Manatee 
(or Mermaid?)

Homosassa Springs 
& 
3 Manatee 

April 2008 - Homosassa Springs

I took these photos of Manatee at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, which is refugee for manatee that have injured in the wild. It is also the site of the Homosassa Springs, a beautiful clear water spring (shown in the photos), which is also the source of the Homosassa River. It has a flow rate of 4 million gallons per hour. The park is part of beautiful natural everglades. Wild manatees are separated from the parks manatees by a special fence which spans the width of the flow several hundred feet from the main spring.
(Click on Photos to make Full Size)

Series of photos of a manatee swimming in Homosassa Springs

Very graceful!

3 manatee sleeping in shallow water in the warm sun. 

Notice how they blend in with the underwater rocks!

Manatee seem to enjoy doing a 360 degree roll as they glide through the water.

Manatee eating lettuce.

This is an underwater viewing station where I was able to take these photos below and all of the other photos above.

The manatee are very gentle and seem more interested in looking at the people looking at them than the other way around.

The manatee are very big!

These manatee are closer  to 3000 lbs as they are very well fed. They seem very pleased with their figures!

Columbus mistakes manatees for mermaids!

Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park

Link

Save the Manatee Website

Link