Crystal River Feb 7, 2010

What a great day!  Horrible weather before and after.  The forecast did not look to great for this day either.  But several paddlers braved to elements for one of the most spectacular manatee sightings we've ever had.

When we arrived at 3 Sisters Springs we enjoyed the show outside at the sanctuary, then proceeded inside.  What a treat both were.  Once in the springs we found this juvenile sleeping, coming up for a breath, then returning to his slumber.  Check out the photos.

Do those fish cruising around signify the manatee is sleeping?

Check out this video.



Here are our paddlers:

Now let's get back to shooting manatees.

And, another video.

As I put down the camera, I saw manatee swimming towards me, so I quickly tried to get a photo.

Darn, the zoom was out to far.

But, the next one came out just right.

Then it was time to head back.

Along the way, I spotted this black-crowned night heron.

And, this osprey.

Wow!  What a glorious paddle we had.