Whales are nice, but...MANATEES ARE WONDERFUL!

Anyone who swims with Manatees finds a new love. The adoration humans have for these giant mammals is contagious. Did you have a Teddy Bear or some other stuffed animal you loved as a kid? Manatees are like that. The Manatees at Crystal River, Florida capture every visitor's heart with a whole new view of our water, its fragile inhabitants, and wonder what can be done to save this endangered species. This past Holiday Season we found our curiosity and affection for these beautiful beasts grow larger by the minute as we swam near Three Sisters Springs on a cool, crisp, late December morning.

Phyllis, my wife, and I had enjoyed the Manatees on an excursion back in 1993 - and practically daily since that experience we had longed to return. Our prayers were answered when we ended a Cruise in Ft. Lauderdale - and after spending Christmas with my brother, his wife, and my newly transplanted sister, in Ft. Myers - we ventured a few miles north to Crystal River. Making reservations for a guided, smooth pontoon boat ride from the dock to the Manatee location was easy (we used Crystal River Manatee Dive & Boat Tour, ably assisted by Rhonda Day, with Captain Richard Andrews at the helm) and within minutes from departure we were at the site. Capt. Richard anchored but a few feet from the Springs, well out of the way of passing boats, and we were in the water instantly, swimming toward the protected spring area (floating fences warned of entering into the Manatee sanctuary). The water was flat as a pancake with no current whatever - and although the water away from the springs was cold (maybe 60-65 degrees) as we approached the natural underwater springs the water warmed somewhat. I wore a latex-skin-tight suit on my 'naturally-insulated' body (sometimes referred to as 'fat') so this cool water was not uncomfortable at all.

When we neared the floating rope fencing we could see several Manatees resting on the bottom, no more than 10 or 15 feet down. The underwater visibility was excellent and we discovered about 6 or 8 Manatees in a group, almost as if they were waiting for us to come see them! They didn't mind the intrusion... they even appeared amused by the company. How can I say that? It's simple really. As we stopped at the fencing, the Manatees stirred, looked our way, and swam over to us! That's right. They showed no fear of us at all... one, in particular, seemed to want to interact with these funny looking, awkward critters with glass masks and long clumsy, rubbery looking feet - these scrawny beasts who squealed all the time - and kept sticking their faces up, out of the water. He (or she) didn't swim toward us then retreat, but swam right up close and personal and nudged us... then he rolled over as if to say, "Hey, Buddy, would you scratch my tummy for a minute?" Well, we'd read all the precautionary 'environmentally correct' literature - we'd patiently viewed the pre-dive introductory video shown by the shop prior to our departure... and I have to tell you, IT WAS HARD NOT TO REACH OUT AND RUB THAT MANATEE! He stayed close for several minutes - swimming around us, under us, and yes, with us. We'd back off, he'd come closer... we'd yell and scream at each other to "Come Here! You've Got to See This!" And in reply, whomever we were yelling at would say, "There's one right under me - YOU COME HERE!"

There were several people on our boat, (oh, maybe a dozen) - and everyone was in the water within minutes of our arrival. There were three little kids, one from Russia, who had obviously suffered an accident and lost one of his legs. He'd never been in the water before - or so it seemed, because his adoptive American father was having trouble keeping him calm. I swam over and helped relieve his tension with some friendly, calming words - and assisted his Poppa smooth out his fright. It didn't take long for the boy to find there was nothing to fear... and we swam side by side over toward the group of Manatees. The kid hadn't seen the Manatees before, he was too busy trying to get used to the mask and fins, in his case, fin, so when I pointed out the monsters just a few feet away, he went into another panic situation. I held his hand and calmed him all over again... and told him the Manatees were our 'friends'. Soon, the kid got used to the idea - and it was only a few minutes later I saw the boy and his Dad just floating on the surface looking down at a huge Manatee swim inches below them - and the kid looked up, saw me, and the smile on his face (and in his eyes) was one I will long remember. Later, when the little Russian boy clambered back aboard the boat, he came over to me and said, "Thank you, Mister. That was SO MUCH FUN! Do you have Manatees in Hawaii?" I said, "NO, darn it!" I didn't go into detail with the boy, telling him how endangered the Manatees are, but he seemed to know this experience was 'special'. He and his family were visiting from Oklahoma - and they were enjoying the Holidays in Florida. He had only been in the US for 18 months and learned to speak fluent English (at his 'learning age') quite quickly. He and his adoptive brother and sister had never been snorkeling before - they were younger, perhaps 5 and 7. He was 9. This encounter with Manatees made an impression - and they wanted to know more about them. I told them Manatees were vegetarians, with no system of defense and completely harmless. I mentioned they seldom are seen in the numbers they once were, that pollution, habitat destruction, and the human population explosion (with our motor boats with sharp propellers) were causing the decline in the Manatee population. I told him Manatees are typically about 9 feet long (like the ones we'd been swimming with) but some get as big as 13 feet long and can weigh more than 3,000 pounds. He wondered if they ever came on shore - and I assured him they didn't... he'd heard of walruses and seals (near relatives of the Manatee) and knew they came out of the water. I reminded him of the small two forelimbs of the Manatee - those little arms would have a tough time holding up all that weight on land - and he concurred. I told him they were descended from land animals, though, and a close common ancestor was the elephant. He seemed amazed at that fact. He wondered what they ate and I told him they loved aquatic plants, like seaweed and algae - and can eat 15% of their body weight every day! He said, "Wow! That's alot!" I wondered if he really knew what "15% of their body weight" meant... but he got the idea.

