We See The Manatees

When we first got here to Cedar Key we drove over to Manatee Springs State Park hoping to see a manatee—not that day but today we saw the manatees!!  When Jerry and Wanda were here they drove to Crystal River and saw lots of manatees.  While watching from the bridge a man told them about another “secret” spot where manatees could be viewed in quieter surroundings.  Well, guys you were right, we found the little bridge, walked right up and saw our first gentle creature.  Glad this wasn’t the only one we saw—a manatee mailbox holder.

Photographing the animals is hard with the murkiness of the water and the sunlight. 

A few manatee facts:

• Referred to as sea cows taken from their languid pace and their eating habits—plant life.
• Glide along at about 5mph but can swim at 15mph in short bursts
• 8-13 feet long, 450—1300 lbs.
• Must breathe air when they surface, can be submerged for up to 15 minutes.
• Live 40+ years
• Calves are born underwater and taken to surface by mom for first breath.
• Endangered, susceptible to being hit by motorboat propellers as they swim so close to surface, also become entangled in fishing nets.

There were hundreds of  these very skinny foot long fish swimming in the canal?????

The neighborhood where we viewed the manatees was beautiful--

The tree to Michael’s left is loaded with oranges.

Poinsettias growing in the ground!!!  Beautiful flower gardens everywhere.

Another manatee.

If I was the owner of this house I would be a might worried—those are buzzards on top of the roof—who are they waiting for???

Came home, Michael looked at the back of his eyelids for a while and I researched campgrounds—do I have him convinced to take me to the Atlantic coast???  Tonight the campground served one of JB’s favorites—tube steaks!  We met and visited with some great folks, one couple in their early 40’s who just retired from the military and are on their maiden voyage with their new to them motorhome. 

An awesome day in Florida.  You know JB and Brenda warned us about those  “no-see’um bugs”—geez those little buggers bite and yep, you never see them, you only feel the bite!  Michael  never gets bug bites, I always get bug bites, well yesterday while he was washing the jeep he was attacked by a swarm of those no-see’ums!!!  He can’t stop scratching!!