HOMOSASSA FLORIDA | Citrus County | Exploring the Nature Coast | Ep. 1

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much for watching, the Homosassa Wildlife park is something we didnt even know existed until recently. It would be a great destination for a day trip from the Tampa Bay area. What animals would you be most excited to see?

[@bonesaw3806]

I live off of that homosassa river and I go to the wildlife park so much

[@Explorcation]

@@bonesaw3806 that is wonderful to hear, it is a special place :)

[@FollowThomas]

Thanks for the great video 😊

[@Explorcation]

Thank you for watching, Thomas!

[@interlude44]

I’ll be here in a few days . Interesting!!

[@Explorcation]

That's great to hear. We hope you have an awesome time and get a chance to visit the park!

[@scamonehiphop1894]

Love this place.

[@Explorcation]

It really is an amazing place. We love it too!

[@auroranite]

Nice tour. Tks sharing👍

[@Explorcation]

Thank you for watching. We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@stv1_channel]

Great job 👍👍👍

[@Explorcation]

Thank you!

[@CallunaTrip]

Very nice👍👍cheers from Poland

[@Explorcation]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@cherylmartin-bp5gy]

awesome place!

[@Explorcation]

We agree, Cheryl. Thanks for watching!

[@lisapolanski9379]

Excellent vdeo. I definitely want to go there after watching this.

[@Explorcation]

We hope you get a chance to, Lisa. It's an awesome place!

[@6431harry]

I love going there when we come to Florida. Such a beautiful area and old school Florida area. You do such a great job!

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much! We love going there as well. Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@00asaenz]

You guys are pretty cool. We love Homossa too.

[@Explorcation]

Well anyone who is a fan of Alf is cool in our book! Can't wait to get back to Homosassa sometime soon. It's just such beautiful, laid back place. Thanks for watching!

[@matthewpetersen4417]

what a beautiful area, I can dream in that place all day long. Given the chance I'd explore that whole coast.

[@Explorcation]

We hope you get a chance to someday, Matthew! It really is a beautiful coast and so empty and laid back compared to some of the busier coastal areas in Florida. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@TideKnotTravellers]

That sneaky alligator was definitely playing games with you Jamie! 🤣🤣 smoking is bad for you manatee!

[@Explorcation]

I know... who would have thought that smoking was such an issue in the manatee community 😅

[@TideKnotTravellers]

@@Explorcation 😂😂

[@tracyh2421]

herb was out of luck lol! great video!

[@Explorcation]

LOL yes he sure was. Poor Herb can never catch a break 😅. Thanks so much for watching, Tracy!

[@1212wolverine]

Great video. We are planning a trip to this park this weekend and your video really set our expectation. Many thanks for posting it.

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much for watching, MIthra. We hope you enjoy the park as much as we did!

[@DeannaMaasbach]

We are.looking to move there from Raleigh NC beautiful video.

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much for the kind comment, Deanna. We just love the Florida nature coast area and may consider moving there ourselves someday!

[@LetNewAdventuresBegin]

Really enjoyed the video- we will have to check out this area next time we get to visit Florida! Thanks 👍😀

[@Explorcation]

Thanks for watching, guys. We hope you get a chance to make it there!

[@EW-cq6yv]

Such an excellent video as always and reminds us FL is more than just beaches. Thanks for taking us all along with you.

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much for the kind comment. We do love our beaches here in FL, but agree that the state has so much more to offer!

[@KelbyAdamOurLifethroughalens]

What a cool day out guys. Those white pelicans are so beautiful and those those pink flamingos are Adams most favourite, we've been looking for them in Plettenberg Bay here in South Africa but couldn't find them. Hahaha how cool was that laugh from the kookaburra. Ah little Maximus is so cute and it seems the park is really taking good care of them. We've never seen a Manatee before, they very interesting looking mammals. Homosassa Florida really looks like such a treat.

[@Explorcation]

Yeah, we were starting to think that the type of kookaburra at that park didn't actually laugh, but thankfully we got some good ones out of them right before we left! We love seeing manatees too, and lucky for us, these were just the first of several that we saw during our vacation!

[@TravelInteresante]

24oz of coffee is definitely the way to wake up in the morning and what a cool little set up they have at the barn! Its really beautiful that they help rehabilitate and take care of wounded animals like the hawk at the wildlife park and oh man that is one old hippo, can't believe it has been there since 1964 wow! What a cool way to the end the day though, love how the monkey have their own little play lighthouse! 😂

[@Explorcation]

It really was an awesome place, and yes, we couldn't believe how old that hippo was either!

[@garysemeniuk6350]

Being going to Homosassa for years. Amazing spot. Swimming with the manatees and fresh steamed shrimp at the freezer.

[@Explorcation]

We had the Freezer on our list of places to visit, but never made it. It's going to be on top of our list for next time. Thanks so much for watching!

[@LeBoof]

Such a great showcase of this place. Also Skylar you continue to amaze me with being an owl lover and goat 🐐 speaker Laughing out load on Herb calling.

