Like many families these days, mine spent part of our holiday break socially-distanced in nature. For a combination of wildlife and warm weather, we traveled to Weeki Wachee, Florida to kayak and swim amongst the manatee in the crystal clear waters of the Weeki Wachee River. Kayaking is one of our favorite water activities because of the exercise and serenity of the environment, and kayaking with manatees was even better. Check out our vacation videos to see how cool it was.
According to the Marine Mammal Commission, the Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, is a large, slow-moving marine mammal with an elongated, round body and paddle-shaped flippers and tail. Manatees are herbivores, feeding solely on seagrass, algae and other vegetation in freshwater and estuarine systems in the southeastern United States. Florida manatees can be found as far west as Texas and as far north as Massachusetts during summer months, but during the winter, manatees congregate in Florida, as they require warm-water habitats to survive.
It was amazing to share the water with these amazing creatures. – Daniel Findley, DTC Civil Transportation Instructor
