Crystal River, FL – Longtime tour operators Mike and Stacy Dunn say manatee stress is rising in crowded waters. The couple, who ran a small, “hands-off” swim operation in Crystal River for over a decade before retiring about four years ago, claim that crowding, aggressive guiding, and weak enforcement are putting the very resource that built the region’s tourism economy at risk.
The Dunns, who still live on the water and watch the tours, say they’ve seen people surface with manatees on busy days, “piled on top of them.” “It happens every day, all day,” Stacy Dunn said. “If something doesn’t change, we’re going to push them out,” Mike Dunn added. The warning comes as both manatee numbers and human activity in Citrus County have surged, often into the same narrow spaces.
At Three Sisters Springs, land-based visitation has climbed sharply in recent years, with 88,210 visitors in 2024. On January 17, during a free refuge day, 4,400 people passed through the site in a single day, the highest daily total since it opened to the public. The Dunns and other locals are calling for change to protect the manatees and the natural environment.
Dr. K.C. Nayfield, a longtime local veterinarian, has also expressed concerns about the impact of tourism on manatees. The Citrus County Chronicle reported that Nayfield took a photograph of Capt. Stacy Dunn and others during a manatee health assessment in Crystal River.
Originally reported by Citrus County Chronicle – Crystal River
