All for one and one for all! Participants on the first SMC "Do Not Disturb" ecotour set out with high hopes of seeing manatees in the wild. (Photo courtesy of Matt Clemons)

By Katie Tripp
Member, SMC Board of Directors

On December 4, 2005, Save the Manatee Club launched its first ever “Do Not Disturb” kayak tour to view manatees in Crystal River, Florida. The group was led by kayak tour operator and SMC Board Member Matt Clemons. Participants journeyed to Crystal River from as far away as Indiana, Michigan, and New Jersey for a unique opportunity to view manatees in their natural habitat and learn more about these gentle aquatic animals and the threats that they face.

Kayakers get an up close and personal view of "Snorty," the manatee. (Photo courtesy of Matt Clemons)

The morning started with an educational briefing to discuss proper etiquette for observing manatees in the wild, and the group also received some basic kayaking tips from Matt. Participants then launched their kayaks and began a wonderful morning of paddling through the calm waters of Crystal River.

Manatees were plentiful throughout the journey, and the paddlers saw more than two dozen of the endangered aquatic mammals up close. The group even observed several manatee moms with their calves, as well as Mo, a tagged manatee released in the Crystal River area last August.

The group takes a break from paddling. (Photo courtesy of Matt Clemons)

Save the Manatee Club believes in passive observation, where people can view manatees without disrupting their natural behavior. The importance of this practice became obvious to the group as they traveled past snorklers and swimmers in the water with manatees. The SMC members saw firsthand how invasive those types of interactions can be, and were happy to be floating above the water’s surface, respectfully observing manatees from their kayaks.

At the end of the day, everyone walked away with smiles, cameras full of memories, and inquiries about how to make reservations again for next year. By all measures, the tour was a success.

SMC Board Member Katie Tripp pauses near Three Sister's Springs. (Photo courtesy of Katie Tripp)

In addition to being a member of the SMC Board of Directors, Katie Tripp is a Ph.D. student in Aquatic Animal Health at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine. She studies manatee reproduction.