Homosassa Springs State Park has manatees year round but you cannot swin there
It is all public waterway so you "could" kayak in. But the tour is much better and informative. The manatee are protected and you can get big fines. The tour will keep you out of trouble.
There are none There now. You can rent a kayak and follow where the boats go. Booked a tour and saw 1 above the surface last week
Unless you have a boat and snorkel the spots where the tours are i believe it would be difficult. My wife and i took the tour weeks ago and we are still talking about it, well worth it
Yes you can but it is a bit of a ways to get to the inlet where the tour takes you. It is all private residence, so there is no public boat launch. There are also strict laws that will get you a fine. If you just go via stand up paddle board, you should be fine as long as you don't go into any of the enclosed manatees safe zones.
The place where they take you to see the manatees is part of a private residential community. I am not sure if you could go there on your own. It is a great experience.
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