I am amazed that I already made it through 2 posts without mentioning the other love of my life the Manatee.Several years ago I was travelling to the Florida Keys with my dog Bo , and his girlfriend Stella.We stopped to eat at a cafe near the Everglades .This cafe was dedicated to the Manatee they had photos , and descriptions of adopted Manatees everywhere.Now their looks alone are enough to make any man or woman with eye site fall in love, but what did it for me was when I was reading a fact sheet on their behavior.The line They have no known agenda just grabbed my attention.By the time I left the coffee shop I had a huge crush on the Manatee.
I met my first Manatee a few days later in the Everglades.I am pretty certain that my friend was relieved that I finally saw one as he knew we were not going to leave the Everglades until it happened.I felt so honored to be in their company just watching them slowly swim along immediately calmed me.After this first meeting I wanted to learn as much about them as possible.
I returned to Florida a year later when I found out you could snorkel with them in certain rivers.My first snorkel with a Manatee was fast yet amazing.I was so excited I slammed my head on the bottom of a boat , and nearly had to be fished out of the water.That incident aside I was just amazed by the experience.Being in the water with one felt like I was swimming with an angel.I returned every year to the same spot, and eventually had the chance to help with protecting them from speeding boats, and harassment in their sanctuary's.
Manatees have a certain magic to them, a calming influence that is hard to define. At the rate things are going they may not be with us for too much longer , and to lose such an amazing creature would truly be our loss.
Please visit
www.savethemanatee.org/
To learn more about these amazing fellows.
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