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much! No lie, when Skylar was a kid, he actually wanted to be an owl when he grew up 😂 He is quite the animal/nature lover. Poor Herb, bless his heart 😅

[@LucasWorldTravel]

Wow! Lou is a big boy! 3000 lbs! Wow! So interesting that they can sleep underwater. Wow, that's a lot of gators. Definitely an interesting park! It's so nice to hear how these animals were rescued. I've actually never seen a manatee before so thanks for sharing the experience!

[@Explorcation]

I know. It's mind boggling how big he is! We were lucky enough to see several manatees on this trip. They are really cool animals.

[@TiaandAndy]

Omg the bean barn is sooooo cute, we would totally drive through for some coffee. This looks like such a cool day trip! Looks like Homosassa Florida has some great walking trails and so many awesome animals to see!

[@Explorcation]

Yes, Bean Barn was the cutest. No way we were passing that on one up!

[@TideKnotTravellers]

Loved the music change up for alligator lagoon🐊 they’re sneaky! 😂 Maximus looked like he had a great enclosure! 🐻 We saw a manatee in the bay while we were kayaking in Key Largo and it had big propeller marks on it. So good to see this place cares for the sealife in Florida.

[@Explorcation]

Yes unfortunately we've seen marks on some of the manatees in our area as well, but thankfully it is not too common. I've been waiting a while for the right time to use that song. The alligators scaring Jamie seemed appropriate 😂

[@SuiteLifeSanburg]

This is an area we haven't gotten to yet and it's the second time I've seen it pop up today! I guess we need to get up there! 😊

[@Explorcation]

We would highly recommend it. It's a pretty short drive from Tampa/St Pete and absolutely worth the price of admission!

[@MillieMoments]

What an awesome way to start the day...with a coffee and a donut!! Ahhhh that Alligator lagoon is creepy hahaha, the music you put with that bit was perfect lol! I'd love to do that wildlife walk! The underwater observatory is really cool!

[@Explorcation]

Coffee and a donut is without a doubt Jamie's favorite way to start any day. We thought the music matched the lagoon well, so glad to know you thought the same!

[@laurenandseth]

That admission price isn't bad at all! On our last trip to Florida, we kept visiting different parks and attractions and wanted to stay longer at each one. I could definitely spend an entire day at Homosassa. That tavern looked like a great place to eat 😋somebody put a cigarette in the fake manatees mouth lmaooo SMH ;D tell Herb I said hello! ahaha

[@Explorcation]

The "cigarette" was actually a tube for water to come out of, but when the fountain is not on it definitely looks like a cigarette 😅. I don't think we'll be hearing from Herb again, but if we do, we'll be sure to pass along your greetings!

[@BeingBedingfield]

Beautiful day spent in nature 😌 Hahah, what you did with the gator scaring Jamie and the kookaburra laughing 🤣🤣🤣 Love the fish bowl and also the spring with the manatees. The tiki bar looks amazing! Oh my gosh, that phone in your room! I think poor Herb has the wrong number 🤣🤣🤣

[@Explorcation]

Thanks guys, it was a great day. And yeah, poor Herb can't catch a break😂

[@AquariusTraveller]

Very cool guys - Looks like a place I would like to visit. The Manatees are a favourite of mine, but something I have been trying to see in the wild for sometime. There are some areas around here, but really want to visit your Crystal river for paddling boarding one day. I never knew that Hippos could sleep under the water, it's cool fact that they can resurface to breath and not wake up....I wish I could do that HAHA That fox squirrel was just the cutest ever ....We don't have squirrels in Australia, but I see them in nearly every country I visit. Those black bears just make you want to cuddle...LOL Nice video guys and looks like you had a great day - Thanks a bunch for sharing !

[@Explorcation]

Wow that's crazy that there are no squirrels in Australia. I honestly thought you could find them everywhere. I guess Australia is kind of its own world when it comes to wildlife.

[@AquariusTraveller]

@@Explorcation yep... I guess having 7 out of the top 10 dangerous snakes in the world.... maybe the squirrels wouldn't survive here 👍

[@Explorcation]

@@AquariusTraveller well...that probably has something to do with it!

[@AquariusTraveller]

@@Explorcation 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@laurenandseth]

WOW! So much wildlife to see there. I love all of the manatees and that cute little squirrel that came to greet you. I like to watch alligators but I get a little out of my comfort zone when I get too close to them lol. I think it's really amazing how they tell you why the animals are there. When I visit nature reserves I like to know the history of the animals and if they're ever planning on be released back into the wild or not. It also feels nice to support businesses and organizations that provide nice habitats for the animals as well! I had never heard of Homosassa but I'd love to visit next time I'm in the area! :)

[@Explorcation]

Yeah, I think it's safe to see that Jamie gets a little out of her comfort zone when close to alligators as well 😅 We would definitely recommend visiting Homosassa and the rest of the Florida Nature Coast when you have an opportunity to do so.

[@BobCarlson]

I had to really look back through my photos. I was at the wildlife park over 10 years ago. This was a great reminder of how much I liked it. I think I spent too much time in the underwater observatory to realize there was a board walk. I won't mind revisiting. I vividly remember staying at a place in view of monkey island. By the looks of it,,,, you may be having the same experience. At least you found better food.

