Manatees

 The day after we visited Plains, Georgia, we got up early to swim with the manatees at Crystal River, Florida. Our appointment was at 8 o'clock. We watched a training video that told us to remain calm. We were told not to touch the manatees but if they touched us it would be okay. We were also told that the manatees could hear our heart beats from 7 feet away. After donning wet suits we boarded  a boat and took off to where the manatees were hanging out. Our guide went swimming out a few times to find some. After 15 minutes were were invited out to swim with the manatees. We all had pool noodles under our arms as we swam on our stomachs and looked through out goggles for the sea cows. I was astounded when I first saw one tan body of a manatee. They are huge. Ranging from 1000 pounds on up they are taller than me and round like a potato. The tail is curved in the middle. The front end has a face that munches on the vegetation on the bottom all the time. Manatees prefer shallow water from 3 to 5 feet deep. So that means, if you are hovering over the top of a manatee watching it eat, you had better back peddle when that manatee decided now is the time to take a breath of air. My goggles leaked a little. By the time the water was deep enough to cover my nostrils I was ready to turn over on my back and empty the water out. We did this for two hours. Eventually the leader signaled us to go back to the boat. I followed. I was astonished to see most of the group was already on the boat and drinking hot cocoa. I was the last one out of the water. I wasn't cold while swimming but once on the boat I was so cold I shivered for the next hour. This was an amazing experience that I will never forget.