of course, you belong to SMC).

 

[metaldector]

When you sign in at Blue Spring you read and inital a form stating that you will stay at least 50 feet from any Manatee. The problem is, the river isn't 50' wide at the enterance (exit). A few weeks ago we drifted down to the exit where the rope is across the river and were surprised to see four Manatees laying on the stairs out of the river. Upon standing up we were greeted by one ranger standing on the steps and a group of tourist watching. We stood by the side of the rope and waited until they (Manatees not the people) moved off. It took about 10 minutes then exited. It's what you do. Yes, the Rangers are a bunch of zealots, but when you signed in, you stated you understood the rules. The ranger was right, you were wrong!