Yaking with the Manatees in the Orange River

February 6, 2013
North Fort Myers, Florida
Seminole Campground



We returned to Manatee Park to experience kayaking alongside the manatees on the Orange River.  They have a great little launch area specifically for kayaks and canoes which are also for rent. The cost of the launch is just the $2.00 charge for parking. When we arrived, the launch area was quite busy with what looked like school fieldtrips and a large group of seniors who came together with their own cars and kayaks. It didn’t take too long though for everyone ahead of us to get into the river and before we knew it we were heading out the narrow pathway to meet the manatees.



It didn't take long to see our first group of manatees. Just as we headed into the main river, I had the pleasure of watching Vic's kayak get slightly upturned by one rising to the surface. They make a loud snort and sometimes shoot water out of their noses as they surface. This noise alone can get your adrenaline pumping.  We both decided that if we capsized we would be fine. Manatees are gentle creatures, we had on our life vests, our phones were in waterproof cases inside the hatches of our boats, and my camera is now covered for water damage.  So, with a renewed confidence, we headed down the river.

Not knowing which direction might be best to explore, we headed upstream a ways first but saw even fewer manatees and no wildlife so we decided to turn back downstream.  Heading back downstream near the main park area, the manatees are everywhere. It took some careful maneuvering to watch for their bubbles and shadows to avoid riding over them. Further down the river, the manatees mostly seemed to hover near the mangrove shore—probably the best area for feeding.  We enjoyed the peacefulness of the river and the lovely 80 degree day with a slight breeze, but felt disappointed in the lack of other wildlife sightings.  Except for a flight of swallows and a few pelicans near a pier, we saw no other birds on this trip.  Seemed unusual—maybe too warm in the shank of the day?



One thing I appreciated looking at was the reflection of the clouds in the glass-like water. There wasn’t a ripple anywhere except for the rise of the manatees.  While taking this photo below, I was surprised by one that lifted up the stern of my kayak. Vic was behind me and watched me as a I rode the manatee like a bucking horse. Definitely a bit of a thrill. I have said I wanted to go swimming with the manatees, but this wasn't what I was thinking. . . .






After a couple hours, we decided to head back. I had absentmindedly left our picnic lunch in the refrigerator, our nerves were getting a little testy, and the sun was growing more intense. On the return trip back upriver, we came up with a plan to ride side by side pedaling simultaneously based on the theory that the manatees would have a harder time tipping over two boats. It was actually pretty enjoyable. While we both agreed this was not our favorite place to kayak so far, it was definitely a unique and memorable experience. We made it back to the launch area with no further incidents, loaded up the boats, checked off the Manatee Park kayak launch from our list of trails on the Great Calusa Blueway, and headed back to the welcoming Big EZ for a late lunch and a dip in the pool.  Such a life!


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A short side trip to Manatee Park

January 23, 2013
North Fort Myers
Seminole Campground



Last year when we were in this park, I kept hearing about people going to see the Manatees at the local power plant—especially when there was a “cold front” in the area.  I didn't realize that there was an actual park next to the power plant specifically created for viewing and learning about this endangered species. Manatee Park also happens to be less than five miles from us, so it makes a perfect afternoon adventure. 



We happened to have a bit of a cold spell here with temps at night in the low 50s and daytime highs in the low 70s (sorry to all those up north braving below freezing temps). I learned that the manatees head to the warm waters in the power plant discharge canal when the water temperature in the Gulf and rivers drops below 68 degrees. There is no charge for visiting this pretty little 17 acre park that overlooks not only the power plant canal, but there is also a boardwalk that leads to a viewing area on the Orange River. Lee County Parks and Rec has done a great job of creating native plant habitats and a variety of access points for watching the manatees in this natural sanctuary.



Even though manatees are often called “sea cows” their closet relative is actually an elephant.  They are mainly herbivores spending most of their day eating 5-10% of their 800-1000 lbs. of body weight. Because they are warm-blooded mammals, they need to come up for air and do so every 4-5 minutes. When they sleep on the bottom, they only have to come up for air every 20 minutes or so. The big challenge in trying to get a good photo of them is to predict when they are going to come up for a short breath at the surface. I have a new camera and need to learn how to increase the shutter speed as I missed most of the great shots!



Someone at the park told me there are places about four hours north of here in Crystal River where you can actually swim with the manatees. I inadvertently did so years ago when I was snorkeling near the mangroves in the Keys. Boy did that scare me when a half ton manatee rolled over next to me.  Vic and I also had a surprise in our kayaks coming in to the boat launch area at Sombrero Beach in the Keys. We were gliding right over a small herd of manatees. The sad thing is that even though they are a protected species, their number one enemy is boats—obviously ones with motors.  We must have seen somewhere between thirty and fifty manatees at this park—pretty amazing considering there are only about 2000 in all of Florida. 



As I mentioned in an earlier post, there is a canoe and kayak launch area in Manatee Park that leads down the Orange River. They rent kayaks there, but you can launch your own boats too. There are alligators on the river as well as lots of other wildlife, so it looks like it would be a great place to explore by kayak. stay tuned for some kayaking adventures. . . .