We finally got the boat back in the water today. It has been on the trailer since Randy pulled it before the New Year because of the gale force winds. With Randy feeling better we can finally get back out on the water again.
We wanted to get out to Snipe Key today but decided not to go that far. The winds picked up again this afternoon and it was high tide at Snipe Point so not very much of the bar would be exposed to explore. Instead we just explored locally and went back over to Summerland Key. We spotted a large, very light colored manatee. The manatee was about 9’ long. Normally manatees are grayish brown in color with thick, wrinkled skin. Their skin can be covered with a growth of algae that can alter their body color to make them look more green or brown. I am not sure why this manatee looked lighter in color than other manatees we have seen. This was also considerably larger than the other manatees we have seen so far, but was really about average for a full grown manatee. Normally they weigh between 880 to 1,210 pounds and average about 9 feet in length. They can however grow to 15 feet and 3,900 pounds. Females tend to be larger and heavier than the males. Maybe for those that live here, spotting a manatee is not anything special, but I love seeing these gentle creatures. We turned the boat’s motor off and just sat for a few minutes to watch and enjoy.
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Yesterday we saw a shark swim by in our canal. It was about 4′ and I think it was a nurse shark. Unfortunately i did not have my phone or camera with me to get a picture. Randy did scoop this piece of rock or maybe wood since it was floating with these small living creatures attached. I am still trying to figure out what they are. They may be goose barnacles. We also had a little visitor in our plants.
Anole in our flowers