Floating With The Manatees

I admit that I was skeptical about swimming with the manatees.  In a large part my attitude was colored by an unpleasant experience swimming with whale sharks in Mexico.  That experience was overrun with people thrashing around in the water without regard to the animals' welfare or others' experience.  Would the manatee experience be the same?  Other concerns were the 40 deg. F air temperatures and the fact that we'd have to wear wet suits.  I just couldn't imagine enjoying anything while stuffed into skin-tight neoprene.

However, the Navigator/Travel Maven/Salad Girl did extensive research and found an outfit that seemed to put the animals first and we booked our outing.  At 9:30 am we got to the dock dressed in swimming suits covered by sweatpants, thermal shirts, socks and jackets.  We were joined by 4 others similarly attired and sat down in the office for our orientation.  A government video showed all the things that would not be tolerated (chasing, harassing, poking, riding, removing babies from mothers for photos and all sorts of other unimaginable acts) that they had captured on video.  Next the captain's video explained proper behavior and the rationale.  We were not to wear fins because they stir up the sediment, disturb the manatees and most importantly, remove the advantage the manatees have of being able to swim more quickly to avoid us.  We were to swim with small strokes to keep the water as quiet as possible and when we sighted a manatee we were to stop 6-8 feet away and float quietly. Any talking should be in whispers.  Any direct contact was to be initiated ONLY by the manatee. Failure to follow the rules would result in removal from the water and if we violated the governments rules or crossed the rope into the sanctuary, fines start at $10,000.

Next up was the wet suit.  The woman running the show sized each of us up and unerringly gave each of us a wet suit that fit.  As she said, it should feel like a sausage casing.  My greatest fear now was that I'd be mistaken as one of the manatees.  Form-fitting black neoprene is NOT my best look.  Onto the boat, a spacious pontoon boat captained by an ex-Seattle Seahawk who was raised in the area and had a great eye for spotting and a great sense of humor.  We motored about 20 minutes and came to the manatee area.  There were 3 or 4 other boats there and probably about 20 people in the water...some thrashing around with fins and squealing and generally making me wonder if this was a good idea.  We slipped quietly into the 72 degree water and swam toward the spring and the area that was not roped off.  Beyond the ropes is a large area where the manatees can avoid people.

Soon they started appearing in the murky water....large, ghostly shapes under me, next to me around me.

 It was more than a little spooky.  I stopped to float quietly, face mask down and breathing through my snorkel when all of a sudden, coming from behind and below, a manatee swam directly beneath me from toe to head.  It was only about a foot under me and huge...7' long.  I gasped, startled, and then awed that a creature that size could share the water with me and neither of us have any fear.  Or at least the manatee didn't show any fear.  A few moments later another big manatee appeared right next to me and floated on the surface alongside me.

Following our previous instructions, I reached out with one open hand and gently rubbed his back.  Algae came off his thick skin and he stayed in place.  I moved my hand around and rubbed a little harder.  The current pushed me away a bit and he moved with me, allowing me to rub his back in ever bigger strokes.  Then he turned slowly and brought his bristly face within 6 inches of my mask.  We stared at each other for a bit, then he rolled and presented his belly which I also rubbed for a while.  Finally he slowly swam away.  Our captain had told us that some of these manatees were like black labs...seeking attention and petting and I guess that's who found me.  It was an amazing experience.

Aquatic black lab?

 I floated for a while longer and then another big one swam by.  As he passed me he rolled onto his side and, believe it or not, pooped right in front of me.  Yes, I finally understood why the water was so murky, it's full of manatee poop.

Finally, chilled and tired, we all gathered back on the boat to shed our wet suits and drink hot chocolate and tell manatee tales.  It was a fabulous day.

But, the manatees encounters weren't over for us.  A very special manatee gathering spot called Three Sisters Springs was going to be open to foot traffic this weekend, one of only 2 weekends this year.

Normally you have to kayak or snorkel in from a boat, but for two days we could walk or bike in and stroll the boardwalk surrounding the springs.  Early this morning we drove as close as we could and then biked the last mile or so to the springs.  There Fish and Wildlife Service personnel and volunteers from the refuge had set up educational exhibits and were walking the boardwalk to tell the story of this special place and the efforts to protect the manatees.  This past April, National Geographic Magazine did a story on this place and the manatees so you can read all about it at  this National Geographic Manatee article .

Manatee herd seen from the boardwalk at Three Sisters

I know I'm incredibly fortunate to be able to have these experiences.  Yet, I almost wish, for the animals' sake, that no one could ever do this.  Despite the majority of people doing it right, the small number of idiots disturbing the animals, disturbs me.  I wish they could all have pristine habitats and lives undisturbed by people.  Yet, manatee habitat in this part of Florida is in the middle of houses, marinas, parks and campgrounds.  Interaction is inevitable.

Another herd

Education is the best thing we can do to protect them and if swimming with them makes us appreciate them more and protect them more, than it's a good thing.  For me, having all these encounters has been a great thing.

Next up - a full week of camping with Micky back at Walt Disney World and then a week back in this area.  We hope to do more exploring and maybe some canoeing.  Yippee.

One last encounter