Holiday greetings from manateeland (Citrus County, Fla.)!
First stop, visit rehabilitated manatees at Florida park.
View from underwater observatory
Feeding the herbivore mammals is part of educational show
A goofy way to view manatees, and too dang loud!
Now we're in the heart of manateeland
One of the many manatee likenesses around town
Manatee mailboxes come in all shapes and sizes
Kings Bay Drive Bridge is a favorite manatee viewing spot
The view from the bridge as manatees enter or leave warm-water springs
Mother, calf, and friend, as seen from the bridge
Save the Manatee plates can be seen throughout Florida
Our "Do Not Disturb" kayak trip (instead of snorkeling with manatees) with Save the Manatee Club
Boat hulls and propellers are the endangered manatees' top enemy
Signs warn boaters that manatees may be nearby
Sanctuaries keep boaters and usually swimmers away
Wessel's paddle is no match for this manatee's tail as it glides under his kayak
Another manatee gracefully glides under Wessel's boat without disturbing it.
Manatee thanks Wessel for staying above the water and not disturbing the wildlife
Mother and calf come up for some fresh air and a look-see
We're back at Kings Bay Drive Bridge for more viewing
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good-bye ...
In the end, Diane couldn't resist swimming with manatees
So then Wessel had to swim with them as well
