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Kayaking Florida Springs to Find the Wild Rhesus Monkeys
I kayak Silver Springs with Seasic and his family to find Florida's wild rhesus monkeys, then swim with manatees and dive Rainbow River.
What’s in this video
On this trip Seasic, his family and I set out to find the rumored Florida monkeys, rhesus macaques that ended up here as an invasive species nearly 80 years ago around an abandoned theme park. Day 1 was Silver Springs. We paddled the waterways, got up close to alligators, turtles and snakes, and found a big group of the monkeys.
Day 2 started with a morning swim at Crystal River, where we swam with manatees, then an afternoon dive at Rainbow River. It was one of my cheapest trips. One warning: these monkeys look cute but can carry a virus dangerous to humans, and they can get aggressive if you approach, make eye contact or show teeth. Keep your distance.
Key moments
- 0:00 Preparing for the adventure
- 1:45 Navigating the waterways
- 3:46 Finding the wild monkeys
- 5:50 Wildlife and kayak journey
- 7:10 Swimming with manatees
- 7:38 Diving at Rainbow River
Quick takeaways
- Keep your distance from the monkeys: they can carry a virus dangerous to humans.
- Avoid eye contact and showing teeth, which primates read as aggression.
- Silver Springs, Crystal River and Rainbow River make an affordable two day Florida trip.
Gear from this video
- My Kayak Motors
- AutoBoat Trolling Motor GPS Adapter Kit
- Lighting Kayaks Strike
- Ocean Kayak Malibu PDL
- Nucanoe Frontier
- Sun Dolphin Phoenix
Key West Family Vacation: Sebago Watersports and Snorkeling
Florida Fossil Diving for Megalodon Shark Teeth and Mammoth Bones
Sea Rover Sea Scooter Test at Rainbow River, Florida