I love our manatees. These harmless, whiskered-face, air-breathing marine mammals are one of the things that make Florida special. We've belonged to the Save the Manatee Club for as long as we've been in Florida. I had even adopted one, Nick, when we were in Jacksonville.
Our love and curiosity of these critters sometimes drives people to do things we shouldn't. This newsletter from SMC, however, made me sick in my stomach. We've felt guilty just trying to kayak close to them - our belief is if they want to play, they'll hang around; if they keep moving, leave them alone. I can see the desire to touch, but ride a manatee? And now that I've seen how many people "touch", I'm even going to be even more careful about not 'bothering' these big sea cows.
The video showing manatee abuse.
The article on the manatee abuse.
I don't mean to get on a soap box, but I think it's important for everyone to understand how we can affect our wildlife. If you think, "How can one pat/scratch/rub bother this animal?", just remember that you are just one of many people...
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