Here is a new entry I just posted on my site, pasted below. Hope you find it interesting as I'm usually underwater so much I miss the "topside" viewpoint.... 
Two Snouts - one big and one tiny - only in Florida!
While Looking for Angel - another mom & little manatee....
Yesterday, March 17th I went looking again for Angel - the newborn manatee... Well not newborn any longer as he would be just 2-1/2 weeks old now.
Spring has come to Florida and it is about time! Manatee have been hanging out near the warm, clear water of the springs for long enough and they are hungry and ready to migrate to their warmer water residences. Therefore it is hard to find them in the clear springs (you may recall I photoed Angel the newborn manatee in some of the clearer springs and that was a rare occurrence - to have a newborn, let alone photograph an hours-old infant in those clear springs).
But I thought I’d try my luck yesterday morning anyway. Nope, not only no Angel, no manatee at all in the springs! The water has warmed enough for them to spread around and find some food. No they haven’t traveled all the way to the Gulf of Mexico - at least not yet - because that water is still too cool; but they are in “less clear†water where they can at least find a little food. New mother manatee especially at this time need to find food because they have just given birth and begun caring for a little one - they are really hungry!
I don’t take a lot of photographs above water, just because I’m usually so busy under the water...... But I decided to photograph “topside†around Crystal River yesterday and to my delight I spotted a mother and small baby manatee! I got so excited at first because I thought it might be “Angel†- but no, it actually looks like a slightly older calf and it is a different mother. Still it was very rewarding as I seldom get this view from the shore and it is an interesting perspective as these types of environments are where most manatee spend a lot of the year. It seems clear water just doesn’t yield as much food so the manatee are very at home in the muddy/softer bottom areas also.
Thing is I had never stopped at this particular spot before and people said there aren’t usually manatee here - and then a mom and small baby too boot so luck was on my side! I observed these manatee for over 1-1/2 hours and noticed some of the same “social†activity as I did with Angel and the manatee that were curious about him. Note there are two other manatee here besides mom and baby and they were both very interested in this little baby here. But this mother was very strong and insistent and didn’t want anyone near her baby.....! Notice how she always keeps her calf right by her and herself between any other manatee and her calf.
Again another fascinating peek into manatee life!!!
And yes for those of you pining away for more updates on Angel - those will follow soon, but I just thought these “topside†photos might interest everyone as they are photographs I don’t usually capture. Best, Carol
A big snout and a little snout - are these the mermaids of lore?
Breathing and bonding - she was teaching her calf how to find food
Digging for juicy bits
No, you may NOT pass! Mother doesn’t want anyone near her baby!
Only in Florida can you view this peaceful scene
Mother in the middle still doesn’t want anyone near her baby.
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