IT IS FREEZING!

COLD
MANATEES GATHER AT HOSPITAL HOLE
SEEKING THE WARMTH OF A DEEP NATURAL SPRING
PERHAPS 15 OR SO ARE THERE
BUNCHES OF MOMS AND BABIES

HUMPY, THE BABY AND FAN ARE THERE TOO.
THE BUMP IS LARGER, WHITE AND POINTED

I QUIETLY KAYAK AROUND, ENJOYING THE SOLITUDE OF JUST ME AND THE MANATEES.
NO ONE ELSE IS THERE.

THIS IS NOT A HAPPY STORY

IDIOTS ABOUND, you are not going to believe this one, not for the squeamish. I am giving my manatees an extra hug today.

From the Miami Herald, November 12, 2006,http://www.Miami. com/mld/miamiher ald/news/ local/15991942. htmBISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK -- Rangers investigate manatee mutilationBy ELIAS E. LOPEZ (elopez@MiamiHerald. com)

Authorities are asking the public for assistance in finding the person orpersons guilty of mutilating a manatee, found dead off the shore of Biscayne National Park on Friday.

National Park Service officials responded Fridaymorning to a boater's report of a dead manatee floating in the bay near thepark located at 9700 SW 328 St. in Homestead.

NPS officers say the suspectsprobably captured the animal -- six feet long, between 500 and 600 pounds --either late Thursday or early Friday before slashing its throat and cuttingoff its fins. ''It's pretty disgraceful that a manatee was treated thatway,'' NPS officer Brian Fields said. ``They're protected and to see thathappening, it's really disturbing.' '

The investigation into the mutilation continues, but if officials find thatthe incident occurred as a result of human abuse, NPS officials say thiswould be one of the worst cases they have ever seen. ''This is the firsttime I've seen this with manatees. Usually they get slashed by boats,'' saidFields, a law enforcement park ranger. He added that those responsiblecould face one year in federal prison and/or a $100,000 fine.

The FloridaFish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be conducting a necropsy onthe mammal on Monday to determine the cause of death. The manatee, long theposter mammal of the environmental movement in Florida, is listed as athreatened species. The docile sea cows face several threats, includingdeaths from boat strikes, red tide and habitat loss.The National Park Service is asking anyone with information to call305-230-1144, ext. 3067.

Listen to this

So there I was kayaking and hanging out in Hospital Hole. There were about 5 manatees there including one little baby and mom. SO exciting! for me. Someone in a canoe went by and I asked them if they saw the manatees. They unexcitedly said yes. Then the guy said.."I saw two doe and a buck deer, now that is exciting." I once again thought, what is wrong with people. Yep deer are exciting to see, but how can you compare that to an endangered species? Also there were people fishing in Hospital Hole in a huge pontoon boat. The manatees were all around them, and all they cared about was fishing. Not one of them made any comments about the manatees. I hope they were careful when they left, but I doubt it.
SOME PEOPLE ARE CLUELESS.
Thanks for listening
Love to all manatee lovers
JP

Humpy spotted again

This is the newest letter I sent to Ken at fish and wildlife. I was really sick when I saw my baby, my perfect baby, has more scars! I don't know how long I can do this. Doesn't anybody care. This river and the manatees need protection. Homeowners on the river are afraid of getting their boating rights taken away. There has to be some sort of compromise.

Hi Ken,
My husband and I saw Humpy, the baby and Fan way upriver today. I took these pics. Her hump is more pointed on the side now. The baby has new boat scars, one of which is a healed gash on her back, I am sick.

I don't know how you can do what you do, but I appreciate it so much and I know you are helping manatees.
So this trio has been upriver for a couple of weeks now.
Thanks for caring,

