There are various natural springs named "Blue Springs" in Florida. This one in Central Florida is famous for the amount of Manatees that come to visit the warmer (comparatively, still cold as ice for a human) waters. This was my first time seeing Manatees in the wild. I've seen plenty of dolphins in the nearby St. John's river, but never the gentle Manatee you'd associate with its brackish water.
There were dozens of Manatees. Huge monsters, dainty babies, all sizes. Some scarred from boat propellers, daintily gilding through the water.
And all of the surrounding nature was gorgeous, too. It's funny, in Florida the leaves often don't change color until December and January.
And we got to see some gorgeous owls, too. We heard them first, crying out loudly, there were two on a branch fighting over a gray mouse!
There were many adorable manatee huddles and cuddles and contented-looking twirls.
I'll be back to see them again next year. I have lots of Florida nature and kitsch explorations planned for this year! I can't wait to point my camera at them.
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