Cute Pictures

[SisterJennifer]

This is Blue Springs state park in Florida. It is located maybe about 40 or so miles in from the Atlantic coast. I know it is a little hard to see in the pictures, but the color of the water there is a very brilliant blue, like the color you would expect when looking at a swimming pool only this is from nature. And the water is very very clear, in fact you can see straight to the bottom.





It is easy to view all kinds of fish in these waters, but what makes this park so special is the chance to view wild manatees. The temp of the springs stays at a constant temperature of about 72 degrees, making it a popular hang out for manatees in the cooler winter months. If the water temperature drops below 60 degrees it will kill the manatee. So the swim through the river until they reach this warm spring, and I hear sometimes this park hosts as many as 120 wild manatees at a time.





For those of you unfamiliar with what a manatee is, it is an endangered animal, sometimes called the 'sea cow' that lives mainly in Floridas coastal waters. At the adult size they can weigh close to 2000 pounds. They are relatives to the elephant, and they are vegetarian. they are endangered because of pollution, and because they are oftern times injured by speedboat propellers.