Early this morning I decided to go on a kayaking expedition. It was an unusual experience for me. The kayaks are rather comfortable and steady. Being so low on the water gives a totally different perspective.
We paddled through rivers and channels, sometimes close to homes at other times in the wild (or what felt like it). We encountered a group of manatees, and were able to scratch their back and rub their bellies. They are imposing creatures, an adult can measure up to 17 feet (our kayaks were 14). They are reminiscent of the elephant, if only because of their size and the texture of their skin. Their tail reminds me of a whale’s. They breathe, so they have nostrils and do come up for air; this is when i got a shot at this guy.
They are very playfull and enjoy humans, but they are still wild animals, that can tip a canoe in no time…so you must always be alert.
It was very very hot to sit in the sun for 2 hours, and exhausting, but a lot of fun! We saw many birds, some dove from quite high and came up with a fish. The most beautiful one I saw was a blue heron. Unfortunately, I was not fast enough to get a photo…