After parking at the main park entrance on Hwy. 19, our afternoon began with a stroll through the gift shop and informational nature exhibits. Then it was time to catch a pontoon boat ride to the West entrance of the park. During this 20-minute ride we saw a variety of water birds – anhinga, blue herons, egrets, and wood ducks – and many turtles in their natural habitats.
After docking and browsing through another gift shop – this one geared toward children – we were off to catch the last educational program of the day and learn a little more about Manatees. These endangered gentle giants hold a fascination for young and old alike. Many times referred to as "sea cows" because of their huge size and sea grass grazing habits, they are often the objects of art and lore.
A floating dock with an underwater observatory which is located over the springs, offers a unique vantage point of not only Manatees, but hundreds of fish who come to the springs to feed. Although the springs is located several miles from the Gulf of Mexico, there were actually two sharks that were each about a foot long that had made their way into the fresh water. We learned that this is not necessarily unusual for sharks, or even for other fish.
Next we visited the small hands-on museum where children are free to explore. Here our girls enjoyed seeing the baby alligators, touching a real alligator hide, checking their "wing span" against that of a large bird, and making rubbings of animal shapes. The on-duty park attendant was helpful in pointing out little-known facts of interest and getting the children participate.
A short stroll from the museum brings you to the mouth of the Homosassa River and a foot bridge away are the wildlife displays which include a Florida black bear, bobcats, alligators, foxes, otters and numerous native and migratory birds. It is here that I excitedly saw a beautiful flamingo pose just for my camera and wondered at the immense wing span of the brown pelican which really doesn't look very big from a distance.
The park has one unusual habitant not native to Florida – a hippopotamus. He came to the park when it was under private ownership as more of a zoo. Due to his popularity, after the State took over the park, he stayed.
I would suggest the park for all ages – young children through adults. My children are in their early teens and seemed to be as interested as the younger children I observed. This park also gets a high grade from me on handicap accessibility, since easily navigated walkways are everywhere.
Homosassa Springs is located about 75 miles north of Tampa on the West Coast of Florida. Parking is free and entrance to the park is $7.95 for adults, $4.95 for children under 12 years of age. A 33% discount is offered to those with annual or 15-day vacation passes to the State Park System. The park is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. although the ticket counter closes at 4 p.m. There is a picnic area located in the Garden of the Springs, a snack bar at the West Entrance, and two gift shops. The park does not allow swimming with the manatees. | Photos |
