Manatees – Not Your Average Engineer

January 30, 2015November 7, 2015

Swimming with the Manatees

Heather and I went out to Homosassa Springs to swim with manatees. The state has a small area setup to allow the public to interact with manatees in a safe way for everyone. We had a great time letting the manatees come up to us and say hello. They are very inquisitive creatures.

They’re such interesting looking animals.

They will come up and brush against your hand if you hold it out for them. Some of the manatees like getting scratches on the belly.

Hello!

Hello friend!

Snuffle snuffle snuffle!

January 30, 2015November 7, 2015

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

We stopped off for part of a day at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park to check out Lou the Hippo and all of the other neat creatures big and small at the park. To reach the park from the parking lot, you have to take a boat through the swamp.

Lou the hippo! He used to be a movie star. Now he’s retired.

Alligators hanging out in the refuge.

Lou doing Lou things.

Waiting to be fed.

Herons in the trees.

Sick manatees at the medical center.

Manatees out in the springs.

At the springs there is a HUGE school of fish that hangs out around the underwater observation area.

From inside the observation area.

More Lou.

January 25, 2015November 7, 2015

Tarpon Springs

We took a short trip over to the old Greek sponge tocks in Tarpon Springs. A few of the old sponge harvesting boats are preserved as floating museums for tourists. Not many sponges are harvested here anymore.

Lots of pelicans.

Boat parking.

An old sponge building.

This place was about to be renovated into condos.

A freshwater spring.

Manatee breathing!

Sun going down in the west.