STRAY MANATEE, PLEASE DONATE TO SAVE THE MANATEES

An effort has been launched to try to rescue a manatee spotted on a Mississippi River tributary near downtown Memphis, TN. The endangered animal was reported to the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency on Monday, October 23rd. It is estimated that the manatee swam more than 700 miles against the current and dodged busy boat traffic to reach the Memphis destination.
"Save the Manatee Club immediately offered financial assistance for the effort. We have been in regular contact with staff at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and they are working with Tennessee wildlife officials, the Memphis Zoo, and the Manatee Rescue Team from Sea World Orlando," said Patrick Rose, Executive Director of Save the Manatee Club. "The team is in place in Memphis, and they are out on the water now hoping to capture the manatee and bring it to safety.”
Cool water temperatures in the area have been a concern for those who have been monitoring the wayward manatee. A semi-tropical species, manatees cannot usually tolerate water temperatures much lower than 68 degrees for long periods of time. Water temperatures in the Wolf River Harbor, where the manatee has been seen, have been in the 64-degree range.
In the winter, usually November through March, the manatee population is concentrated primarily in Florida. Water temperatures below 21º C (70º F) usually cause manatees to move into warm water refuge areas. Manatees are susceptible to cold-related disease, and they congregate near natural springs or warm water effluents of power plants.If the capture is successful, the manatee will be placed on foam cushions and brought back to Florida in a Sea World rescue truck. Manatees are mammals, so they can, if kept moist, survive out of water for a period of time. Once the manatee reaches Florida, it may need to spend some rehabilitation time at Sea World Orlando before being released to back to the wild. The unusual visitor in the Memphis harbor has attracted much media attention and many onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of the manatee. Local residents have even nicknamed the animal "Manny." "We don't know why the manatee swam so far up the Mississippi with cold weather approaching, but we are all rooting for his or her safe return and eventual release back into the wild," said Rose.Manatees are an endangered species and are protected under the federal Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts.

Manatee Winter

Well the Gulf is cooling and today kayaking on the river I saw 2 manatees in Hospital Hole.

This is a spring area on the river that is a haven for the manatees in the winter.

Took a variety of pics. Hope you enjoy them.

Manatee technicality

Hey, I just wanted to let you know that manatees can support their own weight. Their bones are very dense and solid, unlike whales or dolphins. So they are fine being out of the water for a while. Our girls did just fine, not to worry.

Bones
The manatees anatomy includes the densest bones on earth. Except the sternum and some of the vertebrae of the spine, manatee bones have no marrow at all. These dense bones act like the ballast in a submarine, weighing it down so that when it compresses and shifts the distribution of air in its lungs by use of the diaphragm, a manatee can swiftly sink to the bottom.
They are quite stout, built to carry the large frame of this giant creature. Manatee flippers contain bones that appear surprisingly delicate, and note the five fingers of the "hand." These finger bones are believed, by some to be vestigial remnants of their ancestral terrestrial life.

Humpy returns with a suprise....the orphaned baby

I wrote this letter to Fish and Wildlife today. If you aren't familar with Humpy, look at my previous postings.


Dear Ken, I spotted Humpy the manatee with the large lump today in my canal, The Big Cypress at about 5 pm.. The lump is truly much larger, I hope my pics do it justice. It is very dimensional. The good new is that her baby is doing great. Fan the adolescent manatee is still with her. I have heard we have an orphaned baby on the river and I believe Humpy has adopted it. So as usual she had quite a crew with her...2 babies, and the adolescent.
The group was eating, resting and frolicking. What else do manatees do?
I stayed with them for about an hour and a half. Believe it or not, I was extremely quiet and I was able to feel the lump quite a bit. It is hard like a brick! I felt the rest of her skin and the lump felt much harder. I didn't see or feel any ulcerations and I even felt under the lump. I did notice when she comes up she blows alot of water through her nostrils. She has always done this and I always wondered if that was normal. Today I thought about my Park Manatees. I get around 6 inches from their nostrils and there is no moisture when they blow out or else I would get a face full of water. They blow just air. Humpy blows all water.
Once they decided to move on, I observed her swimming. I really don't think she has any buoyency problems.

A WONDERFUL DAY KAYAKING, OF COURSE

I haven't been kayaking in a while. It has been just too hot, or too rainy or too something. I have been going to the park 3 times a week giving manatee encounters. There are so many great, caring people out there from all over the world. we just need to reach the people who are unaware, or just don't care about what is happening to our environment. Our Manatees. I am going to also give alligator and hippo encounters. Don't worry, I don't go in the water with them. Although I get to throw watermelon, cantelope and honey dew into the hippos mouth. He begs for it. No feeding the gators. Just a talk about them,
I never knew that hippos are related to whale. That suprised me.

