Manatees three...

So I'm not sure what is wrong with this app...

The water was so turbid I could see my hands in front of me and that was it. But my hands are white. Gray manatees blend into murk quite well. You'd be staring and straining to see and the next thing you know a manatee was staring you in the face. Or swimming next to you. Or behind you. Or swimming under you. It was like they appeared from nowhere. Thank goodness they are herbivores!

I'm not sure I can describe what a manatee feels like. I think maybe a wet bumpy potato? I think all of my encounters were with a baby so it was slightly smaller than me, super friendly, and enjoyed the human interaction. It stalked some people. Certainly surprised me a few times with where it came up and how it appeared to enjoy a good rub as it torpedo rolled under my hands. Later we saw a manatee from the boat jetting thru an area with swimmers so the manatees we interacted with must have enjoyed it because they did not swim fast or away.

Eventually the captain rounded us all up and took us to Three Sisters Springs, an area popular with the manatees in the winter when the river  and bay temperatures are colder. The water was seventy two and crystal clear(the kind of water I thought we would swim with manatees in (which you do in the winter)). It was neat to finally be able to see where we were going and the setting was natural trees and palms. There were little fish and you could see the water bubbling out of the floors of the pools, but even with a wet suit it was chilly.

After our manatee tour we had some lunch and then went to Homosassa State Park for more manatees and other Florida wildlife. We saw owls, flamingos, bobcat, bears, wolves, eagles, and all kinds of other smelly birds. Many of the animals are injured and cannot be released.

One of the most interesting residents is Lou the hippopotamus. Not truly a native Florida animal, when this former zoo was taken over by the state, the governor at the time made Lou, a hippo who had been there for over twenty years an official resident of Florida so that he didn't have to leave. What I want to know is if he is allowed to vote?

The manatees had just been fed a smorgasbord of lettuce when we got to them so they were chowing down. Then we were able to also watch them eat dim an underwater viewing area. These manatees were HUGE compared to the youngster I played with. They would have been incredibly intimidating if they had appeared from the murk.