Photographing Manatees

A very friendly manatee who followed me around for an entire morning in a stunning and healthy spring-fed river
 

By Matthew Sullivan

The humble, charistmatic, lovable manatee. An icon of Florida and coastal regions in the Caribbean, manatees are a sought-after subject for photographers, snorkelers, and nature lovers alike. Manatees have a calm demeanor, each has its own personality, and their gentle nature allows just about anyone who can float in water to have a potentially life-changing experience. It is not often that a large mammal is approachable or will actively seek out human interaction, but manatees are sometimes an exception to this. There is nothing quite like a huge, roly-poly manatee smooshing its nose right into your mask, looking for attention.

Every winter, these gentle giants gather in springs around the state of Florida to wait out the chilly winter weather. Florida springs maintain a steady 72°F so even if the air is frigid or their coastal feeding waters drop to temperatures well below that, manatees can make it through the winter nice and toasty. The manatee migration into the springs draws photographers, of course, as they are an irresistible photo subject—and I am not immune to their charm.
 

Being calm and relaxed in the water is key for good manatee encounters. Let them approach you if they are comfortable. Chasing a manatee will do no good. It stresses them, and they can move far faster in the water than any snorkeler

Finding Manatees

While manatees are found throughout the tropical Western Atlantic, for my purposes here I’ll be focused on photographing manatees in Florida. Florida is not only the best place to encounter manatees, but it is where I live and therefore where I am most familiar with them.

The stunning freshwater springs that dot the Sunshine State are home to dozens of aquatic species, including manatees, during the winter. I will avoid giving any specific locations here as many of these springs have begun to suffer from “being loved to death.” That said, a lot of springs get manatees, so if you visit several and spend some time doing research, they are not difficult to find.
 

It is important to never bother a manatee while it is sleeping. Find one snuffling around for food, and you can approach quite closely as they are distracted, and if you approach respectfully, will not view you as a threat or an annoyance
 

Finding manatees in springs is, however, very weather dependent and based largely on ambient temperatures. The lower, the better, as colder temperatures will push manatees up the rivers and into springs. Typically, manatee season runs from late November through mid-March with the peak generally being late December to the middle of February. An ideal manatee outing is a morning following overnight temperatures below 40°F. The colder the overnight temperatures, the better your chance of encountering more manatees, and the more manatees you find, the better your chances of encountering a friendly one.

Each manatee has its own personality: Some want absolutely nothing to do with people and will move away as soon as they see you (please do not try to chase them), while others will not leave you alone! I’ve had manatees follow me around for an entire day, hugging me, rolling over in my lap, constantly pushing into my camera, and so on. Personal space does not exist with certain individuals, so if one gloms onto you, do not be surprised if you are constantly being huddled up to by a sweet, goofy manatee!
 

If you are lucky, you may encounter an individual that develops a bit of a fascination with you. For whatever reason, some manatees will latch onto a particular person and become their shadow. The one pictured above followed me wherever I went for several hours and seemed keen on being my friend
 

Capturing Manatees

It goes without saying, manatees are big, and as such, require lenses with a wide field of view. My go-to is almost always a fisheye, but wide-angle wet lenses or wide-angle conversion lenses, or even wide rectilinear lenses will work nicely. The most photogenic manatees are not shy and will often swim right up and mash their face into your port. At times like that, even the widest lens won’t fit them all in the frame!

While the images in this article have been shot with different lenses, all were taken with a fisheye at its widest, be it the Nikonos RS 13mm, Tokina 10–17mm, or Nikon 8–15mm. These lenses also allow you to put a manatee in context. Spring ecosystems are spectacular habitats, so being able to show off the environment can really add to a picture.
 

The spring ecosystems where manatees overwinter are stunning places. A wide lens like a fisheye allows you to show off not just the animals themselves, but to put them into context in their beautiful freshwater environments
 

A question I am asked without fail during every single manatee season is if I photograph manatees with strobes. There is some controversy over photographing manatees with strobes, so it isn’t surprising I get the question. At the most well-known manatee location, Crystal River, strobes are not allowed. Frankly, I’m not entirely sure why. There is a claim that strobe light bothers manatees. Personally, I have never seen any evidence for that being the case. I’ve photographed hundreds of manatees and not a single time have they ever seemed bothered by my strobes. I like to put it this way: They live in shallow, often extremely bright water, and strobe light, compared to the sun, is laughable in terms of power. A manatee could easily swim or move away if it were bothered by the light. Of course, this is my opinion, but after countless hours spent with them, I do not believe strobes have any sort of impact on their well-being.

As with most other big animal shooting, I prefer strobes with a very wide, soft beam, especially as manatees are often extremely close, so having a beam that can light up the whole animal in close proximity is essential. I also prefer to shoot a strobe with a dedicated battery pack as on manatee days, I am often in the water for four to five hours and I don’t want to have to worry about battery life.
 

Manatees surface to breathe every 15–20 minutes, and these are great times to capture images, as you do not disturb their sleep, and they will often rise right up in front of the camera if you are properly positioned

Final Thoughts

It is important to remember that Florida’s springs are sanctuaries for manatees during the winter months and not stressing them is paramount. Letting a manatee be a manatee will result in better encounters for you and a happier life for them. Treat them and their environment with respect and the results can be incredible. Slow down, be thoughtful in your approach to creating compelling images, and you might just be rewarded with some manatee magic.