September 2020 found my husband and I in Key Largo, Florida. We stayed the week at the Playa Largo Resort and Spa-a truly beautiful place. From day one we kept hearing that a manatee regularly meanders through the swim area of the resort. A bonafide Florida resident for five months now, living on a boat, and always on the lookout for manatees, I think it’s my turn to actually see one!
Day one: no manatee sightings. Day two: a trip to the Everglades followed by swimming off the beach at the Playa Largo, no manatee sightings.
Day three: sailing on a Hobie Wave and swimming off the beach at Playa Largo. My husband said he saw a manatee peek his head up, but I didn’t see it.
Day four: a trip to the Everglades Alligator Farm. This is an awesome “must see”, but no manatee sightings. I vow to swim off the beach at Playa Largo until I see a manatee. Hours later, and a little sunburned, no manatee sightings. Day five, my husband and I did a three mile stand up paddleboard ride, no manatee sightings. Now I’m starting to wonder about the existence of manatees. Maybe there isn’t even such a thing and people are just messing with me! People do that sometimes. My friend, Jan, once told me that she swam with the manatees in Florida. But she fancies herself a standup comic, so why should I believe her? Ready to give up the ghost, we decide to shower, change, and enjoy the Eventide sunset celebration at the Sandbar.
Now settling into the perfect spot to enjoy our last night at the resort, I’m ready to order an umbrella drink when Bill shouts, “there it is”! He grabs my hand and pulls me along as we run down the entire, and I really do mean “run” and “entire”, beach and out onto the boat dock. Bingo! Jackpot! They really do exist!
There is one water hose on the dock that doesn’t turn all the way off and this manatee was sure enjoying a cool, refreshing drink of cold water! And then he turned over, as if he was asking for a belly rub!
I thought that was the cutest thing, until his friend showed up to the party!
Standing on the dock, careful not to disturb them, Bill and I must have watched these two play under the trickling water for the better part of an hour. We missed the sunset celebration, but really enjoyed the show!
Now that I’ve seen them with my own eyes, I am reminded of the phrase from the 1897 editorial in the New York Sun “Yes, Virginia, there is a manatee”. Ok, so maybe I paraphrased a bit…
What is true, though, is that manatees, previously listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act, are currently classified as “threatened”. There are estimated to be only about 13,000 alive today. Harassing, touching, or even feeding manatees is not allowed, as interaction with humans has been proven dangerous to the animals. Manatees are herbivores, and their marine environment provides plenty of sea grass, algae, and other vegetation allowing them to grow to between 5 and 10 feet long and weigh almost 1000 pounds. That makes me wonder if eating a salad for dinner really isn’t the best diet advice ever given!
The bottom line: just like Santa Claus, manatees do exist, but don’t give them hugs, kisses, or cookies.