Big Red, the manatee.
October 31, 2026: Tom ran into a woman at the marina who is a guide for viewing manatees. So, after Rayma had already showered and washed her hair, we went swimming with the manatees! Not on our agenda previously, it neverless checked a box.
The water in Crystal River is historically very clear but following a hurricane, the water is less so. We saw not oly this mantee (“Big Red”) but also Triangle, and Nugget (baby manatee). Job well done. The water was 72 degrees which by Florida standards is considered cold. (Ha! Said the Californians, the Floridians don’t know old water.)
These are photos of our manatee swim. Obviously we didn’t take these photos but they were taken by Lacey, our terrific guide who gave us historical facts and the ettiquette of swimming with the manatees.