A Manatee Reprise

We were having dinner on  our balcony this evening when we noticed something large and dark swimming in the bay.  It swam very close to the boat in the picture and then headed to the docks under our balcony. 

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.

Manatee Alert!

Manatees are gentle and slow moving mammals.  They are wonderful, caring parents to their young.  And they are in danger.

Twenty five percent of all manatee fatalities are related to boat encounters.  Since manatees stay close to the surface where they must breathe, boat propellers harm them regularly.

Save the Manatee Club does amazing work in aid of these animals. Take a look at their homepage, and support this worthwhile cause.


The closest relatives of the manatee are the elephant and hyrax. Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals, and coastal areas — particularly where sea grass beds or freshwater vegetation flourish.

Manatees are a migratory species. Within the United States, they are concentrated in Florida in the winter.

Many of the Florida manatees make their home in the waters around Homosassa, which is about forty five minutes north of Tampa.

Clearwater Beach--A Promise to World Ocean Day

My family and I are spending two weeks  at our home on Clearwater Beach, Florida.  It is paradise with with problems.  Problems that are mounting because of human intervention.

Clearwater Beach, Florida

Those of us who call this piece of paradise home, worry about trash on the beach.  We are concerned about the amount of litter, particularly clear plastic bags at the water's edge, ready for the tide to take them into the gulf.  There, sea turtles think they are jelly fish, eat them and die. 

We are concerned for the manatees that shelter in our bay to have and raise their young.  Too many people in too many boats go too fast, and many manatees are wounded or killed by propellers of boats.

We residents worry about the dolphins, pelicans and other seabirds trying to live and survive in a hostile environment of our making.  What can reasonable people do? 

As an educator, I am convinced that education is the answer.  Children, and sometimes their parents, need to be enlightened about the danger and damage such thoughtless actions cause.  In fact, the theme this year of World Oceans Day is:  Youth:  the Next Wave for Change.

We must share this planet and have to be respectful of all life.  As we get close to Oceans Day , let us not only give thought but action to helping preserve the oceans and all that call it home.

Clearwater Beach, Florida at Sunset