Manatees - and more!

Larry and I decided that at some point on this trip, come hell or high water - and we had some thunderstorms a day or two that truly threatened high water! -  we were going to see some manatees. So, on our last free day sans daughters, we took off to visit Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. This park is a refuge for manatees that need to be rehabilitated, after which they are reintroduced to the wild. Some have been in captivity their entire lives, and so live here on a permanent basis.

 

The park entrance fronts right on the highway, where visitors can browse through an educational display with all sorts of information about manatees. From there, we looked forward to taking a boat tour down Pepper Creek to the West Entrance of the park. But, alas, the boats were out of commission because the weather was so threatening, so we settled for the shuttle. A lovely ride, it took us down a heavily wooded back road to the wildlife area itself.

       

Once there, with the overcast skies, we went straight for the manatee area. Walking down the path, we saw some huge rocks covered with algae. All of a sudden, I realized one huge rock had a fan-like tail. When it moved, my suspicion that it was indeed a manatee was confirmed.

  

This one, a permanent resident, weighed in a bout 3500 lbs. Much larger than its wild 1,000 lb. counterparts, it doesn't have to work for its food, and thus doesn't work off its weight.

Manatees are herbivores, and naturally graze on aquatic plants just a few feet below the water's surface. These are fed green and napa cabbages, bok choy, and romaine lettuce - three huge crates of these leafy greens three times a day.

  

As we strolled the grounds, we were delighted by the lovely gardens of labeled Florida plants...

    

... and concerned at the proximity of weekend boaters to this refuge. The "public" river is adjacent to the park, and manatees do roam these warm waters. Since manatees are shallow water swimmers, they are right there at the same level in the water as boats. And, having no natural predators, they have no fear. No wonder so many of these gentle creatures are injured or killed by boat propellers every year. Indeed, that's what brings many manatees to this refuge for care.

We were guided through the park via boardwalks surrounded by lush forests and bridges crossing the river.

   

Eventually, we came to more manatees, being readied to return to the wild.

  

This one even used his front flipper to push the lettuce into his mouth. So human-like!

 Besides manatees, this park also houses red deer, alligators, swans, flamingos - and a hippo!

     

We had to get back to Orlando to shuttle the girls to their next event, so our time was limited. Despite the long drive for a short visit, I'm really glad we finally got to "meet" the manatees!

Alligators!

After we left the battleship, we decided to take advantage of the nice day, and drive to Summerdale in Baldwin County to pay a visit to Alligator Alley. This alligator farm is a protected sanctuary for alligators. It offers a boardwalk to view the wildlife safely, but in their natural habitat. The big attraction is the granddaddy resident, Captain Crunch. He's huge!



Here, they take in gators that have been captured elsewhere and need a safe place to live, as well as those needing medical attention. They live here in an appropriate gator environment, and breed in a place free from poaching. The staff does keep the population in check by culling eggs in the Spring. They also have protected areas for the babies to be raised so they don't become fodder for predators.

We even got to hold some two-year-old babies!



On the way out, we happened across a worker giving a rather large snake (boa constrictor? python?) some air, and got to hold it, too!



Although a bit off the beaten path, it was a great place to go, and much more hands-on than I expected. The whole family enjoyed it.