I kicked off 2021 by scratching another item off my bucket list. I’ve been wanting to see manatees in their natural habitat for a while now so I headed to Florida. There are a few places in Florida where you can see manatees by kayak or by actually swimming with them. Manatees are protected by law so it is illegal to feed, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill or annoy them. These large, slow moving marine mammals hang out in the coastal areas and rivers in Florida. The manatees in Florida are the West Indian species also know as “Sea Cows”.
I booked a manatee kayak tour with Virginia Key Outdoor Center ( https://www.vkoc.net ) in Miami and it was so cool! I arrived there about 30 minutes early to fill out paperwork and grab my gear. Then we headed across the street to pick out a kayak and venture into the water. Once in the water we immediately spotted a few manatees and quietly made our way over to them. I quickly realized that we were surrounded by more that just a few manatees. I spotted about 10 to 15 manatees below the surface of the water. The manatees would surface for air every few minutes and then descend back into the water. As we floated over and near the manatees our guide provided us with information/facts about these docile animals.
Afterwards we kayaked through the mangroves and then out to the Atlantic Ocean. It’s always a good thing to see animals in their natural habitat and if you’re looking for something dope to do during your next trip to Miami be sure to put this one on your list!
Bucket List Brandy 