One of the reasons we really enjoy cruising on the west coast of Florida is the abundant wildlife.
We are currently anchored in Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa Island and just had a neat manatee encounter. There is a small lagoon here that is know for sheltering manatees, but at least for the last few years we have not seen any here. In the winter, manatees migrate to warmer waters, these days often near power plants, and we seem to be here after they leave.
But this year when we dinghied into the lagoon, there were at least 5-6, maybe more since they are hard to count. They were mostly just soaking up warmth in the afternoon sun. When they are really 'sun bathing' they will often lie on the surface motionless for up to 5 minutes. The first time we saw this behavior, we thought there was something wrong with them - no just a short nap in the warm sun - I know the feeling. These guys were lying on or just near the surface most of the time, just relaxing.
Manatees are hard to photograph and we did not get any good pictures today. Following are some pictures taken a few years ago at Burnt Store Marina. There is a corner of the basin there, near the 'Yacht Club', where they often hang out and are relatively easy to photograph from the docks.
It has, however, been a bit of a disappointment that we have not seen any white pelicans this year. Last year the bay was full of them. That, however, was the first time we had seen them in numbers in the almost 25 years that we have been coming here, so this is more 'typical'. But we had hoped that they were going to make this a regular stop in their migration, but so far, at least, they have not appeared.
Tomorrow we plan to dinghy over to Cabbage Key for some fresh gulf shrimp and a 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' - yum!
Tom
Anchored in Pelican Bay, Cayo Costa Island, FL
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