Swimming with Mermaids

One of the many benefits of living in Florida are the mild winters that we tend to have.  While the rest of the nation is enduring subzero temperatures with deadly windchills, relentless blizzards that cripple entire cities, and snowdrifts that are backbreaking work to shovel, we Floridians gleefully watch this travesty on the news with a guilty feeling of schadenfreude as we sip our iced coffees with the windows open to let in a cool breeze. Our population seemingly doubles during this time of year from all the snowbirds and tourists escaping their miserable existence up north to bask in our wintry warmness.  Fortunately for us, these unwelcome nuisances are not our only visitors; the mermaids of the seas also return to their winter abodes within the waterways of Florida, seeking the warmer temperatures for survival. But aren't such mythical creatures a figment of the imagination? Not so! They may have packed on a few pounds since their svelte days of luring desperate seafaring pirates and sailors to their watery graves, but these wholly reformed, gentle sirens of the sea are still eager for human interaction.  These extremely docile and playful creatures are now commonly known by their newer appellation -- manatees.

Another unique distinction about Florida is that we have the only location in the world where you are legally allowed to swim with manatees. And if you have not yet experienced this exciting animal encounter, it makes for a wonderful day trip from Central Florida for any nature enthusiast.  The morning of the swim, my alarm woke me up at the ungodly hour of 4:30am, and I struggled to get ready whilst in a bleary-eyed stupor of exhaustion.  Packing up my supplies, I knew that this long early-morning commute would be worth it in the end.  Arriving at American Pro Diving Center before even the sun was ready to awaken, we all donned our wetsuits and watched an instructional safety video on manatees as well as man's devastating impact on their populations, mainly due to boating accidents.  Having garnered a novel appreciation for manatee awareness, we set out to meet our new aquatic friends.

By the time we arrived at our watering hole in the Crystal River, the sun had at last risen above the horizon, although it did not seem to diminish the unseasonably cold weather that had blown in overnight.  But these colder-than-usual temperatures would bode well for our manatee adventures, as the warmer natural spring water acted as a magnet for all the gentle giants.  Upon anchoring in the river, dozens of manatees could be seen frolicking in the water, excited to check out this curiosity that had floated in with strange bipedal land mammals.  We put on the last of our gear (snorkels and fins), and quietly slipped into the water to interact with the lovable sea cows.

I was surprised at the sheer number of manatees in the water, and was soon surrounded by these curious creatures.  The best magic spell that worked on these sirens was a simple belly rub -- as soon as you started to pet them, they would roll over to expose their underside and eagerly await a belly rub as if in a trance.  And don't even think about prematurely swimming away to play with another manatee -- on numerous occasions I would find the same manatee nudging me with his flipper as if to say "Hey, I'm not finished yet! Continue with the belly rubs!" for which I was all-too-happy to oblige. One manatee even went as far as to clumsily grab ahold of my leg with both flippers in an effort to prevent my early departure, to which I had to laugh at how childlike these amiable beings were. Never before had I encountered such peaceful creatures that existed in a complete state of harmony. However, the scars of human impingement were all too obvious on most manatees, as they wore permanent reminders of their painful encounters with boat propellers and unconcerned humans. This was a glaringly indisputable lesson on the importance of conservation and the urgency of protecting this endangered species.

After 90 minutes of interaction with the playful manatees, I sadly had to say my farewells and swim reluctantly back to the waiting boat.  With one final wave goodbye to the last of the manatees bobbing on the surface, we pulled anchor and slowly headed back to land.  Despite shivering on the boat from being thoroughly wet and enduring the cold air, I knew this was an unforgettable adventure that would stick with me for the rest of my life. My foray into the world of the manatees had changed me forever, all from a simple belly rub and a gentle pull on my heartstrings.

Gentle giant swimming gracefully

Fun video of our manatee excursion