Swimming With Manatees In Homosassa Springs, Florida, 2008

Much as we love traveling the world, we sometimes like to take quieter trips at home. We did this a few years ago when we drove down to Florida from New York during the fall. Whenever we visited Florida, it was either to go to Disney World in Orlando or to stop by the Boca Raton/Miami area. Jon's late grandmother lived in southern Florida, as do several friends, so we always like to see them. However, Jon was determined to actually get out of the South Florida area. We did begin our trip in Miami and made some obligatory visits. After, we drove up the west coast through Tampa. Along the way, we decided to see some manatees. I LOVE manatees. I think that they're such beautiful, peaceful creatures. I'd seen plenty in zoos and wildlife conservation centers, but never any in the actual wild. Apparently, late October is the perfect time to see them so we booked a reservation with a boat captain in Homosassa Springs. We awoke at the crack of dawn (around 4:30 a.m., if I recall) and groggily made our way to the dock, where the captain greeted us on his small boat. Turns out we were the only ones going out that morning on his particular vehicle and he explained that they try to limit the number of people going out to the spring at one time. Still, we were permitted to swim with the manatees -- and even rub their bellies! You just couldn't grab them or ride them or do anything else that could potentially harm them. I opted out of swimming because a) it was about 40 degrees and I didn't want to freeze, even if we were going to a hot spring and b) I didn't think my fat butt would fit into the wet suit. Jon eagerly changed into a wet suit, though, and looked forward to jumping in the water with these guys. We set out into the spring and all was quiet for a while. I sat on the egde of the boat and dangled my feet in the water and Jon swam around. Meanwhile, another boat with about 10 people entered the area. One of the passengers called out, "Manatee" and sure enough, there he was! He swam by our boat and was absolutely stunning. While Jon was swimming, he made friends with a few of the creatures. One swam right up to Jon and rubbed noses; another rolled onto his side, asking Jon for a belly rub (the algae sticks and makes them itchy so they like to be scratched). Jon says that it was a little weird getting so close to them, but he never felt unsafe. Later, the larger boat cleared out and the three of us had the springs to ourselves. That's when the manatees decided to have a little party. First, we saw two circling the boat, then four ... and before we knew it, there were about 40 of them hanging out in our area! It was breathtaking. I guess they were hiding out from the bigger crowd, but now they were claiming their spring and we were a part of it. Part of me regrets that I didn't go in the water with them, but I'm not sure how much I would've enjoyed the experience had I been cold and nervous. But I'll never forget seeing those lovely creatures on that chilly fall morning.