Wednesday 1 February 2017

Searching for Sirenians



(Order: Sirenia, Genus: Trichechus, Species: Manatus)


Note: Due to our lack of determining manatee sex, all manatees will be referred to as male and share the name "Bernie" :)

So we hopped in Jack's boat and headed towards the manatee sanctuary about ten minutes away. After passing the "No wake, idle speeds only" sign, Shasta and I took our positions at the bow on manatee watch. When we spotted manatees Jack would kill the engine and we would drift while whitish/grayish blobs passed by the boat (some with little mini-blobs alongside). 

The manatee sanctuary is behind that buoy line. 

When we got in farther we anchored a few hundred feet from the manatee sanctuary. One curious blob was inspecting our engine and dive flag but by the time we donned our masks and fins and slid into the water we were alone. We began swimming towards one of the overlooks from the sanctuary where the volunteer manatee rangers were congregated in their kayaks. One paddled over to us and told us that there were a fair few manatees hanging out around the pylons under the overlook. We approached slowly (no aggressive movements allowed like swimming at the manatees). We saw a few close-up but they were more interested in hanging out on the bottom than the curious creatures we had been told about.
White blob by the boat. Aka: a manatee!



We found a pipe and stood on it watching the manatees. The pipe was about 6 inches off the bottom so our fins were sticking out parallel to the ground off the pipe. Finally, a manatee got curious about us. It came up close, angled so its little eye could look us up and down. We were able to reach out and touch its algae-covered skin. It had an interesting texture - copious small bumps like a faux snakeskin purse. It was rougher than other animals we have felt. The water was cloudy from the algae coming off its skin.
Skin close-up that shows a bit of the skin texture. And the problem isn't getting a good picture with a manatee - it's that they're too close to get enough perspective in the frame!  


After the first manatee wandered off, we watched two others come down the length of the pipe nibbling on the plants growing from the corroded metal. As one passed by my fin, he looked at it rather intently and then began to rub up against it, twirling his body allowing my fin to scratch him. As we watched another come up to inspect us, the fins gave me an idea. I reached out to touch the manatee but instead of petting the manatee like before I reached under him and began to scratch. 
A manatee inspecting Nico's fins as potential belly scratchers.
Do you like to be scratched under here? Yes? What a good manatee :)

The manatee began to slowly rotate until he was turned completely over. Shasta joined in and we continued scratching his belly. Then he flipped back over and we figured that he was leaving. The manatee began to move off, rising in the water. He popped his nose above the surface, took a breath, and immediately rolled back over so we could continue scratching him. This continued for about three more breaths. We got to scratch him all over - head, belly, back, fins, tail. As we scratched him, we could hear the manatees making high-pitched noises and a few others came over towards us but none of them interrupted the big guy's scratching time. We were just floating in the area, scratching one manatee with others swimming around and below us. 
Rolling over to keep getting belly scratches! (*See bonus movie at end of credits!)
Apparently, tail scratches are appreciated!



At this point, we were starting to get cold and Shasta was shivering pretty badly so we stopped scratching and headed back to the boat where we started shaking pretty badly from the cold, but Jack had towels ready for us and we warmed up in the sun while looking out for manatees on our way back.  
Amazing to share this time with these awe-inspiring, beautiful, gentle creatures!

CREDITS
Author      Nico    
Photographer      Shasta & Nico
Tour guide & Boat Captain      Jack                                    
Volunteer Ranger in Kayak 1      Debbie                                    
Volunteer Ranger in Kayak 2     ? ? ?                                      
Stuffed Manatee      Bernie                
Playful manatee 1      Bernie                  
Sleepy manatee 1      Bernie                  
Sleepy manatee 2      Bernie                  
Sleepy manatee 3     Bernie                 
Belly-scratching-loving manatee      Bernie                                          

Bonus Movie: