New Manatees

Posted on September 16, 2018 by Carol Grant

Lovely blue spring water with adorable pudgy wrinkly faces and warm Florida rainbow sunlight? Sign me up! That’s what one who loves manatees dreams about! We are lucky to still have opportunities to experience these charismatic sirens on their own terms.

I’m updating my site with recent manatee photographs from the last two fall/winter seasons: 2016/2017 and 2017/2018. There’s over twenty new images already with more to come. Manatee photography has always been an adventure and a challenge, but I relish the challenge. I’m just glad there are still some opportunities to chronicle the manatee’s antics in pretty conditions.

Here’s a partial screenshot of my Oceangrant.com site (Portfolio Site link in menu above). If you click on New Images you will see new additions over the next few weeks. All from the last two seasons:

I’ll tell you a story about one of the new images.
Continue reading →

More About Bday Manatees

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Carol Grant

My last post about all the amazing manatees that have made many of my birthdays memorable, drummed up a lot of interest. I thought I’d delineate which manatees and friends showed up on which of my Feb. 11th birthdays these past few years 2011-2018 and tell a bit of the story behind the shots. Of course I’ve seen manatees on birthdays before these years, but this is the best number for an impactful photo collage.

Manatees and Friends who showed up for my Feb. 11th birthdays from 2011 to 2018 years listed below. Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River, FL.

I’ll start with the latest, Feb 11, 2018 Continue reading →

Birthday Manatees and Friends

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Carol Grant

Tradition…, yes it applies to my time observing manatees in our lovely springs, especially on my Birthday!

A few of the photos taken on my Bdays from: 2011/2012/2013/2014/2015/2016/2017/2018

Even though this last Bday on Feb 11th was unseasonably hot, we were still excited to see several manatees Continue reading →

Happy Holidays from Carol and Manatees

Posted on December 23, 2017 by Carol Grant

Happy Holidays 2017! I wish everyone a fun and joyous time with relatives and friends! A few days ago this sweet mother manatee and her calf swam up behind me. It was quite the seasonal surprise! Of course the charismatic pair got dibs to be featured on our holiday E-Card:

HOLIDAY GREETINGS!

We have had odd weather lately, either too hot or too cool and not much in-between, On December 19th I visited the springs when it wasn’t too warm or too cold. Here is another Continue reading →

Manatees on Halloween and DEMA

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Carol Grant

Manatees for Halloween? As it turns out it’s not spooky at all… I love seeing my sirenian friends on Halloween – no costumes required! Then I packed up right away and headed off to DEMA (Dive Equipment and Marketing Association) convention in Orlando, relaying tales of the Halloween manatees!

Mom brought her young male calf into the springs for Halloween! October 31, 2017

Last time I saw manatees on Halloween was in 2012 Continue reading →

MANATEES AND HOME RENOVATIONS

Posted on August 6, 2017 by Carol Grant

Yes, there comes a time when I must rise above the surface our ocean and springs to tackle necessary renovations around our home. After all I am a land-dwelling inhabitant of Planet Earth. Never fear though, manatees and other inhabitants of our watery world still feature in my daily life and the renovation.

My latest magazine cover, Sport Diver. It couldn’t have come at a better time!

2-page spread. Ahh, to be submerged again…

Opening up our kitchen to the view and the manatees

The West Coast of Florida is known for its stunning sunsets and soft-sand beaches. Continue reading →

Manatee Selfies

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Carol Grant

Selfies…, well we used to call them self-portraits, but now it seems they have taken on a viral life of their own! Those who know me realize I’m always very focused on making the most of my time photographing manatees in Florida’s striking springs. I know I’m a bit light on photographs of myself as it’s not an area I put much attention on. Mainly I want compelling photographs of Florida manatees, the lovely springs, and polite passive observation of our Sirenian friends. Therefore, I often forget that some people would like to see pictures of me in the springs.

Periodically I do get requests, usually from magazines, for a photograph of myself underwater with a manatee. I didn’t have much in my archives, so I took up the new challenge! These three “selfies” are just the beginning of what turned out to be numerous photos from this day, the tip of the iceberg so to speak. I donned a more flattering mask than my usual black non-photogenic one I always wear. Then I really hoped there would be an interested manatee who wanted to be in the frame with me. It turned out I got much much more than I bargained for!?

Manatees are curious about what Carol was up to? My vision was to include as much of the beauty of the springs, the striking light, lovely blue sky and engaging manatees in my self-portraits. I wanted to show what it is like to be underwater and photograph these unique marine mammals. February 2017.

Since I’ve got several manatee projects on-going, I’ll include just three photographs from this experiment. The self-portrait showcase will continue after I get caught up. Continue reading →

Manatee Advice for the New Year

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Carol Grant

Happy New Year! May 2017 be filled with happiness while flourishing and prospering!?

