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Central
Florida
Manatee
Springs
After 3 months, we finally left
Cape San Blas; we were ready to venture out of our
sweet womb space! After a short stint at
Ochlokonee River State Park, we headed to Manatee
Springs for 3
short nights. This is a natural spring putting
out huge volumes of fresh water from 2.5 miles of
underground, underwater caverns. We saw huge
carp, bream, long-nosed gar, bass and even mullet in
the spring water - and of course Manatees!
This rates high on our list of pretty places to
explore.
Click on the pictures for
a large version.
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| Licia at
the catfish pond |
the catfish
pond covered with duckweed |
a grand oak
next to the springs |
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| aerial
plants above the stream |
an old
cypress stump in the water |
reeds and
cypress knees on the Suwanee River |
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| stumps and
knees |
the
interior cypress swamp |
old cypress
at the head of the spring |
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| a scared
armadillo |
the
headwaters cavern |
the
headwaters |
Homosassa
Springs
We have been staying at
the Chassahowitzka River Lodge, a funky little fishing camp with great folks, just south of
Homosassa Springs. Homosassa Springs has the largest concentration of
Manatees during the winter. It is also a zoo and wildlife rehab
clinic. It is a great place for kids. Plus, we got to see manatees
close-up!
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| The main
springs, headwater of the Homosassa River |
4 manatees in
the main spring |
close-up of a
manatee breathing |
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| a manatee
eating a head of romaine |
Amanda, a
3,200 pound manatee |
a volunteer
feeding the manatees |
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| a Florida
panther |
a snowy egret |
2 black bears
playing |
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| alligator |
Aidan! |
2 alligators |
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| crane |
flamingos |
manatees and
volunteer |
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| hippo |
Jess! |
bald eagle |
Hillsborough River
State Park
We went from Homosassa Springs to Hillsborough
River State Park where we met some
great new friends, put out a forest fire at 2:00 in the morning and had some
great museum adventures in the Tampa Bay area.
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| Rainbow Springs |
Kids from the Hillsbourough River State Park |
"Snooty"
a 55 year-old Manatee in Bradenton Florida at the State Museum |
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| Snooty begging
for food |
Snooty eating
lettuce |
More Snooty |
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| Jess at the
Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa (MOSI) |
Peter and
Aidan playing with sound at MOSI |
Jess with his
hand on a Vander Graf generator at MOSI |
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| Jess and Aidan
at Rainbow Springs |
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