CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — All aboard River Adventure Tours.

“There really is no better feeling than being out here,” said Capt. John McCarthy.

McCarthy says there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

“As veterans, we tend to gravitate towards the clubs and the bars, so it’s really the best therapy that there is,” he said.

After 20 years fighting for his country in the United States Army as an engineer, this is where he’s chosen to spend the next phase of his life, quietly and peacefully, out on the water with the manatees.

What You Need To Know

  • 1,100 manatees died in 2021

  • Manatee deaths are impacting local river tours

  • Seagrass famine and cold weather are causing spikes in deaths

“It’s their behavior that is the most intriguing thing,” said McCarthy. “They’re just very interactive creatures and they’re just so smart and docile that it’s all encompassing.”

The cold weather the area has seen over the last couple weeks has many manatees searching for warmth.

“Once that water drops down to the low 60s, they’re like, ‘Brr, it’s cold, I need to warm up,’" McCarthy said. "So that’s what attracts them to the springs. It’s always 72 to 74 degrees."

The problem this year, though, is that manatee habitats are seeing the worst seagrass famine ever. As a result, the animals are starving.

Because of that, officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say many of them are too weak to make the trek to warmer waters.

“They’re not just here for our entertainment, they’re here for reasons,” said McCarthy.

After a record breaking 1,100 manatee deaths in 2021, McCarthy said he just wants people to pay attention.

“The manatees should be important to everyone," he said. "They are a part of our ecosystem, just like sharks or fish or people."

Anyone who spends five minutes in the water with these creatures can see it, McCarthy said.

“If you could picture a 1,500 pound dog that thinks he’s five pounds, that’s your manatee,” he said.

Just as the manatees helped McCarthy get back to a normal life, he wants to see the same for them.

“The manatees themselves are relaxed creature, and when you put your head in that water, everything else disappears,” he said.

The FWC has created temporary field response stations, which are essentially manatee feeding stations, to help them get back to good health.

Officials say in the last week, they’ve seen the highest number of manatees taking advantage of this so far.