After eleven consecutive days of paddling I was finally shut down completely by the weather. Where I am four miles off the Gulf under a thick canopy of trees it was calm and I felt a little ridiculous to not be on the water. However, the swaying tree tops and NOAA weather reports suggested that I made the right choice. My grateful resting body agreed as well.
After sleeping in I visited the little campground store to see if I could find something for breakfast OTHER than oatmeal. From there I took my Frosted Flakes, milk, and Pop Tarts to the laundry room to finally freshen up my rather stinky clothes. Later in the day, after getting a ride to lunch and the grocery store with Matt (more on that below) the rains did come, so I did what all resting expedition paddlers should do… I took a nap. Afterward I visited the local bar/restaurant and ordered the fried fish dinner with onion rings and a house salad. When the waitress came around to see if I needed another soda I said no, but could I have a cheeseburger. I slowed a bit for the last few bights, but two hours later I was ready for a late night snack. There is no bottom to my stomach lately.
Matt from Ardvark's Florida Kayak Company
For the last few days I’d been playing e-mail tennis with a gentleman named Matt who owns Aardvark’s Florida Kayak Company. Based in Crystal River Florida, the operation is run by Matt and his wife which includes a retail store, rentals, and tours of the local waters, which of course includes Manatees. Matt was supposed to have a tour going out right from the boat launch here at the campground so the plan was for me to stop down there and say hello before he launched his group. With rain and lightning predicted to be mixed in with the building winds, Matt decided that it was a good idea to scrub their trip and stay off the water as well. Rather than pass up the chance to meet at all, Matt made the drive all the way down here so we could finally cross paths. He generously offered to drive me up to the grocery store to pick up whatever provisions I might need and also treated me to lunch.
Matt is a very knowledgeable guy who has been working in the Florida natural resources world since the 70’s. Not too long ago he retired from his job as a state biologist and opened Aardvark’s. With his training as a biologist he is especially attuned to the effects we humans have on the animals and environment around us. His tours are run with a strong effort to disturb the animals they’re observing as little as possible. As it’s written on his flyer “All our programs are conducted with a Leave No Trace ethic and a hands off approach. We believe that wild animals need to stay wild.”
We had a long conversation discussing the laws, rules, and logic around the way Manatees are being interacted with in the local waters. Not only by kayakers but divers and swimmers as well. Matt’s “hands off” approach to the Manatees and reasons for it gave me a different perspective to how the animals should be viewed and my own actions when I was with the Manatees yesterday.
Despite what the differing laws that federal and state agencies have come up with regarding how people should deal with manatees, we need to consider the long term effects close human contact (touching) the manatees may have. The real reason the manatees yesterday approached our boats was not so much curiosity (they’ve seen PLENTY of kayaks) nor was it to get their forehead rubbed. They were looking for handouts. Feeding manatees is, most definitely, illegal but people still sneak cabbage and other leafy foods out to where the animals are found. While we were not breaking the law by “harassing” the manatees outright, what we are doing by interacting with them when they approach our kayaks (or other boats) is reinforce that behavior. Through that reinforcement the manatees start to associate all boats and people with food (or any other positive reinforcement for that matter). This association and propensity of manatees to now approach boats (and boat lanes) is being attributed to more of them being hit by boats.
So our simple action of petting a manatee, while they do seem to like it, can actually harm them in the long run. The simple fact is they are wild animals and as such need to stay wild in order to survive. Just because we legally can touch them doesn’t mean we should. My experience with them yesterday would have been no less magical if I had refrained from touching them and kept a polite distance. I’ve observed several whales and countless seals and sea lions from hundreds of yards away and those experiences have been just as amazing. So please, if you do get a chance to visit this area and paddle with the manatees, consider the long term health of the animals and look but don’t touch.
We had a long conversation discussing the laws, rules, and logic around the way Manatees are being interacted with in the local waters. Not only by kayakers but divers and swimmers as well. Matt’s “hands off” approach to the Manatees and reasons for it gave me a different perspective to how the animals should be viewed and my own actions when I was with the Manatees yesterday.
Despite what the differing laws that federal and state agencies have come up with regarding how people should deal with manatees, we need to consider the long term effects close human contact (touching) the manatees may have. The real reason the manatees yesterday approached our boats was not so much curiosity (they’ve seen PLENTY of kayaks) nor was it to get their forehead rubbed. They were looking for handouts. Feeding manatees is, most definitely, illegal but people still sneak cabbage and other leafy foods out to where the animals are found. While we were not breaking the law by “harassing” the manatees outright, what we are doing by interacting with them when they approach our kayaks (or other boats) is reinforce that behavior. Through that reinforcement the manatees start to associate all boats and people with food (or any other positive reinforcement for that matter). This association and propensity of manatees to now approach boats (and boat lanes) is being attributed to more of them being hit by boats.
So our simple action of petting a manatee, while they do seem to like it, can actually harm them in the long run. The simple fact is they are wild animals and as such need to stay wild in order to survive. Just because we legally can touch them doesn’t mean we should. My experience with them yesterday would have been no less magical if I had refrained from touching them and kept a polite distance. I’ve observed several whales and countless seals and sea lions from hundreds of yards away and those experiences have been just as amazing. So please, if you do get a chance to visit this area and paddle with the manatees, consider the long term health of the animals and look but don’t touch.
“Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals “love” them, but those who respect their natures and wish to let them live normal lives, love them more.”
(Edwin Way Teale)
A deceptively calm moment four miles inland
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