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Rescued Manatees Recovering at Sea World
San Diego in 2004.
On my first trip to South Florida
A stunning Gulf sunset at Delnor-Wiggins State Park in Naples, Florida.
across the U.S. from California to Florida
Spotting the tail fluke of a wild manatee for the first time on Sanibel Island in 2018.
J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Circular ripples and bubbles let you know that manatees are close by.
across the U.S. from California to Florida
Manatees need
warm water at
least 68 degrees to survive.
An aggregation of manatees resting. Mama manatee nursing her calf.
MANATEES IN PERIL
A manatee bears the permanent scars of a collision with a propeller boat.
SWIMMING WITH MANATEES IN CITRUS COUNTY
An amazing family bonding experience!
JJ, is also a professional photographer
The warm and
comfortable pontoon
boat was much
appreciatedon a very
chilly morning.
I enjoyed having someone else take photos, for once, and I got to be in the family picture!
River Ventures provided
Bring your own full face mask for a hassle-free snorkeling experience. No leaking!
MANATEE SEA GRASS RESTORATION PROJECT
Manatee munching. A sea grass restoration has been extremely successful in Crystal River.
SNORKELING HUNTER SPRINGS
As people entered the springs from shore and began stirring up clouds of silt with their feet, it dramatically affected visibility and the water became murky. Our guide told us it had been absolute chaos the week before during the holiday break. I chose to visit after the holidays because I knew there would be a lot less people. If you like a more tranquil experience, plan for a non-holiday weekday morning swim. Manatees are typically most active in the early morning around sunrise.
We had a later morning tour at 10:30 am (try getting three kids ready for a 6:30 a.m. tour!), so the manatees were having their morning naps. My first view of a manatee as I swam into the shallows of Hunter Bay springs was an enormous female sleeping facedown in the sand. She looked lifeless at first because she was face-planted into the silt and still as stone.