Snook, redfish, trout, snapper, sheepshead, jacks and mullet account for 95 percent of the species that abound in the spring-fed 72-degree water. An occasional tarpon finds it way through the shallow water entrance to the big main spring.

More than 40 species of fish have been identified, including a milk shark. Once called the spring of 10,000 fish, millions of tourist have visited the park in decades past.

Walking underwater to view the species in their natural habitat accredits Homosassa as being dubbed as one of the 12 hottest destinations in North America by Sports and Field Magazine. Many fly-fishing tarpon world records have occurred because of the fresh water that empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Fish Bowl is one of the highlights of the park and offers an underwater viewing area for manatees and the many fish that inhabit the waters of the Homosassa River.

The Fish Bowl floats in the Homosassa Spring at its head waters and has large plate glass windows that have a viewing area of 360 degrees. Visitors can walk completely around the Fish Bowl and view the manatees as they play and move around the spring.

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park has been a tourist attraction since the early 1900s when trains stopped to let passengers rest at the spring. The train track ran on what is now Fishbowl Drive, which runs through the park. While passengers rested, the train loaded fish, crabs, cedar and spring water. The spring and headwaters of the Homosassa River is the lone known place in the world where thousands of freshwater and saltwater fish congregate. These fish are free to come and go to the Gulf of Mexico, nine miles away.

The 50-acre site, and 100 surrounding acres, was purchased in the 1940s and operated as a small attraction. In 1964, the Norris Development Company bought the property and expanded and promoted Homosassa Springs as "Naturešs Own Attraction."

From 1978 until 1984, the land exchanged hands under several private ownerships. In December 1984, the Citrus County Commission purchased the attraction to protect it as an environmentally-sensitive area. Today, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is owned by the State of Florida and managed by the Department of Environmental Protection.

Many years ago, before the manatee came to Homosassa in large numbers, private park employees would feed the fish every hour on the hour by tossing sardines. The race was on for every jack in the school of 10,000 fish. This attracted people to the park.

The alligator show runs twice a day and there are three manatee programs. Even though you canšt see the fish being fed it is a bunch of fun watching them swim around the shallow clear waters that surround the main spring.