(Naturally, I was curious how the boy lost his leg, so I asked him about it. He told me he'd been run over by a tractor when he was 4 or 5 years old and his leg was crushed so bad they had to amputate. My wife and I had been awed in admiration as he hopped around the dive shop before boarding the boat. No crutches for this kid, he simply hopped everywhere, with impeccable balance. "Heck, he said, it's no problem - we even got to rent half a pair of fins for me!" he quipped!).

Soon his little brother and sister came over and listened to what we were talking about. They'd been as thrilled as the rest of us with our underwater adventure. The little girl had seen a baby Manatee nursing from the mother and said, "Did you hear them squeaking?" I said, "Yeah, but I thought that was YOU!" She giggled. Then she said, "I reached down and touched one and its skin was so rough. Kinda like bark on a tree." It's true, when rubbing the backs or stomachs of the affectionate animals, you wonder why their skin is as leathery as it seems. You would think they'd be smooth and soft. This is not the case - and because of this protective skin, they can survive minor propeller scrapes. However, if the props hit them severely and cause a deep gash, the Manatees can die from the wound(s). Many of the Manatees we observed showed scars from encounters with propellers - and all the kids saw those marks and commented on them. "Can't the Manatees see the boats coming?" one of the children asked. I said, "Yes, but sometimes the boats are going too fast for the Manatee to get out of the way soon enough!" "Well, why don't the motor boats slow down then?" was the next question. When I mentioned, "We are trying to get the boats to slow down... and people are starting to listen!" - "Good!" was their emphatic response.

All too soon, however, we were back at the dock... and we only have the memory of our Manatee adventure to look back on. We wish more people could get a chance to swim with these creatures. When more people have that experience, more will want to 'get involved' in saving them. There are people around who want the Manatee swims banned. I don't think that is the answer. More regulations, perhaps, with limits on numbers - possibly some zones where no swimming with them is allowed - but a total ban, "No, I don't think so!" There has to be places where people can interact with the Manatees, then more people will see how wonderful Manatees are... and the protection of them will increase - which will be beneficial to everyone, human and Manatee. Manatees are wild, they should stay that way, with no feeding, no intrusion, no touching (if the Manatee doesn't want to be touched), no pursuing/chasing, no harassing in any way, but 'no interacting'? No way! Interaction is what is bringing about the protective regulations needed to save the Manatee. Let's keep that going... so we can keep the Manatee from disappearing.

On our earlier visit to Crystal River we booked with Crystal Lodge Dive Center, -
Jerry Hogan's the Manager there - (352) 795-3171, but they were fully booked and the staff graciously referred us to C.R.M.D.&T., only a short distance away. We over-nighted in a very comfortable and conveniently located small hotel/motel, just steps away from the water, which has become a Best Western, 1-800 435-4409 - and guess what? As we checked out we made reservations for December 1998! Me thinks this might become an annual affair!

The next time you are in Florida, during the cool season, December through March,
stop by the Crystal River, Homosassa area - and give Rhonda Day a call: (352) 795-1333 (or Jerry Hogan at Crystal Lodge Dive Center: 795-3171). Book early to insure you don't miss the adventure of a lifetime. Ask Rhonda if Capt. Richard Andrews is taking out some snorkelers while you're around? If he is, jump on board - then jump in the water with these magnificent animals. You will be so glad you did... and, folks, THAT'S A PROMISE!