Wondering what it’s like to swim with manatees? They may not have the strength and grace of killer whales, or the agility and good looks of dolphins, but swimming with manatees is a profound experience. For families who want to enjoy nature at its best, a wonderland is hidden behind Orlando’s amusement parks at Homosassa Springs in Citrus County.

For families who want to enjoy nature at its best, a nature wonderland is hidden behind Orlando’s amusement parks. There is another Florida, a nature-lover’s Florida. Our latest trip took us to the manatees’ home turf, a far cry from a modern-day aquarium. My daughter and I aimed our compass south to Florida’s west central coast line and the Gulf of Mexico, and it is here in Citrus County that we met one of the most formidable aquatic mammals.