February 19, 2018
My last day in Florida was supposed to involve swimming with manatees. Cindy and I dragged ourselves of bed, at 5:00 A.M., put on swimsuits under our clothes and drove the two miles to the Birds Under Water Dive Center. The first thing we found out was that the unusual hot weather had caused the manatees to leave for the year, six weeks early and that we would be lucky to see one manatee. We had both been on an earlier tour where we had a fantastic time and where Cindy took underwater pictures, plus we bought the video taken by the captain while we were in the water with the manatees. To read about that trip, click here.
So when the shop offered to return our money, we took them up on it and went off to find breakfast and coffee. Then we went on south to Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. This park has birds and mammals, as well as injured manatees that they are rehabilitating or else can't be returned to the wild, and will spend out their years here. So there are lots of opportunities to get up close and personal to the animals. And there is a glass room on top of a warm spring. This brings in both saltwater fish and manatees during the winter, which of course we were not experiencing. This day, there were only a few fish hanging out.
There were a few manatees getting rehabilitated. I think they had been cut by boat propellers.
If you get to central Florida, be sure to take the tour with Birds Under Water. And do visit the state park.
All too soon it was time to have a wonderful sea food lunch back in Crystal Springs, then drive the few hours back to Jacksonville. After Cindy delivered me to my car, she went on to a motel near the airport and I drove another forty-five to have a very enjoyable visit with friends. I came home the following day and was back to work the next day.
My last day in Florida was supposed to involve swimming with manatees. Cindy and I dragged ourselves of bed, at 5:00 A.M., put on swimsuits under our clothes and drove the two miles to the Birds Under Water Dive Center. The first thing we found out was that the unusual hot weather had caused the manatees to leave for the year, six weeks early and that we would be lucky to see one manatee. We had both been on an earlier tour where we had a fantastic time and where Cindy took underwater pictures, plus we bought the video taken by the captain while we were in the water with the manatees. To read about that trip, click here.
So when the shop offered to return our money, we took them up on it and went off to find breakfast and coffee. Then we went on south to Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. This park has birds and mammals, as well as injured manatees that they are rehabilitating or else can't be returned to the wild, and will spend out their years here. So there are lots of opportunities to get up close and personal to the animals. And there is a glass room on top of a warm spring. This brings in both saltwater fish and manatees during the winter, which of course we were not experiencing. This day, there were only a few fish hanging out.
There were a few manatees getting rehabilitated. I think they had been cut by boat propellers.
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| White pelican in breeding plumage - |
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| A pair of white pelicans had this baby - we learned it was born in January |
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| A pair of brown pelicans - they nest in trees when they are available |
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| This pelican was taking a bath |
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| The resident panther is very hard to find |
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| There was at least one river otter swimming madly around its pool |
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| A black-crowned night heron |
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| In another enclosure, we found a black-crowned night heron sitting on eggs |
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| A head shot of a whooping crane |
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| Male wood duck |
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| The bowl of lettuce was in the tire float and these guys are getting hand fed |
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| Ain't he cute? |
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| A wood stork in a tree |
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| A very intense green-backed heron |
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| A roseate spoonbill in breeding plumbage |
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| Giant swallowtail feeding on azaleas |
If you get to central Florida, be sure to take the tour with Birds Under Water. And do visit the state park.
All too soon it was time to have a wonderful sea food lunch back in Crystal Springs, then drive the few hours back to Jacksonville. After Cindy delivered me to my car, she went on to a motel near the airport and I drove another forty-five to have a very enjoyable visit with friends. I came home the following day and was back to work the next day.
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