Saturday, December 25, 2010

My first Christmas guest, Manny the Manatee (Trichechus Manatus)

Manny,  paying me a visit Christmas morning


AAHHHH!

I'm outa here, see you Wed,  after the cold front leaves
Manny, as I call him or perhaps her, is a regular visitor to my dock. While washing down the boat,  Manny dropped by for a quick drink before the next cold front moves in tomorrow. Manatee's graze only on water plants; eat 60-100 Lbs, a day. Because they are so slow and docile they are prone to injuries from motorboat propellers. Manatee waters are strictly controlled by Rangers who enforce speed limits.
At one time, when the Keys were first being developed, they were hunted for food. This period was before roads existed, only the railroad was being built by Flagler's men.

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