From Piebald to Manatee
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86661)
United States
February 5, 2023 8:45pm CST
And here I thought the piebald deer would be my wildlife highlight of the vacation. Scratch that.
Let’s go with manatees instead.
Oh, if you’re keeping score, it’s now Florida state parks SIX, Chuy’s three. 
Fifty years ago we went to Silver Springs, home of the famous glass-bottom boats. This is my first visit since 1973, and boy was it a doozy.
Not one…not two…but FIVE manatees.
Dang, those things are big. But they didn’t seem the least bit distressed by the motor of the boat, nor by the canoes and kayaks near them.
The top photo was taken through the glass bottom. That’s no filter, just the way the sunlight and reflection combined as the manatee’s tail passed by.
You can get a better sense of their size with the bottom picture.
That was a treat and a half. But wait, there’s more! (Next discussion)
Fifty years ago we went to Silver Springs, home of the famous glass-bottom boats. This is my first visit since 1973, and boy was it a doozy.
Not one…not two…but FIVE manatees.
Dang, those things are big. But they didn’t seem the least bit distressed by the motor of the boat, nor by the canoes and kayaks near them.
The top photo was taken through the glass bottom. That’s no filter, just the way the sunlight and reflection combined as the manatee’s tail passed by.
You can get a better sense of their size with the bottom picture.
That was a treat and a half. But wait, there’s more! (Next discussion)6 people like this
6 responses
@LindaOHio (222314)
• United States
6 Feb 23
YOU GOT TO SEE MANATEES?????!!!!! I saw my first one on our last trip to the Keys/Everglades!!!!!!!!!! We had planned to go to Crystal Springs where they have resident manatees; but you saw wild ones!!!
4 people like this
@FourWalls (86661)
• United States
6 Feb 23
The man taking our tickets said they’re doing away with the Rodman dam and that will increase their number in the park.
3 people like this
@spiderdust (14756)
• San Jose, California
6 Feb 23
Oh, wow! I have never seen a manatee ever!
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86661)
• United States
6 Feb 23
Manatee and piebald AND gator. Full vacation!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86661)
• United States
6 Feb 23
@spiderdust — and Jeff! Wait, does he count as “wildlife”?
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14756)
• San Jose, California
6 Feb 23
@FourWalls Don't forget that rainbow over the ocean.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (97990)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
6 Feb 23
That is one thing I would love to see live manatees, I think they might be big but they sure are cute,
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86661)
• United States
7 Feb 23
Very big, and very thrilling to see. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to intentionally hurt one.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86661)
• United States
6 Feb 23
They’re endangered animals, so to see one NOT in an aquarium/zoo was a major treat!!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86661)
• United States
7 Feb 23
@JudyEv — our boat captain did a fabulous job of getting us very close without any injuries to manatee or human.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382036)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Feb 23
@FourWalls I would have been jumping up and down! But maybe not if I was in a small boat. Apparently, they are very curious and lot of scars from propeller blades.
1 person likes this