Well today was finally a glorious day. I invited a friend from the park, Joanne (her specialy is rehabing raptors) to kayak with me. She passed the test with flying colors. No problem adapting to my pedal kayak and we got to go way the heck upriver.

There were 2 manatees off my dock this morn. They are feeding deeper now and don't surface for long period of time. I think this is where the newer, higher protien vegetation grows.

The river was a beautiful green/blue and perfectly clear. Great for swimming and that we did. An otter swam right past us while we were in the river, very cool

There was another, younger manatee feeding in the river. I warned the couple of boaters out of its posistion and they all said they would look for the manatee.

We kayaked for 3.5 hours and finally slowly floated home.
I ran into quite a few of kayakers I knew so it was a very social day also.

It felt so good to be back on the river.
talk to you later

Lessons I have learned

LIFE LESSONS FROM MY LOVE, THE MANATEES.


To eat my veggies

To take full deep breaths

To seek out warm clear water

To trust

To love my fellow species

To love my enemies

To have an innocent curiosity about everything

MANATEE SIGHTED IN MANHATTAN

Massive manatee favors Manhattan suburbs 52 minutes ago



NEW YORK - In the heat of summer, all sorts of tourists head north to cooler climes. This year, a manatee has joined the crowd, cruising past the nightclubs of Manhattan and continuing north.


The massive animal has been spotted in the Hudson River at least three times in the last week — first off the Chelsea and Harlem sections of Manhattan, then to the north in Sleepy Hollow in Westchester County.

"It was gigantic," said Randy Shull, who said he spotted the unusual visitor Sunday afternoon while boating at Kingsland Point Park in Sleepy Hollow. "When we saw it surface, its back was just mammoth."

John Vargo, the publisher of Boating on the Hudson magazine, said his alert about the sightings was met with disbelief by some boaters.

"Some were laughing about it, because it couldn't possibly be true," he said.

It is unusual for one of the creatures — often associated with the warm waters of Florida — to travel so far north, although they have been reported along the shores of Long Island and even Rhode Island.

"I'm 70 years old, and I've been on the river my entire life," Vargo said. "I've seen dolphins and everything else, but never a manatee."

LOOK AT THAT FACE

I might as well name this cutie NO NAME. Slashy and NO NAME are still here in my water. I went out tonight and NO NAME instantly came over to my kayak for an intimate visit. We interacted for at least 45 minutes then I finally left. No NAME likes to nudge my kayak rudder and gently swims under my kayak going back and forth. Every so often he/she ? comes up to my hand or foot and touches me. OH SO DELICIOUS!

FOUR BEST FRIENDS

i went out kayaking this evening and spotted 4 manatee off my dock. it was slashy, the unnamed child and two others who I don't personally know.. unnamed likes to hang out with me. i just quietly sit in my kayak and he interacts as he wants to, on his own. he likes to nudge my feet. he stays with me as long as i am there. sometimes i think manatees think my yak is another manatee, it is gray and close to the shape of a manatee. ran into neighbors, it was a nice social evening on the water.

Brent and the Conch

I hope I can do this quickly. I have to go to the park for my manatee encounter programs today. B is comming with me to observe. I'm nervous. I will have him take pics. Hopefully the girls will cooperate.
Had a great father's day. Ended up somehow at caladesi island. just happened they put on an extra ferry so we hopped on. B is holding this conch I found with my feet, I thought is was a huge rock, so I surfaced dived, with my goggles on and found two of these comingled. THey seperated and I handed one two K who got scared when it squirted water. He dropped his , but I managed to get back to shore to show b. We photographed this living monster and I gently returned it to its origins.
Went to see praire home comp. after the beach.. wasn't sure if I liked it, but then decided I really loved it.


PROGRESS OF MY BUTTERFLY GARDEN. i actually have a butterfly!






I have more to say, but I have to go..talk to you later

Happy Father's day dragon fly man

so it seems every morning this guy visits my oak tree. hope your not getting bored with hawk pictures.

yesterday ken and i went yaking upriver. It was a lovely trip. We actually witnessed law enforcement. A sheriff on a skido giving a group of people in blue rental boats (the most hated) a ticket for alcohol possession. YEAH!!!
We lounged on a beach upriver, past knees beach. This beautiful dragonfly landed on ken's big toe. You talk about the beautiful and the ugly.



