Blue Springs State Park is in Orange City, Florida. It has become a sanctuary for more than 200 manatees. The number of manatees has grown from 36 in 1970 to over 500 manatees today. Manatees cannot tolerate temperatures colder than 68 degrees. These animals are known as sea cows and despite their weight (around 1300 pounds) they just have one inch of fat, which makes them seek warm waters. These marine mammals can die due to stress cold.
During summer, you can enjoy other activities like swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving in the cave, kayaking/canoeing, boat touring, wildlife viewing (manatees in the winter), and camping.
Blue Springs discharges 104 million gallons of water every day into the St. Johns River. The park is open 365 days a year and the entrance fee are $6.00 per vehicle.