A Note from the Owner

Feeling a bit worried lately? Has stress got you down? You might be suffering from nature deficit disorder. We have the cure!

The Elegant Beauty of Kayaking Blue Springs State Park

Kayaking Blue Springs is one of Florida’s most exciting and captivating kayaking tours. Kayaking along the spring run and the amazing St. Johns River elevates one’s senses and brings awareness of the area’s raw natural beauty. The spring can pump up to 102 million gallons of crystal-clear water a day. Kayaking down some of the small tributaries of the St. Johns River gives you a true feeling of old Florida with wildlife at almost every turn. The huge cypress trees drape over the forested wetland as if they were standing guard over all the abundant life beneath them. Kayaking Blue Springs can bring a blissful calm to the soul, and a peaceful awareness of the simplistic elegance of nature. Relax & Enjoy!

Greg Braswell – Florida Native, UF Master Naturalist, Owner/Guide – Kayaking Florida

History of Blue Springs

Blue Springs is rich in history. Blue Springs was visited by botanist John Bartram in 1776. John Bartram is an early American botanist and explorer. He is called the father of botany. He is also the father of William Bartram, a famous naturalist, botanist, and explorer. John sketched and wrote about the flora and fauna of Florida and the St Johns River.

In 1856, a New Yorker by the name of Louis Thursby bought Blue Springs moved his family down to a small wooden shack, and started an orang-growing business. A few years later he built a large plantation-style home on top of an Indian midden, which still stands on the property today. Thursby’s Blue Springs Landing was a hot spot for steamboat activity, shipping goods and tourists back and forth to Jacksonville on the St Johns River.

In 1880 the railroad came in and eventually, the steamboats became a thing of the past. In the 1890’s a killing freeze occurred, wiping out the citrus grove and pushing the industry further south. Thursby and his family switched his focus to the tourist trade, and took advantage of the beautiful spring and excellent hunting and fishing opportunities along the St Johns River.

In 1971 a famous French marine biologist by the name of Jacques Cousteau filmed a documentary about the manatees of Blue Springs for an episode of a very popular program on TV called the Under Water World of Jacques Cousteau. The episode was called The Forgotten Mermaids. The documentary highlighted the Florida manatees and the importance of Blue Springs as the manatee’s winter refuge. Bringing attention to Blue Springs sparked the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to purchase the land one year later in 1972, and begin the manatee protection program.

The St Johns River

The Saint Johns River is the longest in Florida. The river is 310 miles long and begins south in Indian River county, and flows north to Mayport in Jacksonville, where is dumps into the Atlantic Ocean. It’s been called the lazy river because it flows at a rate of 3 mph. There is only a 30 ft. difference in elevation between the headwaters and the mouth of the river, Blue Springs is the largest spring on the St Johns River.

Manatee Fun Facts

• Florida manatees are a subspecies of the West Indian manatee.
• Closest living relative is the elephant & hyrax.
• Fossil records date back 45 million years. The oldest fossil found was in Jamaica.
• The word manatee is a Caribbean word meaning breast.
• The fossils show that manatees were amphibious creatures with four legs about the size of a pig.
• Average length is 9-11.5 ft. / Average weight is 450-1200 pounds.
• Largest on record is 15 ft and 3,649 pounds.
• Average life span per FWC is 30 years.
• Snooty was a captive manatee that lived 69 years.
• Manatees are herbivores. They eat about 60 different plant species with seagrass being their major food source.
• They can consume up to 10% to 15% of their body weight per day.

• The average manatee has about 50 ft of intestines which is very long for an animal of this size.
• Manatees have a very low metabolic rate.
• Manatees lack the insulating body fat to keep them warm. They can’t survive in prolonged water temperatures below 68 degrees.
• Manatees are very agile and swim up to 20 mph in short bursts, however usually swim at 2-3 mph. They can dive up to 20 min. while resting and 4-5 min not resting.
• Manatees are solitary animals except during mating herds and when they are staying warm in the 72-degree springs. The females are larger than the males.
• Manatees are non-territorial and do not have complex predator avoidance behavior. They have no common predators, not even alligators.
• Manatees have been called experiments of nature by scientists.
• Man and the loss of warm water habitat, such as springs are the only real threat to our beautiful FL manatees. With more and more people moving to Florida. Our creeks and rivers are getting crowded with boats. Please slow down and be aware of these magnificent animals.