Manatee Calf

Best laid plans - often are interrupted.....

I was trying to capture some of the amazing, fading, light in the springs, when my attention was usurped by a little manatee who seemed to want to point out his mom.

Forgive me for not posting much lately, I have been trying to stay warm........!

Post from my blog here -- and I'll paste copy below. Best, Carol

"This Is My Mom"

For some reason my usual photobucket pics won't link with IMG code so I'll try to attach below - how annoying....

"This manatee calf was very interested in the dome port of my underwater camera; in fact he seemed to be playing a game where he would bump it with his snout. And when little manatee start playing a “game” I can vouch for the fact that they sometimes just go on and on and on..... (sort of like the ‘Energizer Bunny’, remember manatee mom’s milk is like ‘Red Bull’ for youngsters!) I was curious to know who this little calf’s mom was, and toward the end of my visit to the springs the little guy swam over to where she was, and seemed to want me to notice. :-)

I haven’t posted a lot lately because, for one reason, I’ve been trying to stay warm! If you have followed the weather in Florida it has been freezing and I heard it was even warmer in Wyoming than in Florida, a few days ago! Last week, when I took this photograph, there were many, many manatee at Three Sister’s Spring, and the reason was it was freezing, they are there to stay warm in the spring flow. I think they succeed in staying warm a lot more successfully than I did. I wear about the maximum wetsuit/hood protection that I can, but I still got very chilled. I think it has to do with the fact that still, while on snorkel, you breathe in the 32F degree air continuously, so over some time the cold does get to me. Plus I think the manatee, and especially this rotund little calf, do have a bit more padding to keep warm than I do!

Still, it was all worth the chill and I got some really nice photographs. Note, I am trying to work on more, say, “artistic shots”, featuring the light in the springs, etc.; but best laid plans do get interrupted! This little manatee calf was just so plump, persistent and perky that my photographic plan was disrupted, as you can see I ended up taking some portraits of little guy and his mom.

This duo reminded me of something I heard a reporter say during the Obama Inauguration; she said “Could those two little girls be any more darling?” I heartily agree with that comment on the Obama girls, and I have to add that is also how I feel about little manatee calves with mom - could there possibly be any creatures more endearing? :-)

More to come (after I warm up!),

Best, Carol"

Lovely photo, Carol. It certainly captures the manatee's gregariousness. I was just at Three Sisters on the 20th with Jim Abernethy and friends and we had a couple of juveniles who were so incredibly playful. One of them swam up to my blue fins to check them out and when I turned to look at him he started swimming fast circles around me with moves similar to the wild spotted dolphins of Bahamas. It even did its best out of water breach. I couldn't help but laugh for quite a while.

The weather was quite cold on the day we were there, too. The manatees were swimming right up to the springs and stuffing their faces in the outflow of water. That is... When one of us wasn't doing the same thing. BTW - May I recommend a dry suit to solve your chilly day worries. I know... I know... You'll have to hear tons of mockery from the folks up north as the Floridian gets into a dry suit (hardyharhar), but it is soooo nice. This year I've been in one all winter down in Palm Beach and I'll never go back to a wet suit again. I might even wear it throughout summer, too!

Has the water at Three Sisters cleaned up any? When we went it was not very clear at all. We're looking to head back up there very soon.

Wonderful shot!!!!!!!!!!

Best wishes

Nice manatee familiy protret.

It is already a great image, but if the reflection of the mum was complete also it would be a real stunning pic!

I love your manatee shots and this one is especially nice. thanks

BTW - May I recommend a dry suit to solve your chilly day worries. I know... I know... You'll have to hear tons of mockery from the folks up north as the Floridian gets into a dry suit (hardyharhar), but it is soooo nice. This year I've been in one all winter down in Palm Beach and I'll never go back to a wet suit again. I might even wear it throughout summer, too!

Love the photo...

Re Drysuit, I have been in one since December (In Egypt) and the guests take the piss until you get out after the first dive and they are shivering in the wind at Ras Mohammed.....I would do anything rather than get cold........

Duncan

The weather was quite cold on the day we were there, too. The manatees were swimming right up to the springs and stuffing their faces in the outflow of water. That is... When one of us wasn't doing the same thing. BTW - May I recommend a dry suit to solve your chilly day worries. I know... I know... You'll have to hear tons of mockery from the folks up north as the Floridian gets into a dry suit (hardyharhar), but it is soooo nice. This year I've been in one all winter down in Palm Beach and I'll never go back to a wet suit again. I might even wear it throughout summer, too!

 

Has the water at Three Sisters cleaned up any? When we went it was not very clear at all. We're looking to head back up there very soon.

Laz and all,

Thanks for caring about my exposure protection! I have a DUI drysuit and have worn it at Crystal River, but I have to tell you that for me, the drysuit was a real detriment. Yes, I think it kept me a little warmer, but three hours + straight in the water is still a long time if it is freezing, and the extra drag of my particular drysuit was just too irritating! It cramped my style of swimming & photoing manatee drastically and I actually still got cold-ish in my DUI. I loved the drysuit for scuba diving in Port Hardy, BC & Northern California, but I didn't get along with mine at all for snorkeling in the springs. Still I know people who swear by drysuits for snorkeling C.R., but I've mostly seen the "cave-cut" style or ones that don't have as much extra room underneath as mine! Of course I needed all that extra room for insulation when I was in BC for two weeks!!!

So I'll still be sticking with my 7mm wetsuit and 6mm hood/5mm boots for C.R. - usually......, I'm really OK, but then usually........, it isn't 32 degrees during the afternoon!!! Just inhaling that air through my snorkel I think was the worst part anyway - for a prolonged period of time.

But, again, I'm so glad someone cared that I got chilly........!

Laz, the viz at the springs has been a real challenge this season, more of a challenge than last season. It clears, but only for short periods of time - and not every day. There are lots of reasons for this and the biggest contributors to our bad-viz are the really strong cold fronts, wind, and too-high-water levels that overwhelm the springs. It's a real "luck" thing right now to encounter clearer water. I was happy with the clarity on Jan 21st when I took this photo, because it has been so cloudy back in 3 Sister's.

Mucho Thanks All!!! Best, Carol