It was, of course, a manatee. A very large manatee. It grazed all around the docks at its own pace and eventually swam to the center of the bay and disappeared. These are the most laid back of creatures. They remind me of gentle hippos, a contradiction in terms I know, swimming in the Ewaso Ngiro River in the Samburu National Park, Kenya.
These are the creatures called sirenians after the centuries-old belief that sailors mistook them for mermaids. Singing mermaids, actually, called sirens.
I was reminded of all this as we watched this mammal make its way around the bay. Slowly, peacefully, quietly. What a perfect way to spend an evening in Florida.
