Leave Deerfield and drive to Crystal River

Crystal River area.

Kitting up!

Where are they?

Our pontoon platform.

Search in murky water.

The shadow of one floating past me, but I couldn't see....

And what I should have seen.

Next time.

Me floating above the clear spring where they congregate in winter.

Sunday, March 17th. 

Shayna and I left Deerfield Beach Florida today for the drive back to Toronto. We are taking a leisurely scenic route home. Our first stop was at Crystal River on the Gulf Coast north of Tampa Bay. We were picked up at Peter's Pier by Tour Local for our private tour on a pontoon boat for our manatee tour. Our tour leader was Walter a newly retired 48 year old teacher and principal with whom I had an interesting talk about education in Florida. We had a private tour. We drove slowly and talked while scouting for manatees. I knew it was the end of the season and conditions were less ideal but I didn't know when I'd ever get the chance again. There were several other boats out looking and some had people in the water on manatees. We didn't want to join them. We drove past many beautiful homes and boats. Finally they found a mother and baby and Derrick and I got in the water with them. But the water was really murky, visibility was about a foot and they were on the move, so I never really saw either. We got back on the boat and went looking for another. We found one shortly and we were back in the water. This time the manatee was relaxed and we floated along with it. I could only discern the shape and slightly lighter colour of the animal in the murky water, but I touched it several times as it floated beside me and beneath me, and I did see the nostrils several times as it surfaced to breathe. Then we went further to one of the underwater springs so they could show us how clear the water is there. This is where the manatee congregate during the winter as the spring water is warmer than the river water. When it reverses they leave the springs and migrate further out of the area and up and down the coast. That is why there were few around now, only the resident ones stay here. After the tour we visited a local fish restaurant and had fish tacos for dinner. Got an email later that night from the tour company acknowledging that the conditions were poor and giving me a credit for a free visit in the future!