If I Could Only See a Manatee, Wild and Free Samantha at Blue Spring State Park with (l-r) Ranger Wayne Hartley and SMC staff Mary Jane Keesling and Janice Nearing.

My name is Samantha Emery, and I just adore manatees. I am 12 years old and live in Kelvedan Hatch, a small village on the outskirts of London, England. I first developed a love for these gentle giants on a family holiday to Sea World in Florida. The story of how these vegetarians, after millions of years on the planet, were now in danger from humans, struck a cord in me. On my return to England, I started to do research on the manatees, and the more I read, the more I wanted to see them in a natural environment. I finally made a deal with my dad that if I could save the airfare and do well in my exams, we could go to Florida just to see the manatees.

We flew from London on the 15th of November and arrived at Blue Spring State Park on the 16th. We met with Mary-Jane Keesling and Janice Nearing at the Save the Manatee Club education table, and they sadly told us that due to the warm weather, the manatees were still in the St. Johns River. We took a boat trip along the river and saw the environment in which they lived, but no manatees.

On the 17th, we drove to Homossasa Springs Wildlife State Park, where rescued and rehabilitated manatees live, year-round. I spent a very long time watching them play. It was great to see how they gathered food off the surface with their flabby looking mouths and lips. I just loved looking at them, and dad said I had a large grin on my face. Manatees seem to me to be graceful, gentle and without anger. While slow, they are also inquisitive and intelligent.

On the morning of the 18th we went again to Blue Spring. As I stood looking out into the spring, I saw a nose coming up from the water. I had at last seen a manatee in its natural habitat. We observed it for about 35 minutes as it came up for air then sunk back down out of sight. Seeing this creature in the wild was the most exciting thing that has happened to me. Dad said I looked fit to burst! I just love these peaceful, trusting animals. They seem so comfortable around people. It is a shame that manatees don’t seem to understand that it is only people who can hurt them.

We flew back home on the 19th with my head (and my camera) full of wonderful manatee memories.

For more information on manatees, visit the Manatee Info page.