I am always amazed at the blue on these dragonflies.

Did some level 200 swimming,see previous post, nothing too strenuous.

On the way home I met 2 very nice woman. One is known as kayak Julie, much the same way I am know as Kayak J...,The other is a close neighbor with a similar lifestyle.
I am going to reach out. New friends are always nice.

I am sorry to report no manatee stories. People were saying there was a group of nine hanging out where the river meets the gulf. I wonder if it was a mating group?
Perhaps today I will go downriver and check it out.
It is father's day so we get to do what k wants. Maybe I can persuade him to kayak. Do you think so?

Slashy and child

Happy B-day Mz. Ivy. I love you very much, as much as I love manatees!

hey James, thanks for your condolences, checked on the green heron chick today and it is fine.

Erin-I am sad I missed your call today.

I always love everyone's comments. It makes me know there are people out there actually reading this stuff.

Went out yakking today, called a couple of fellow yakkers to see if they wanted to go, no one was around. So off I went. Save the manatees sent me a bunch of pamphlets regarding manatee manners and I handed them out to rental boats today on the river. Everyone seemed very interested. It was very beautiful out on the river today, not busy, very blue. I went swimming at the corner, it was clear and cool.

These two guys are hanging by my house today. It is Slashy and another child, I don't know who it is. Curious, but not overly friendly, GOOD. One of the pics show how the kids hug the moms. Very sweet.

In case you didn't know. I love manatees.

Little guy

Hey this is the little green heron I have pictured in previous postings.

He survived the storm.

Still hanging out by his nest, but not in it anymore. He is just about fully feathered out, but there is still some down by his lower back. I took this picture today.

Went kayaking today and the river looked like it got a bath. The river is very very crystal clear. We had a very high tide after the storm and I think it scrubbed the river. It was truly magnificant.

No manatees around. I think they went out to the gulf for safety from the hurricane.

Brent made delicious clams with a butter/beer sauce tonight. He is trying to learn to cook and a great cook he is becoming.

Talked to Save the Manatees, they sent me a bunch of handouts. At first I thought I would put them at the boat rental place, but now I think I will give them out to people on the river while I am kayaking. The save the manatee lady also gave me great manatee counseling and told me I was making a difference.

Talk to you later, good night 

BEAUTIFUL SWIMMER

we all survived the storm. it was really no big deal

lost electricity for 2 hours, higher than normal tide

thank you for you concern

Red shouldered hawk, storm preparation

I took this picture at dusk tonight. He was in the Oak Tree by my deck.
My very bestest friend from my ol life, Vicky gave me a very cool wind up radio. Well I took it out of it's box for the first time today and set it up.
A storm is heading here and we have a voluntary evacuation. I am not leaving, not for this one. The kitties are in the house safe and sound and I have all the supplies set up.
I just hope it doesn't his during the night I crawled up on a ladder this morning in a torrential down pour and cleaned gutters. Took care of the boat and kayaks. I think they are all safe and sound. I am ready, bring it on.
Tomorrow I have the state park. I wonder if it will be too bad to go. I am sure they can use all the extra help they can have.
B is coming home from Phoenix tomorrow. K is in Buffalo. Movement of people.
Wish me luck for tonight, goodnight 

2 woodpeckers

By the way, here are two pileated woodpeckers I spoted in a tree next to my house 

Life and death on the river

HUMPY'S BABY AT MY KAYAK...VERY BAD MANATEE

So you know how I have been posting the pictures of the cute baby green herons? I went over to the nest yesterday only to discover one of them dead in the nest. I was saddened but, if you can believe this, not hysterical. The baby died in his nest, the other birdy baby is fine. I wonder if the one that died was the weak one. He never left the nest the way the other one did. We are supposed to get a bunch of rain from that darn tropical storm. I hope that doesn't harm him.