Manatees know a thing or two about New Years, prosperity and all! In fact I put together this video chronicling some wise manatee advice for the upcoming year, 2017. This is all manatee footage from my recent sojourns to the springs in December 2016, so the sage wisdom is current and up-to-date! Here’s the “Happy New Year’s Advice from the Manatees” on Vimeo:

2016 was chocked-full of exciting events for us! There’s too much to summarize in this post, so here’s our “Holiday Greetings from the Grants 2016”

Holiday Greeting From The Grants 2016

Last, there is definitely a bit of “Auld Lang Syne”. 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 →

Little Manatees Are Born To Explore!

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Carol Grant

Here’s another short video I’ve shared on Facebook, Instagram and Vimeo chronicling baby manatee adventures! I think you will find manatee calves and their mothers are not so unlike us, in many many ways??

Little Manatees – Born To Explore! by Carol Grant on Vimeo:

I’ll have more video to come, but manatee season will be ramping up soon so forgive me if I’m busy underwater observing the precocious little manatees!

Best, Carol

Baby Manatees Are Too Cute!

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Carol Grant

Baby animals have a particular penchant for being very cute! Little manatee calves rank right up there with the absolutely most adorable junior creatures I’ve encountered! I’d go out on a limb and say they are the “cutest” but I don’t want to upset any other animal moms, especially the mother humpback whales who I witnessed underwater showing off their own offspring a few years ago!

Since I upgraded my underwater camera outfit a couple of years ago to the Nikon d7200 I’ve been able to take some nice HD video and my catalog of clips of adorable young manatees is growing. I still have it housed in a trusty Subal underwater housing and their glass dome port works well for video also. Before this camera that produces video I used a GoPro mounted on top of my setup and captured some incredible moments also, although not quite at the quality of my Nikon. Still, my video vaults are bursting at the seams with cute little manatee antics and I want to share them with you.

Here is the first in a series of manatee compilation videos. I will keep them under 60 seconds so I can post on Instagram, etc. Possibly I’ll put together a longer one if anyone can’t get enough of the pudgy little manatees?. Best, Carol

Manatees Are Just Too Cute! On Vimeo:

Manatees Support Pink

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Carol Grant

There is lots of “Pink” ? floating around for this October 2016 Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s important! Many of you know I’m a six-year breast cancer survivor who feels enormously blessed with each and every new day of life! But did you know manatees have intimate ties to our awareness crusade? Manatees get their name from the Carib Indian word “manati” which translates to “woman’s breast”. Possibly observing manatees nursing their little ones is the inspiration behind the original name? Or maybe the first inhabitants of the Caribbean Islands had tales of mermaids too? Early Spanish and Portuguese explorers adopted the local “manati” name for the marine mammal also, but they mistook the meaning for “two hands” which focused on the manatee’s two flippers that are quite “hand-like”.

“Manati” is the Original Carib Indian Name for the Manatee, the Root Word Meaning “Woman’s Breast”. See the Pink on this Manatee’s Forehead? Is She Participating in Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Maybe Not Directly as the “Pink” is from Her Rubbing on a Boat Hull or Something Similar that Had Not Fully Dried Yet. Although, Who Really Knows What this Female Manatee is Communicating?

Our Gal Manatee Has Quite the Color Sense! Pink Paint from Rubbing on a Boat Hull or Something Similar is All Down Her Back! She’s into Pink!

I photographed this pretty and charismatic manatee gal in February 2010. Continue reading →

In Search Of Cecil the Sea Serpent – Manatees, Wolfeels & Friends

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Carol Grant

Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent was a glowing bright spark during my childhood that spawned countless fanciful adventures. Cecil was real…, as real as the fresh green grass, bright blue sky and the vast cerulean blue sea! I would imagine many life forms were Cecil, or at least friends of Beany and Cecil, the 1960s cartoon series that was a staple of my childhood.

1964 Kodachrome: Myself at Five and My Iguana Named “Pinky”. I Pretended Pinky Was a “Cecil-Like Character” Always Up for a Helpful Exciting Adventure!

Found at my Grandfather’s house, it’s a rather faded and stuck-to-glass Kodachrome print from this lovely day in August 1963. Yes, that’s me at five years old and, yes, that is an iguana my Dad picked up from a market in Mexico and brought back as a present for me 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 →

My Florida Anniversary

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Carol Grant

Thirty years ago today, May 1st, 1986, I moved to Florida! I was a California gal, born and raised, who lived all over California, the Western US and Hawaii, but something called to me from Florida and I came…! Was it the manatees? I had been fascinated by “sea cows” since I was a very little girl. Manatees and so much more…, I love Florida and it became the place I felt most at home!

This bit of manatee video sums it up to me! Of course there is much more to my thirty-year anniversary in Florida than manatees, but the beautiful, natural, majestic and nonchalant nature of this unique marine mammal says a lot about my quest!

An Adult Male Manatee Exhales With Gusto in the Warm Paradise of Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River, Florida. January 2015.

I am looking back on moving here to Florida thirty years ago and the adventures that have transpired! Continue reading →

Manatee Tales

Manatees & More Blog by Carol Grant | Oceangrant Images

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