Barbara Manatee

This morning, we made our trip down to the beach. It was our third morning there, and we were feeling like old pros. The kids were on the boogie boards, Miracle had tried out her new mask and snorkle, and Mike was shelling.

Then we heard the cry, "MANATEE!"

We instantly began scanning the water, searching for any sign of the giant mammal.

"There it is!" Mike was the first to spot it. Miracle was next. I searched in vain.

"Ok, see the yellow thing there, near the beach?"

"Yes."

"It's between that and you."

I had been looking too far out. It was swimming down the beach line, maybe 10 feet from the water line. And it was, indeed, headed straight towards me.

Oh my gosh, ya'll! It was a real, live, manatee! And not in the zoo!

Of course we had to gather round it, and guess what?

I touched it.

And it touched my leg.

It just kept going, slowly making it's way down the coast line, people flocking toward it, oohing and aahing, and taking many pictures.