Three Sisters Springs is located on the Crystal River, in Citrus County, Florida, United States, at 28°53′19″N 82°35′21″W / 28.888725°N 82.589191°W.[1] It is in a natural inlet on the east side of Kings Bay. It contains three spring areas that contain many sand boils and vents. The land surrounding the springs was privately owned property and there is presently no landfall or boat tie-up permitted; the only access to the springs is blocked by concrete posts to stop the boats from entering. Only kayaks, canoes, and swimmers are permitted in the area but from outside the Park. The property around Three Sisters was acquired in 2010 and is open to the public from November 15 through March 31.
Three Sisters Springs is also home to many manatees and is one of the Crystal River's sanctuaries.[2][3]
In adherence to the mission of protecting and preserving the manatee and its habitat, the areas around the springs have been designated as manatee sanctuaries and are closed to vessels from November 15 through March 31. However, swimmers are able to enter the spring from the water during this time with possible periodic discretionary closures due to manatee behavior. Visitors can view the manatees in their natural setting from land by use of the observation boardwalk overlooking the spring. Many dive shops and marinas in the city of Crystal River offer manatee tours and cater to the needs of divers and snorkelers.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Johnson, Greg. "Three Sisters Spring, Citrus County". Florida Springs Database.
- ^ "Three Sisters Spring". Retrieved 2007-02-07.
- ^ When Push Comes to Shove; The Florida manatee is thriving in Kings Bay, and so is tourism. Therein lies the problem. April 2013 National Geographic.
External links
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