Swimming with the Manatees
This past weekend was our ten-year wedding anniversary. As a couple we had hoped that we would have been able to go to somewhere exotic by year ten, like Hawaii or Scotland, but life doesn’t always cooperate with plans. So instead, we explored our new home state of Florida to take in some tourist attractions on the Gulf Coast. We did a lot of spontaneous things, like visit the “Cooter” Festival (Florida slang for a turtle), dined on the patio of a famous Greek Restaurant in Tarpon Springs, and best of all, take a private excusion on the Crystal River to swim with the Manatees.
Crystal River is where many of the Gulf manatees go for the winter to keep warm in the constant 72 degree springs that bubble up out of the bottom of the river. Since the water is still warmer in the Gulf, there weren’t many manatees to see, but we did get lucky enough to encounter a gigantic Mama and her baby. The Mom was a giant one ton underwater vacuum cleaner, hoovering up plant life at an astonishing rate, and the baby was playful and inquisitive, going up to my wife underwater to feel her face with her whiskers.
My 8-year-old son Cartney seemed to get the most “touch” time with the manatee, while I often looked on and hoped I wouldn’t get pinched between the behemoth and a nearby dock in case the beast surfaced beneath me.
We also got a chance to explore the crystal clear springs, see the numerous underwater riverlife, and take a leisurely ride on the River.
And a couple of other highlights are from my twitter feed below.
Everybody say OPA!
#saganaki pic.twitter.com/HVaJaffBg4
— Cyber Mad Hatter (@BelchSpeak) October 25, 2015
Went swimming with manatees and am now drinking rum across the river from monkey island. Because Florida. pic.twitter.com/dYF0fgxqj5
— Cyber Mad Hatter (@BelchSpeak) October 24, 2015
I am rockin it at the Cooter Festival. Yeah, COOTER. pic.twitter.com/tDN48Koacp
— Cyber Mad Hatter (@BelchSpeak) October 23, 2015
