Crystal River, Florida: Helen Spivey, our SMC Board Co-Chair, took this photo at Mullet Gullet. "The neat thing about this tiny little calf was his lack of ability to swim and breathe properly (too new to the process) that made him bop up and down in the water," says Helen. "There were about 7 divers in the water and when he tried to swim to them, they realized they needed to get out of the way and got back into their boat. It was a most courteous, and thoughtful thing for them to do."

Orange City, Florida: Keeping it all in the family, Buck Vallee (husband of our Development Director, Judith Vallee) took this photo of manatees gathered at Blue Spring State Park on December 23rd. These manatees obviously knew the cold snap was coming.

Orange City, Florida: Annie Mitchell Burge and her daughter Jenna from North Carolina visited Blue Spring State Park and shot what looks like a manatee doing a side stroke (top). In reality, the manatee was likely caught in the midst of a barrel roll. The bottom photo is of Peaches, son of Georgia, one of the Blue Spring adoptees. His deep scar is a graphic reminder of why manatees need protection.

Orange City, Florida: Marcy Taylor, SMC's Membership Services Representative, took these two photos at Blue Spring State Park in January. The juvenile manatee in the top photo seems to be saying, "Wait for me!" Below, a sweet snout shot as a manatee comes up to breathe.

Fort Myers, Florida: Shelly Green, a Florida resident, took this video on Christmas Day of a manatee munching on vegetation along the canal bank at Manatee Park. (Video courtesy Shelly Green)

See the video

Do you have a manatee sighting to share? Send photos and a short description to education@savethemanatee.org. If your photo is selected for our Paddle Tales E-Newsletter, we'll send you a free Save the Manatee Club T-Shirt!