As the lives of the three sisters were seriously in danger, a witchdoctor from the Katoomba tribe took it upon himself to turn the three sisters into stone to protect them from any harm. While he had intended to reverse the spell when the battle was over, the witchdoctor himself was killed.

“Climbing is banned on the Three Sisters as a mark of respect for Aboriginal cultural heritage and to protect it from erosion,” he said. “For Aboriginal people, the Three Sisters is a spiritual place of ancestors and a mythical site of legends and stories.

In fact, the name “The Three Sisters” comes from an Iroquois legend. According to the legend, corn, beans and squash are inseparable sisters that were given to the people by the “Great Spirit.” It is important to note, however, that the “Three sisters” are also found in many other areas and tribes around North America.

10,000 ft

around 8.5 hours

Getting to the Broken Top Crater Trailhead

1. Broken Top Mountain lies 30 miles west of Bend and getting to the trailhead requires a high clearance vehicle with 4WD.
2. Continue down Forest Road 370 for 3 pothole-filled miles and then turn onto Forest Road 380 for half a mile.

about 3 miles

3,429 m

To get there:

1. Take Great Western Highway to Katoomba.
2. Look for the Three Sisters and Echo Point signage on the highway as you approach Katoomba.
3. At Katoomba, turn off the Great Western Highway, and follow the signs to Three Sisters and Echo Point.

General Admission

1 km

In-water recreation at Three Sisters Springs is accessible by launching a vessel from any of the public boat ramps or kayak launches on Kings Bay and navigating to the spring-run for Three Sisters. Public kayak launches can be found at: Hunter Springs Park, 18 NE 2nd St, Crystal River.

Look, but don’t touch manatees. If manatees become accustomed to being around people, they can alter their behavior in the wild, perhaps causing them to lose their natural fear of boats and humans, which may make them more susceptible to harm.

You will observe that most manatees loss interest in people sometime between 9 and 10am. At this point most will start grazing for the day. Most manatees will graze 6-8 hours per day. This means they will show the most interest in people on the 6am.

Can a manatee bite you? Manatees are docile animals not interested in any manner of aggression. Actually, anatomically, the shape of a manatee snout is such that the animals cannot use its teeth to attack. So manatees don’t bite and do not have body weapons for attacking perceived enemies.

Manatees have extremely thick hides. Manatees also flex their thick hides when alarmed, making themselves more impervious to puncture. So while newborn baby manatees can be swallowed whole by alligators, their thick hides mean they are a digestive nightmare, making them undesirable for alligators to bother them.

You are not supposed to touch manatees because that can trigger a change in behavior in the animals. Manatees are already an imperiled species because of their easygoing and curious nature, which predisposes them to several risks including being mowed down by speed boats.

Swimming with wild manatees is very safe… for you. When it comes to the manatees’ safety, things get more complicated. Manatees’ gentle disposition puts them at great risk from humans. This is one reason that Crystal River is the only place it is legal to swim with manatees in Florida.

Manatees are also anatomically incapable of using their teeth to attack. “I’ve had to have my hand in a manatee’s mouth,” Rose said, “and you have to put your whole hand in before you reach the manatee’s teeth. They’re just not capable of any form of aggression.”

Crystal River, Florida offers some of the best shark fishing in the area. Blacktip Sharks. Tiger Sharks. Bull Sharks.

Manatees don’t really have any real predators. Sharks or killer whales or alligators or crocodiles could eat them, but since they don’t usually inhabit the same waters, this is pretty rare. Their biggest threat is from humans. And because of this, all manatee species are endangered and threatened.