A group of students kayaked down Florida’s Crystal River on Nov. 15 as a part of the Eckerd College Waterfront’s Explore Florida program. Photos by Ashlyn Porter ’28
With the semester’s end approaching, many students are looking for ways to decompress. At Eckerd College, kayaking with manatees is a viable option.
On Nov. 15, students boarded a bus to Crystal River as part of the Eckerd Waterfront’s Explore Florida program. Trips like this one, designed to provide access to environments throughout the state, are free to students as long as they submit a holding fee at sign-up. When participants arrive back at campus, their deposit is returned.
Other Explore Florida trips have included Sanibel Island, the Everglades, and Myakka River State Park. Crystal River, however, remains one of the most popular student destinations.
Roughly a handful of adventurers signed up for the experience. Waterfront staff and the cohort left for the river in the morning and returned around 5 p.m.
As the weather grows colder, manatees migrate and congregate in the springs, which remain at a stable temperature around 70–72 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite their large size, these marine mammals are very sensitive to water temperatures below 68 degrees, so they move to freshwater springs in locations like Crystal River to stay warm.
The trip allowed students to see manatees in their habitat.
As the name suggests, the water is extremely clear, which makes observing manatees easy. Students paddled into the spring where adult manatees and calves were feeding and lounging.
Not only did manatees swim next to and under their kayaks, students were treated to remarkable scenery. From the pristine waters of the “Manatee Capital of the World” to the surrounding vibrant vegetation, the excursion made for a relaxing Saturday during the busiest stretch of the semester.
Senior Tanner Parks co-heads the Explore Florida Program and was one of the Waterfront Recreation staff to lead the trip.
Manatees flock to the Crystal River area as air and water temperatures drop in the fall.
“The Crystal River is my favorite trip,” she says. “I ran it last year, and it’s always so much fun.”
As a leader of the program, the environmental studies student from Lake Park, Georgia, has seen the benefit it brings to fellow students, particularly those from out of state.
“[Explore Florida] helps get students outside and provides a free way to see everything,” she explains. “Most people aren’t from Florida, so it gets people to see all that Florida has to offer.”
Renee Register ’83, director of the Waterfront Program, notes the importance of the Explore Florida program, which has been a long-standing initiative.
“These trips throughout Florida have actually occurred since the early years of the Waterfront’s existence, in the early 1970s, but the title of ‘Explore Florida’ was created in the 1990s,” she says.
During that span of time, students have explored a variety of natural environments and participated in activities as diverse as sailing, sleepovers anchored to local islands, paddling and camping on the Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers, and more.
“We adapt to Florida’s ever-changing landscape and the interests of our students,” Register points out, “but the basic concept remains the same … We want to provide our students with opportunities to experience the beauty and diversity of our Florida wilderness while they still exist.”
The Waterfront as a whole has been a major hub for student recreation.
Tanner has worked at the Waterfront Complex for two and a half years and appreciates the unique opportunities it provides.
“I mean, no one has this; like, [the Waterfront] is something really unique to Eckerd … I don’t think people realize how awesome having this at your fingertips is—like taking courses here, doing these trips but also just the everyday stuff you can do at the boathouse. The paddleboards, the kayaks. Like, it’s all free,” she says.
And the equipment and experiences offered by the Waterfront don’t evaporate after a student graduates. They can remain a part of alumni life and allow graduates to ironically stay firmly grounded in the Eckerd community.