[@Explorcation]

We were really impressed with the park. This was definitely a day where it would have been nice to have a really high quality camera. So many great photo opportunities with all of the animals. We never seem to have too much trouble finding good food these days thanks to Google reviews & TripAdvisor!

[@TheRetirementality]

They need a "hug a manatee station". Looks like a fun place.

[@Explorcation]

Haha that would no doubt be a HUGE attraction.

[@waynerumambi3024]

New subscriber here. This is awesome! the way you guys explain things are very clear and better than Netflix! Thank you for sharing.

[@Explorcation]

Thank you so much for the kind comment, Wayne. We try to make our videos equal parts entertaining and informative, and we're so glad that you enjoy them!

[@Lanainvestor]

subscribed

[@Explorcation]

Thanks so much for the support, Lana. We appreciate it!

[@TheAverageTourist]

Always a good start to the day with donuts and coffee. I can't believe that hippos was so heavy!! That's huge. Those gators are huge too. I've only seen alligators at a zoo. That seems like a really nice park to explore. I've always wanted to see a manatee - the water is so clear there to see them so well. The monkey island looked neat - do they have caretakers bring them food out there? I'm just dying to get to Florida. Looks like a great spot there.

[@Explorcation]

Yeah, it's hard to even wrap your head around how big hippos are. It's mind boggling. All we got to see was the hippos head, but we're pretty sure its head alone weighed more than us combined! We really weren't able to get too much info on the monkeys, but we are pretty sure that someone brings them food, given there are no fruit trees on the island that we could see.

[@ScullyPop]

There's certainly an abundance of wildlife in Florida. One night in Destin I ran into a tuxedo bob cat. It was scary. He took off in the dunes, caring less about me, I guess. I was nervous because I'd just come through the gate at the condo and headed down into the dunes, where he stood atop one of them, locking eyes with me for two seconds, then scurrying off.

[@Explorcation]

Wow that had to have been quite the experience. I would love to see a Florida bobcat in the wild, but from a safe distance of course!

[@annmcavoy]

Did you two ever review the Florida Cracker Kitchen in Brooksville in any of your videos? We were so excited to go there, then so disappointed in their food.

[@Explorcation]

Hi Anna. We never did make it to that particular spot, but we're really sorry to hear that you had a negative experience there, as we had heard good things about it. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@johnrichardson1917]

Need to get Jamie out on the La Chua trail 20 minutes from downtown Gainesville. On a Sunny days , closer to Gators than I've ever been

[@Explorcation]

This definitely sounds like something worth looking into!

[@lailai2997]

Trying to move to st pete what are the best areas around there..

[@Explorcation]

We live downtown and love it, but it can be expensive. Some other neighborhoods that we enjoy are Grand Central District, Kenwood, and Roser Park, but I'm sure there are many other great neighborhoods in St. Pete.

[@floridaysunsets8086]

Cant go wrong near the beaches either! The islands can be expensive but plenty of neighborhoods near that are more economical- you’ll love it when you arrive

[@dru4135]

How accessible is the park for someone in a wheelchair?

[@Explorcation]

The Wildlife Walk within the park does consist of elevated boardwalks that are accessible for visitors in wheelchairs or with strollers!

[@johnrichardson1917]

BTW Jaimie doesn't age since '21 Sky yep!

[@Explorcation]

LOL she definitely has a better anti-aging regimen than I do! I guess I'm going for more of a "distinguished gentleman" vibe 😂

[@AJknickerbocker]

Just in case, the birds shown on the video are not kookaburra.

[@Explorcation]

Thanks. We realized this shortly after making the video. Apparently the birds were placed in an area where they previously kept as Kookaburras and they forgot to change the sign. Very cool birds none the less!

[@brian7224]

did you know?....lou the hippo is not a native resident of florida...state law dictates any animal n it's parks must be a florida species!! so lou was given "almost citizenship" to the state of florida...so he could remain a resident of the park !!! well...how about the WEST INDIAN MANATEE????

[@Explorcation]

Wow... how interesting, Brian. Thanks for sharing!

[@lisapolanski9379]

Oh good grief. What's the name of that hotel? I need to make sure I don't stay there.

[@Explorcation]

It was a Quality Inn. It's a budget hotel so we were kind of expecting it to not be too great, but the phone situation still caught us a little off guard 😂

[@Explorcation]

@@lisapolanski9379 😆we are also glad you are not staying in the same place, it was pretty sketchy! We hope you have a great time when you visit.

[@bassmonk2920]

Eat healthier so you make many more videos

[@Explorcation]

We can assure you that we do not eat like this on a regular basis, but we really do appreciate your concern for our health! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@GrimTalesUnleashed26]

Why isn’t there a Heterosexualsassa Springs lol.

[@Explorcation]

It's an interesting name no doubt. The word actually comes from a Seminole Indian name meaning either "river of fishes" or "pepper ridge".

[@truenorth3740]

The most boring place to visit. Price too high . Bean barn over priced . Bird show boat show made for age groups 1-8 & 75-100 Glad to see they stopped serving from their kitchens 2003 till 2017