Blue Spring station 02235500 and St. Johns River near DeLand 02236000 provide current water temperature and flow through the modern OGC API. SJRWMD monitoring documentation references Sanford station 02234500 as a research proxy, but USGS no longer publishes current water temperature at that station; DeLand is therefore used here as a transparent operational proxy.
Open USGS API ↗
BLUE SPRING LIVELoading live conditions…
Is today the right day for Blue Spring?
Combining spring water, St. Johns River conditions, weather and park access.
LOADING
TODAY'S VISIT OUTLOOK
Confidence: —
Photo: KimonBerlin / Wikimedia Commons
MANATEE FEEDSeasonalLatest published count
RIVER—USGS
SPRING—USGS 02235500
REFUGE Δ—Spring − river
WEATHER—NWS
PARK8 AM–SUNSETReservation required
DECISION INTELLIGENCE
Best Blue Spring window
We rank the next several mornings from the same conditions that drive the visit decision.
WHY THIS RANKING?
Waiting for live inputs
The tool evaluates water temperatures, thermal refuge difference, overnight weather and visitor comfort. During manatee season, biology gets the heaviest weight.
NEXT CONDITION SHIFT
Reading the next 48 hours…
The tool looks for the strongest upcoming temperature change and translates it into visitor implications.
THE MECHANISM
Why cold mornings matter
Blue Spring stays near the low 70s while the St. Johns River can cool sharply. During cold periods, that temperature advantage makes the spring run a critical warm-water refuge for manatees.
1St. Johns coolsCold front lowers river temperature
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2Thermal advantage growsBlue Spring remains comparatively warm
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3Manatees aggregateStrongest viewing is often in the morning
48-hour water temperatureUSGS continuous observations
SpringSt. Johns
Live chart will appear when USGS data load.
YOU DECIDED TO GO
Build your arrival plan
Choose how long you have and what matters most. The plan changes with the season and live conditions.
YOUR BLUE SPRING PLAN
Loading conditions…
Reservation availability is not inferred. Use the official reservation system to confirm entry before driving.
ON ARRIVAL
Know where to go first
This is a visitor-oriented schematic, not a survey-grade map. Select a stop to see why it matters.
ST. JOHNS RIVER
BLUE SPRING RUN
LOOK BEFORE YOU DRIVE
Blue Spring manatee camera
Use the live camera as visual context. Camera availability and exact framing can change.
LIVE
Manatee CamSave the Manatee Club / Blue Spring
During winter, the camera can provide a direct look at activity in the spring run. Outside peak season, footage may be less manatee-focused.
Open live cameraTRUST & PROVENANCE
How Blue Spring Live works
Observations, forecasts and derived signals are kept separate. No missing live value is replaced with a fabricated number.
Hourly temperature, precipitation and wind forecasts drive visitor comfort and cold-front timing.
Open NWS ↗Hours, seasonal water-activity rules, reservation requirements and visitor information come from the park.
Open park page ↗The latest published count is retrieved from Blue Spring Adventures when available. Its page labels the field “Daily Manatee Count,” but the underlying observation date is not exposed in a stable machine-readable field and official monitoring cadence is typically 3–5 mornings per week. The app labels the number conservatively.
Open source ↗Forecast status: The current release uses an interpretable ecological opportunity model based on river/spring thermal conditions and NWS forecasts. It intentionally does not present an exact predicted manatee count until a sufficiently consistent daily historical count series is available for backtesting. The displayed “best morning” ranking is a visit-opportunity ranking, not a census forecast.
QUICK ANSWERS
Blue Spring visit questions
When is the best time to see manatees at Blue Spring?
Manatee season is November 15 through March 31. Cold mornings after the St. Johns River cools are generally the strongest viewing situations. This tool ranks upcoming mornings using live thermal conditions and the forecast.
Do I need a reservation for Blue Spring State Park?
Yes. Day-use reservations are required. Confirm availability in the official Florida State Parks reservation system before you travel.
Can I swim at Blue Spring during manatee season?
No. Water activities in the spring run are prohibited during manatee season. Swimming season is generally April 1 through November 14, subject to wildlife and park conditions.
What temperature attracts manatees to Blue Spring?
Manatees are vulnerable to prolonged cold exposure and rely on warm-water refuges when surrounding water gets cold. The tool tracks the St. Johns River relative to roughly 68°F and the temperature advantage of Blue Spring, but does not treat one exact temperature as an on/off switch.