Skip to main content

Oil Slick?

Today was beach day and, of course, it was a fun day, but something wonderful happened. We were out in the Gulf for the third time and just having fun without snorkels, goggles, or boogie boards. Nancy turned to me and then behind me and asked, "What's that?" I turned around and saw a large dark area undulating toward us. I stood still and let it approach. Nancy asked if it was an oil slick. We both stood there as it came even closer, to about 8 feet of me, and by that time I was thinking giant manta ray. No fins so it couldn't be a dolphin or shark, but damn that thing was too damn close so I started moving toward the shore. The slick or whatever it was then moved away from me and up came a round snout taking in air. Nancy yelled it was a manatee. It moved slowly toward some fishermen down at some rocks and pretty soon an arm went up and we heard "manatee...".

Didn't have the camera with me but sure wish I could have recorded the contact. I don't think this is a common sighting at Sunset beach so feel honored we were there and saw it.




Comments

  1. Neighbor TimAugust 22, 2009 at 1:09 PM

    Awesome.....what a rare sighting, yes count yourselves lucky. Years ago when visiting Venace Beach near Sarasota, we paid for a tour to see dolphins and manatees, seen dolpins, but no manatees?

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 22, 2009 at 9:02 PM

    Beaches, beach bunnies, manatees, whatever. Nice life. If you only knew what I did today you'd be like, soooo jealous...like, cryin' to come back here and doin' all the way cool stuff I did today. Like, I even drank some beer, so take that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. KenzieAugust 22, 2009 at 10:06 PM

    im so jealous!!! Ive been here 2 years and I havent seen one :( only a shark fin.... but id take a manatee anyday :) Maybe tomorrow??

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Flashback Friday

Class, Or Lack Thereof The Dwight Vice gravestone in Oquawka, Illinois. I bring this old chestnut out every so often just to remind me that class is classless.  Dwight Vice was killed in his home near Oquawka in 2001.  It was one of those things that can generate crime:  two guys thought Dwight had a lot of money stashed at home because of his pot-selling sideline to supplement his fishing job.   Not really one of those big drug deals gone-bad things.  Marijuana was, according to the trial, about the only stuff Dwight sold.   But these two guys barge into the house and killed Dwight and attempted to kill his 11 year old kid, Darryl, before they took off with what money they could find.   His son, now 23, was stabbed in the back and left for dead.  He survived and is wheelchair bound and has undergone several surgeries to repair his wounds.  He will be paralyzed for life.   None of this is pleasant.  Reading the facts of the murder and attempted murder are most unpleasant
Post a Comment
Read more

Summer Swim

It's Monday and the start of another work week.  Except for me.  I have the week off because the parents of my daycare charges are taking the week off, too. This is one of those wordless posts I love on Mondays so I can put my laziness in full view of loyal readers.  These pics need no words.  Why muddy the waters?   They were taken at the pool at Sinkhole Estates aka Death Valley.  The nice thing about this pool is it is heated in winter.  If one must find positives in one's situation, I suppose that is one.  But, please, no more.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Florida Air Museum - Part 3

Welcome back to a pretty neat tour of the Florida Air Museum in Lakeland Florida.  There's a lot to see and a couple of the old Geezer Gold Wing guys are already sitting down instead of walking around looking at the exhibits. That's John who is wore out and making a call to his wife.  In all honesty, John was pretty well bushed before the ride.  He told me his daughter's family was down from one of the Carolina's with the grand kids and he must have played with them too much.   He's about to take off on his own and head for home, but he's going to miss a couple of neat things out on Hangar A.   But, before we walk over there, we have lots yet to see here.  If you saw The Aviator with Leonardo DiCaprio playing Howard Hughes, you'll remember that he went up in a plane during the filming of one of his movies to prove a point about flying.  He crashed trying to execute a roll and this is a picture of the plane he crashed.  Note the propeller
1 comment
Read more