Ahoy,
I must talk
to you about a recent interaction…I know I have been raised to be open in my
mind and heart…this kind of blew my mind though…
I ran up to
Crystal River to see 2 Notch (or let her see me is more the point), so she
would not come into open water looking for me…the gulf is too cold for her
right now and like me she is older- let’s just say I worry…
Sealy and
the boys swam around the corner beside me as I continued to paddle…up in front of
us, freakin snorkel people…I pointed to a canal we were passing and told him to
take the boys were they would not disturbed…they turned off and I continued…due
to the paddle, I know most of the manatee between Crystal River and Ft Myers (5
family groups)…suddenly I was noticing them plus more, this was like a huge
family reunion…a young bull stopped me before I floated into the NO HUMAN ZONE…I
giggled as he scolded me
Sitting
there I was looking in the Manatee Zone for 2 Notch when one of the volunteers
for fish and wild life asked what I was doing…several Manatee were trying to
get my attention…since she was up on a walk 3 foot higher than me or them, I
asked her if she saw 2 Notch…I started to describe what 2 Notch looked like and
she said ‘How can you tell them apart? They all look the same to me.’…at that
moment, I was angry…I asked ‘when you see children- do they all look alike?’
Ya…I know- I
am a wave hugger…the young male pushed my Yak toward the springs and the
current towed me the rest of the way back…in front of me was a young male
(approx 9- 10 month) with 5 propeller marks down his back…tears fell down my
cheeks that one so young should have them- not that any should, but he was so
young…he came up and snorted me up…lol…I asked if he was taking a break from
the old men and got another snort…I told him to take it easy and paddled back
to the channel…
I asked the
young bull if he had seen 2 Notch…he swam away quickly…Taking pics, sitting
waiting and watching…Tap Tap Tap…it was my big girl…the bull went into the
Manatee Zone…she went back down the canal with me…this big female swam up and stared
pushing my Yak and cornered me…all I could picture is when vacations attack…lol…she
swam up on the inside and gave birth…OMG…2 Notch acted as midwife sort of…I was
so befuddled to be entreated to such a thing
Furtherer up
the channel was a bull I call Durante…he has a cute snoz…then another mother
and baby thought to play with my boat like a Tonka Truck…the mother and child
come from down by the keys…you could tell by the color and attitude- really fun…we
are doing better, but not well enough to come off the endangered list yet
I was so
amazed how well they all got along and how different they all are…some had more
hair, different color skin, birth marks, etc…it was then I wondered if they
think we all look alike…in my head I laughed…I paddled back and jumped on the
road home…I stopped at Emily’s in Homosassa for an awesome burger and as I sat
there going over all that had happened…I showed the kind waitress my camera of
photos and asked ‘do they all look alike to you?’…she flipped through the pics
and thoughtfully said no…sweet girl…
So now I ask
you ‘Do they all look alike?’
You’re
Captain,
D
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