Carol Grant - Oceangrant Images - Manatees & More

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A male manatee takes a peaceful breath by a warm water spring that is nestled amongst the surrounding forest trees on November 30, 2021. It looks bucolic and sounds like an ideal life, but this adult Florida manatee's life is not without challenges. The manatee needs to stay warm and the 72 degree Fahrenheit spring water and warm Florida sunshine here fufills that need. This manatees needs to get enough to eat and it appears it is in good condition plus there is aquatic vegetation not far away in a nearby lake. Spring fed areas typically don't contain a lot of plants for the manatee to eat and in some areas most of the aquatic vegetation has died, but conservationists are working on that. The brown-green mats in this photograph shows the invasive Lyngbya algae that chokes out some of the manatee's food sources at freshwater sites all around the state. There is hope though as something is being done about this. Currently there are very successful Lyngbya removal and eelgrass replanting efforts on the West Coast of Florida. And the East Coast manatees that make it this far inland have conservationists working hard here too. Just to the west of this spring is a roped off area of recently planted specially bred eelgrass that is protected in special cages. It is growing tall and will proliferate, joining other replanted areas around the spring run. That is a start but this Lyngbya will have to be removed also which entails cooperation of different agencies plus the communithy. The investment of time and money is worth every penny and man-hour to ensure the Florida manatee's future. The natural light for photography here is stunning. I'm thrilled when natural light and manatee come together! Trichechus manatus latirostris, the Florida manatee. Ocala National Forest, Florida. USA.

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A male manatee takes a peaceful breath by a warm water spring that is nestled amongst the surrounding forest trees on November 30, 2021. It looks bucolic and sounds like an ideal life, but this adult Florida manatee's life is not without challenges. The manatee needs to stay warm and the 72 degree Fahrenheit spring water and warm Florida sunshine here fufills that need. This manatees needs to get enough to eat and it appears it is in good condition plus there is aquatic vegetation not far away in a nearby lake. Spring fed areas typically don't contain a lot of plants for the manatee to eat and in some areas most of the aquatic vegetation has died, but conservationists are working on that. The brown-green mats in this photograph shows the invasive Lyngbya algae that chokes out some of the manatee's food sources at freshwater sites all around the state. There is hope though as something is being done about this. Currently there are very successful Lyngbya removal and eelgrass replanting efforts on the West Coast of Florida. And the East Coast manatees that make it this far inland have conservationists working hard here too. Just to the west of this spring is a roped off area of recently planted specially bred eelgrass that is protected in special cages. It is growing tall and will proliferate, joining other replanted areas around the spring run. That is a start but this Lyngbya will have to be removed also which entails cooperation of different agencies plus the communithy. The investment of time and money is worth every penny and man-hour to ensure the Florida manatee's future. The natural light for photography here is stunning. I'm thrilled when natural light and manatee come together! Trichechus manatus latirostris, the Florida manatee. Ocala National Forest, Florida. USA.