Manatees and Aquatic Grass Restoration

Posted on November 5, 2021 by Carol Grant

The Florida Manatee is a pretty easy going marine mammal. They eat various aquatic vegetation, seek warm water sites in the winter and peaceful shallow waters to raise their calves. With these rather simple demands one would think the manatee has a seemingly bucolic existence.

Doesn’t this manatee look contented while taking a breath? It’s been munching on an area of restored seagrass near the entrance to Three Sisters Spring, Crystal River, Florida. Photograph from November 2020.

Unfortunately a totally carefree existence is not in the cards for our beloved manatees as they face many challenges throughout their range. Florida manatees have been in the news lately Continue reading →

Manatee Mother and Calf––On the Cover

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Carol Grant

Ever since the first edition in 2006 of The Florida Manatee: Biology and Conservation by Roger L. Reep and Robert K. Bonde, I’ve experienced heartfelt joy every time a manatee question of mine has been fully answered in the interesting pages of this book. Now, a second edition of the book is coming out soon with a tender photograph of a mother manatee with her young calf on the cover.

The photograph was taken by me on the Spring Equinox in 2019. I am so proud to have this photograph on the cover of this new second edition.

I remember every detail about this heartfelt encounter. Would you like to know more about this charismatic manatee mother and approximately two-week-old calf?
Continue reading →

Birthday Manatees 2019

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Carol Grant

There’s several things that make experiencing another trip around the sun happy and more palatable. For myself, one of those things is being underwater in the manatee’s world. It has become a tradition for me to express my appreciation to the manatees, through photographs, on my birthday.

Monday, February 11th, was very warm but manatees still showed up and the water was gorgeous!

This young manatee lazily poked around Three Sisters Springs Continue reading →

Three Sisters Springs: First Day Open After Restoration

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Carol Grant

Those of us who treasure Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River, Florida, were excited to see the springs re-open on November 15, 2016. It has been 7-1/2 months of construction by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and their contractors. Three Sisters Springs has been closed to the public and manatees the whole summer. Here are some of the pictures I took and observations during my first manatee day this season in the springs.

My First Manatee in Three Sisters Springs Right After it Opened After 7 Months of Shoreline Restoration! Because of Our Enormous Super Moon Tides, Wind and Other Factors, Visibility Wasn’t the Best, But These are Some of My Better Photos from November 15th. ***(Note: because my computer is in for repair I downloaded these RAW photographs and edited these exclusively on my iPad. It was a very interesting learning experience, although I miss the color accuracy of my calibrated monitor, it’s a good on-the-go workflow).

Mixed feelings, that is what I have after spending three hours underwater back in Three Sisters Springs on opening day, November 15th. Continue reading →

Manatee Lagoon and Blue Heron Bridge

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Carol Grant

Two and a half stories high…, Wow! That’s a BIG manatee photo! And it’s my underwater photograph! I’ll admit it’s been a bit daunting to see it in person, finally, and I’ll honestly say it’s really impressive, lovely and makes a bold statement!

That’s My BIG Manatee Photograph Along With Gray Snapper Swimming On The Wall At Manatee Lagoon! The Cousteau Quote Gladdens My Heart!

A few weeks ago I took off on a last-minute journey across Florida to visit Manatee Lagoon, see my enormous manatee photo on their wall and scuba dive at Blue Heron Bridge. Continue reading →

Manatee Protection Signs

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Carol Grant

These new manatee protection signs are popping up all around Crystal River, Florida. While signs to watch for manatees and a limited number of educational kiosks have been placed in coastal areas throughout Florida, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has raised the bar with these excellent signs!

Three-panel manatee protection sign at a boat launch. Put up by USFWS, Crystal River, Florida.

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Manatee Tales

Manatees & More Blog by Carol Grant | Oceangrant Images

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