Finally far enough south!

We finally made it to Florida. We will be here, mostly in the northern parts, until March of next year. However, this year instead of sitting in one place for 3 months, we plan to move around and spend about a month in 3 different spots. We are happy to be here, but the humidity is oppressive!

We paid a visit to the St. Marks Lighthouse. Built in 1829, its location was strategic in many ways. It stood on what locals refer to as the Big Bend – where the shoreline of the Gulf changes from primarily north/south to primarily east/west. Its position warned folks traveling north by water of this change. It also was strategic in the time of the Civil War. Raids on the lighthouse installation were frequent, and the lighthouse itself changed hands between the Confederacy and the Union many times.

It’s nice to be back in Trump country. With the general lack of TV, we haven’t really been able to keep up with the Impeachment Hearings and all the other shenanigans going on. So, to be back where confederate flags are honored is comforting.

The birding in Florida is just so much fun. It seems like all we have to do is watch the power lines and we will spot a Kingfisher chilling. Every small body of water along the side of the road has a Great Blue Heron, or a Little Blue Heron snacking. We have been reintroduced to the White Ibis, and particularly enjoy the Great and Snowy Egrets.

We headed to Yankeetown because the nearby Kings Bay on the Crystal River is a haven for Manatee. In the past, Manatee would spend the winter months in Kings Bay because the Gulf would become too cold for them to survive, and they would seek out the warm waters of the Bay.

Several years ago, the locals began planting the sea grasses that is the main source of food for the Manatee in Kings Bay, and the project was a great success. As a result, Manatee now will spend the entire year in the Bay as the water is clear and their food source secure. So, you can set out and be almost assured you will find them.

New moms particularly like the waters in Kings Bay. A newborn Manatee spends much of the first two years of its life with its mom, and the abundance of food as well as the protection afforded by the interested locals makes this a spot where they are inclined to stay. We hired a guide to take us out into the bay, and we weren’t disappointed.

We spent most of our time with a mom and her pup. We watched as they gobbled up the grasses off the floor of the Bay. It was funny to watch, and they seemed to have no fears of us – they pretty much just ignored us even when we were actually brushing up against them as they ate. I guess that might be because they outweighed us on the scale of 5 to 7 times.

I am not sure I could ever say that I had enough – interacting with these guys was an absolute treat. But eventually our 2 hours was up, and we had to head back to the docks. In my opinion, while swimming with Whale Sharks was a blast, swimming with Manatees was way cooler!

Talk to you soon.