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Manatee Grayton Beach

mikecat adjuster avatar
Beach Fanatic
7,608 views
My son and I were in my kayak, while my brother and his son and step son were in another at the beach at Grayton Beach State Park. People on the beach were pointing, and someone shouted and warned us that 'an animal' was in the water. My first thought was that describing anything in the water as 'an animal' was quite peculiar. I mean 'fish' would seem more appropriate. I saw a shadow under the water and suspected it to be a large manta ray, but when the nose of a Manatee surfaced for air, I knew that an unexpected pleasure was found.

I had my 8 year old son catch up to me and I joined him back in the kayak and we followed the big beauty. I've swam with manatee before on a number of occasions in the Ocala Florida area in some springs, but never in the ocean. This particular manatee was covered in barnacles and algea. My brother was able to get out and take an underwater pic of it with his digital, and I'll have to see about getting it. While catching up to it there were two very nice sized baracuda by it. Funny, later, when paddling back I told a man that and his daughter shouted "I told you Daddy. I told you I saw a baracuda." Apparently she had told him and old Dad didn't believe her.

My son was terrified as we pulled up alongside the manatee, as it was rather large, but not the largest I've seen. My kayak is 9.5 feet long and the manatee was a bit longer and much wider. I was able to get out of my kayak and as the it passed me I allowed my hand to pass along it, giving it a friendly pet. My son chose to stay in the boat. The manatee was heading east and I'm sure was spotted by a number of other lucky beach goers.

Flroida comes through again with something special. :biggrin:

Replies

30
kathydwells avatar
Darlene is my middle name, not my nickname
#27
If that manatee was wearing a black, one-piece bathing suit, it was likely my ex-wife. People have confused them before...

Do I know you? :biggrin:
JUL avatar
Beach Fanatic
#28
That's kind of odd that it wasn't in a group. I called a friend in PCB to let the beach service folks know it was coming that way and to be careful with jetskis and parasail boats.
:clap::clap::clap:How thoughtful. :wub: the manatees
Auggie Gal avatar
Beach Comber
#29
Hi! We're finally here in Grayton after a not wonderful trip w/ mechanical difficulties, and the weather has been wild! Jumping in on manatees. The females will beach themselves and appear to be wobbling up onto the beach/shallows when being followed by groups of males during mating season, (don't get in the water with them when this is going on!)so it could have happened, just usually not in the p.m. They manage to extricate themselves from the sand although a few times in my neck of the woods/beaches Fish and Wildlife have jumped in to help. We had a very large female do this just a few weeks ago in Vilano Beach (in St. Aug.), and some well-meaning touristas kept trying to push the poor thing out into the fray of males. Finally some folks in the know asked them to leave her alone and let nature take it's course. Looking forward to another week of Grayton memories. Gal.
mikecat adjuster avatar
Beach FanaticAuthor
#30

Here is an image of the actual Manatee that we saw. Not too high resolution, but my brother did capture it.
Beach Lover
#31
There was a manatee sighted in Memphis last winter in the Wolf River Harbor which empties into the Mississippi at the city's doorstep; it was sighted, identified, attempts were made to capture it all to no avail. It was found dead from the cold in a backwater in the harbour. Sad sight. A wandering manatee lost in the big Muddy and swimming, swimming to Memphis, then dying of the cold here. We've seen them and watched them in lower Fla and in Belize in a Refuge, been swimming with them in Belize. Wonderful, calm and peaceful creatures, but we're doing our best to rub'em out along the east coast of Fla as speed boaters and tourists chase'em down, chase'em away. Typical.

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