Tampa

By William E. Males

If you’re visiting Florida, or even live here and limiting your weekend getaways to a full tank of gas, Homossassa Springs Wildlife State Park is definitely worth the visit. With fall in the air it’s a great time to visit. With cooling gulf waters, the manatees head back into the spring fed rivers where the temperature stays constant year round. The scenery is absolutely stunning; the park is naturally situated in a beautiful location at the Homossassa spring head and right where Hall’s river connects.

You can start your visit at the main entrance where they have a large lobby full of displays and information. From there take a leisurely pontoon boat ride down Pepper Creek to the wildlife park. Along the river there are many opportunities to see whooping cranes, ospreys nesting, limpkins, herons or egrets wading in the creek. Here on the river and in the park are wood ducks swimming along, turtles sunning on logs and fish and more fish.

By William E. Males

Located near Chiefland, is one of Florida’s thirty three first magnitude springs. This pristine crystal clear spring discharges an average 100 million gallons of water every day. This water comes from rainfall within a 40 mile radius from the spring where the surrounding lands resemble a sponge, quickly transferring rainfall into deep caverns that deliver the water to the spring from every direction.

The spring is a source of life for many species of wildlife and from November through April is visited by manatees for the spring's waters for warmth when the Suwannee River and Gulf of Mexico waters get colder than the spring’s constant 72 degrees. During this time look closely into the waters because Manatees look and move like big logs, which frequently surface for air.