Well today I went on a drift dive down the Weeki wachee just to double check my dive gear and got lucky and saw 16 manatees. Then it dawned on me people travel all over to see these creatures and pay big money to go on guided tours. When its really not necessary, all you need is just some inside knowledge. The trick to seeing these animals is go early in the morning when the tide is coming into these springs that feed the gulf. Also, they are around all year but some springs close for the manatees breeding season, so make sure to plan around that. Back to how to dive with manatees cheap is most of the state parks have swim landings or campgrounds where you can drop in and see these creatures, so paying extra is not going to increase your chances, just someone's pocket book. The Ocala area is good for spotting them and the Weeki wachee basically any spring on the west coast of Florida. If you have any questions feel free to send me a message.
Good diving from Justin