Cousin A , Ken and I went yaking today, swam at the corner, I did the usual, surface diving, amphibious swimming. THere was bunch of talk from fellow boaters and yakkers about the 2 manatees upstream, a mom and baby. Could it be my beloved humpy and babe? We traveled upstream to a narrow part of the river and it was those two, just hanging out eating grass. Oh god, the river was so so narrow, how could a boat not hit one or both of them? I can't stand the thought. Humpy has a new prop mark, the baby, well that very bad baby, has grown, nearly doubled in size I would say. That baby has become very friendly. He came right up to my kayak and demanded attention, cute but not good. He's gonna die. I pushed him away from me. We stayed with them, warning boaters of their presence, until this huge storm came bearing down on us. It rained so hard all the way home. It was really a great feeling..Exhilarating, we laughed all the way home and then jumped in the hot tub to take the chill off.
But my deep care and concern of humpy and baby sticks with me like a fresh wound. I just want people to respect the manatees on the river, Can it ever happen?

Tomorrow I am calling Save the Manatees to see what I can do to help with this huge controversy about taking them off endagered list.

I AM SICK, THIS WORLD IS NUTS

I am sick over this, but I didn't expect any other decision.

From Save The Manatees:

Yesterday, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at its regular quarterly meeting in West Palm Beach, Florida, ignored public outcry and voted to downlist manatees from “Endangered” status to “Threatened” over the objections of numerous scientists and manatee advocates. Last week, seventeen conservation, animal welfare, and public interest groups from Florida and around the nation filed a legal petition with the FWC urging the state to revise its imperiled species classification system and also asking the agency to delay any species’ reclassifications, like the manatee’s, that recommended a lesser status of imperilment.

The action of the FWC may prevent the actual recovery of the manatee population and the conservation community fears that the same fate may await other at-risk species in Florida like the northern right whale, Florida panther, and Florida black bear

Manatees,Birds and Flowers- pictures galore

These are the baby green herons that I took pics of a week or so ago. My have they grown. I am so happy they are surviving. There are so many dangers out there for them. Snakes, gators,turtles, fish and hawks etc would all love a meal of these guys.
Here is a red shoulder hawk next to my deck.
This is a pic of my plumeria in blossom. The plumeria was a gift from my bestest kayak buddy, Kayak Joyce2. I am very surprised and quite delighted it is blossoming.
I have been given the honor of caring for my favorite sister's, Renee, jasmine plant. I am trying my extra special hardest to take as good care of it as nee nee did. Well guess what? It is blossoming!

And finally but, as you all know, not leastly, MY MANATEES:
This poor guy was off my dock the other day. I haven't seen scrapes on a manatees back like this before. Pretty nasty, but not red or fresh, thank goodness. I am going to call this one scrapey.

I went kayaking with K. my neighbor today. She is my dear, close friend. Our kayak trips are always filled with lively discussions.We stopped at bad tree beach and hung out for quite a while talking and I did some amphibious crawling. No goggles or surface diving today the river was pretty mucky from traffic. It was great to be out kayaking.

Please remember to call J. Bush and Fish and Wildlife tomorrow June 6 . They want to take manatees and the bald eagle off the endagered list in Florida. See my last post for the phone numbers. Leave a comment for me if you call please.

Megan, Tomorrow is my talk, I will be sure to leave a detailed report for you. I hope all goes well. Those 6 girls better show up for their vitamins. I get a little nervous ahead of time. And James, thanks for putting me on your blog sight.

Night everyone!

This is SO important, phone numbers included!

I received this message from SAVE THE MANATEES.

Please help, one person can make a difference.

On Tuesday, June 6th, please remember to call the FWC Commissioners and Governor Jeb Bush and say the following: Please delay the decision on downlisting manatees and delisting bald eagles until the state fixes their imperiled species classification system.

Phone Numbers:
FWC Commissioners: 850-487-3796

Governor Jeb Bush: 850-488-7146


On Wednesday, June 7th, the FWC Commissioners will meet and vote on whether to downlist manatees in Florida.
If you live in Florida, please attend: West Palm Beach Marriott1001 Okeechobee BlvdWest Palm Beach, FL 33401Phone: 561-833-1234

There is no “time certain” for our issue, however, it appears from FWCC’s agenda that the manatee downlisting discussion and vote will come up on June 7 by early or mid afternoon.
If you plan to attend the meeting, please call Janice Nearing, Director of Public Relations, at 1-800-432-5646 or e-mail jnearing@savethemanatee.org.

Thank you for helping on this critical issue for manatees!

Belated Birthday Wish

I know I am 40 minutes late, hope you will forgive me, JP