This is a copy of a screen shot from the Accuweather website
When the weather turns colder, we think how nice it would be
to soak a while in a hot tub. Well, not just us humans, but the Florida
Manatees were thinking the same thing this week with our almost freezing
temperatures down here in Florida and because of a recent cold front in the
Gulf of Mexico, the manatees were coming to warm up, we heard on the news.
We have seen manatees before, but only sporadically and one
at a time in mostly murky waters, which doesn’t let you see them in their
grandiose size. From our RV Park in
Ocala the ride to the Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River is 75km/47miles and
since today the sun was shining bright again just perfect for another
excursion, we hopped into the truck to take a look.
The Three Sisters Springs is a complex of three spring areas
with vents and sand boils. The water remains at a constant temperature of 72
degrees and is crystal clear. Just
imagine this area looking like a swimming pool or gigantic hot tub!
And boy did they come to warm up. Several hundred manatees
gathered at Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River in a spectacular scene and
the largest congregation in recent history.
Manatees are Florida’s state marine mammals. Some people call them sea cows, but they are
relatives of the elephant. Their skin is
thick and wrinkled in a grayish brown color.
They are slow-moving animals that must breathe air at intervals of less
than 20 minutes. They have paddle like flippers, measure up to 13 feet long and
weigh as much as 1300 pounds. They spend about 50% of their day sleeping
submerged and the rest grazing in shallow waters.
As per Wikipedia the manatees prefer warmer temperatures and
are known to congregate in shallow waters. They frequently migrate through
brackish water estuaries to freshwater springs and they cannot survive below
15C (60F)
Kathy and I had a chance to swim/float with the Manatees in 2013 and 2014. Both times the outside temperature had dropped down to 42 F but that meant that we were rubbing shoulders with them and have plenty of photos to prove it. It is an experience everyone should enjoy at least once in a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.