CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — In Citrus County, a tourist hotspot, businesses are preparing to welcome back customers after back-to-back hurricanes.
About a month ago, downtown Crystal River looked a whole lot different after Hurricane Helen brought flooding and damaged businesses, but as the area recovers, they want the public to know more. There is one thing I would like to do. That means they are open for business.
“It’s our livelihood. Tourism really feeds this county,” said boat captain Brody Moers.
Mares is keeping a close eye on the waters of Kings Bay to see if he can spot manatees.
“We have a very good charter fishery here and a good scallop season, but manatees are definitely the bread and butter of this county,” said Fun 2 Dive Captain Mares. “It definitely keeps us afloat.”
As Mares says, sea cows play an important role in the local economy. There are so many manatees that tour operators can make a profit.
“The people that come out, that’s the lifeblood of Citrus County,” said Mike Engiles, owner of Crystal River Watersports. “It is external funding that will give us the means to rebuild our town, rebuild our businesses and resettle all of our employees.”
But it doesn’t just offer boat tours to see the animals, it also aims to educate the public about their lifestyle and natural habitats, including exhibits at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge .
In fact, we had to rescue one manatee after Hurricane Helen.
“When the storm surge comes, they find new areas with new grass and say, ‘Wow, this is amazing,'” said Briar Reiber, a park ranger at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. “But rainwater does recede and manatees can end up in some very strange places. We’ve had them in parking lots, supermarket ditches, things like that.”
Thankfully, the manatee was rescued with the help of the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Winter is approaching, and business owners and travel agencies are preparing for the upcoming busy season.
“The overall population is still very good,” the man said. “Last year, there were over 1,000 animals in the bay at the peak of the winter, so we’re expecting more than that. We had a lot of newborns.”
Manatee season begins on Friday, November 15th.
