Meet the Manatees - Day 124 - Marathon, FL

At around 11:00 AM, our friends, Sue and Darryl from Present Moment, phoned to let us know there were two manatees, a mother and calf at their marina.  This was exciting news.  We have been in Florida since December 1st and had not seen a single manatee.  We had seen signs at every marina explaining the manatee protocols and based on their proliferation you would think manatee were numerous.

If it were not for the fact that our friends Marjorie and Dick went swimming with them we were on the verge of deciding that manatees were a myth used by Florida to lure tourists.  Just kidding.

I dingied over to Marathon Marina, while Diana walked over with the furry kid, got directions from Darryl and went to their location.  I was not disappointed. 

Manatee mother and calf sunning at Marathon Marina

While the manatees themselves are unexciting, essentially lying on the surface sunning themselves, they created a lot of excitement.

Sue, Darryl and Diana ogling the manatees

Unfortunately, these magnificent creatures are threatened with extinction and one of the biggest threats are boats.  Manatees move slow, boats move fast and that is not a good combination.  Many manatees have scars from encounters with boat propellers as was the case with this mother.  Notice the scar on the photo below.  Note: The propellers do not fare that well but they are easily repaired.


The white markings are scars from contact with a propeller

After watching the manatees for a half hour, we decided to take a walk out to Seven Mile Bridge where you get a spectacular view on the Atlantic to the left and the Gulf to the right.

Happy folks on the pedestrian bridge

We saw what we first thought was a strange sight but quickly figured out that it was a work crew pouring cement to reinforce a bridge pier.

On the way back we stopped to rest (getting old) and pose for another photo.

Then we had lunch at the restaurant on Marathon Marina grounds, which had a lovely display for crab traps and crab pots.  This prompted a discussion as to whether we should burn them or just stop eating crab as our form of protest for the fisherman laying their traps in the main ICW channel.  We chose the latter but with limited resolve.  Crab, after all, do taste good.

Diana walked back to the Burdines while I explored Boot Key Harbor on the dingy.  My travels took me eastward to the City Marina, which is essentially a mooring field filled with Loopers camped out for the winter.  They reach shore via the dingy dock. Diana had called City Marina for reservations and learned that they were booked solid through the season.  And, remember that's for camping out on a mooring.  Wow.

Just a small segment of the City Marina mooring field

One of two City Marina dingy docks

I also checked out Marathon Marina's annex, which is the full service working part of their operation.  Note the travel lift at the end of the fairway.  We could have reserved space along the dock but declined.

Working section of the Marathon Marina

Dinner was at Sparky's on Key Colony at their marina.  Darryl's, Sue, Diana and I enjoyed the food although we thought the big screen TVs detracted from the ambiance.  Then we returned to Burdine's Chiki Tiki Restaurant for the best Key Lime pie we have ever tasted, which we had discovered on Monday.  Burdine's was closing but sportingly put four pieces in a bag to go.  We ended the evening sitting at Guided Discovery's cockpit table enjoying our Key Lime pie and good conversation.

Meanwhile, it was snowing like crazy in Chicago with gale force winds to 50 MPH that forced the closing of Lake Shore Drive while we enjoyed summer in the dead (actually to the day) of winter. 

Written by Les.