Comments on: Attack of the Manatees http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/ Where I End Up - What Life Presents - What I Have to Say About It Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:34:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jack http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/comment-page-1/#comment-185404 Jack Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:01:52 +0000 http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/#comment-185404 they will protect their young, which is probably why they "attacked" your canoe they will protect their young, which is probably why they “attacked” your canoe

]]> By: Robert Payne http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/comment-page-1/#comment-182606 Robert Payne Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:11:16 +0000 http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/#comment-182606 Elise, I know just how you feel. One can only wonder what would transpire if they actually flipped you in to the water. Thanks for the comment! Elise, I know just how you feel. One can only wonder what would transpire if they actually flipped you in to the water. Thanks for the comment!

]]> By: elise http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/comment-page-1/#comment-182597 elise Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:02:00 +0000 http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/#comment-182597 Yesterday, my husband and I were in Crane's Bayou on Longboat Key. We were paddling our sea kayaks when we spotted a pod of manatees. We think there were two or three calves with them. We stopped paddling and just tried to watch from about 20 yards away. As we began to leave the area, a large cow swam under my husband's boat. Once it cleared the boat it thrust it tail to boil the water near his boat. A giant wake hit the front and side of the kayak. He quickly started paddling away from the manatees. At the same time, as I was trying to quickly leave the area, (almost as if the two animals coordinated the aggressive encounter), another manatee swam under my boat and lifted it off the water. My husband coached me to relax and paddle hard out of the bayou. As we were paddling away, two of the manatee followed us as we left the area--sort of like they had established their territory and once we were out of it, we were OK. We have never paddled on Longboat before this--quite scary for me. It definitely had to do with the babies as just the day before we paddled near two manatee in Fort DeSoto park with no incident. Yesterday, my husband and I were in Crane’s Bayou on Longboat Key. We were paddling our sea kayaks when we spotted a pod of manatees. We think there were two or three calves with them. We stopped paddling and just tried to watch from about 20 yards away. As we began to leave the area, a large cow swam under my husband’s boat. Once it cleared the boat it thrust it tail to boil the water near his boat. A giant wake hit the front and side of the kayak. He quickly started paddling away from the manatees. At the same time, as I was trying to quickly leave the area, (almost as if the two animals coordinated the aggressive encounter), another manatee swam under my boat and lifted it off the water. My husband coached me to relax and paddle hard out of the bayou. As we were paddling away, two of the manatee followed us as we left the area–sort of like they had established their territory and once we were out of it, we were OK. We have never paddled on Longboat before this–quite scary for me. It definitely had to do with the babies as just the day before we paddled near two manatee in Fort DeSoto park with no incident.

]]> By: Robert Payne http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/comment-page-1/#comment-180804 Robert Payne Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:06:15 +0000 http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/#comment-180804 Jeremy, I've never heard of anyone running in to trouble with a manatee when they are seaside; so I think you were fine. They often swim right by me when we have waves good enough to surf on the Gulf. Same thing on the East Coast. Although, anything large and grey in the water can be intimidating. :~) From what I have heard and witnessed, manatees responding aggressively always happen in the creeks and waterways where they are protecting their young. Nevertheless, thanks for sharing your story. Jeremy, I’ve never heard of anyone running in to trouble with a manatee when they are seaside; so I think you were fine. They often swim right by me when we have waves good enough to surf on the Gulf. Same thing on the East Coast. Although, anything large and grey in the water can be intimidating. :~)

From what I have heard and witnessed, manatees responding aggressively always happen in the creeks and waterways where they are protecting their young.

Nevertheless, thanks for sharing your story.

]]> By: Jeremy S. http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/comment-page-1/#comment-180629 Jeremy S. Fri, 08 Jul 2011 06:18:12 +0000 http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/#comment-180629 So yesterday my son, wife and I were swimming in the Gulf off Longboat Key probably 10 minutes south of Cortez Rd. My wife had just got out and my son was maybe 15 yards out and I was more like 20-30 out. We were free diving for shells. I come up for air and my wife and son are screaming at me to get out of the water. My first thought is a freaking shark. Instinct will tell you to pan and scan so I notice this huge mass trolling a foot and a half away. Not knowing what I'm dealing with panicking would be a mistake. So keeping an eye on this massive shadow I slowly backed out of the water. The creature showed no interest and stayed its course south along the beach. Apparently an on-looker come forward and said it was a manatee. A wild animal is just that. Unpredictable in every aspect. My experience was both horrifying and exhilarating. I had no interest in rubbing its belly or messing around with it. I too am indulging the what if scenario. So yesterday my son, wife and I were swimming in the Gulf off Longboat Key probably 10 minutes south of Cortez Rd. My wife had just got out and my son was maybe 15 yards out and I was more like 20-30 out. We were free diving for shells. I come up for air and my wife and son are screaming at me to get out of the water. My first thought is a freaking shark. Instinct will tell you to pan and scan so I notice this huge mass trolling a foot and a half away. Not knowing what I’m dealing with panicking would be a mistake. So keeping an eye on this massive shadow I slowly backed out of the water. The creature showed no interest and stayed its course south along the beach. Apparently an on-looker come forward and said it was a manatee. A wild animal is just that. Unpredictable in every aspect. My experience was both horrifying and exhilarating. I had no interest in rubbing its belly or messing around with it. I too am indulging the what if scenario.

]]> By: Robert Payne http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/comment-page-1/#comment-167640 Robert Payne Mon, 06 Jun 2011 22:39:06 +0000 http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/#comment-167640 Wow, Justin, thanks for your comment. Tis the season I guess. Wow, Justin, thanks for your comment. Tis the season I guess.

]]> By: Justin B. http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/comment-page-1/#comment-167603 Justin B. Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:11:12 +0000 http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/#comment-167603 Similar experience happened to my girlfriend yesterday at Fort Desoto Park. We were stand-up paddleboarding when a manatee lifted her board up from behind and she fell into the water and landed feet first onto a bed of oysters and sliced her foot open pretty good. She is fine and the manatee didn't do anything else other then flip the board, but i never heard of anything like this until yesterday. Now i've read about others experiencing similar encounters. I was also almost flipped by a manatee a couple weeks ago but luckily he / she surfaced and took off just in front of me and my paddle board. It was like a cannon ball just landed in front of me and left this huge wake and i balanced the best i could to not fall in... pretty crazy experiences, glad nothing serious happened as a result. Similar experience happened to my girlfriend yesterday at Fort Desoto Park. We were stand-up paddleboarding when a manatee lifted her board up from behind and she fell into the water and landed feet first onto a bed of oysters and sliced her foot open pretty good. She is fine and the manatee didn’t do anything else other then flip the board, but i never heard of anything like this until yesterday. Now i’ve read about others experiencing similar encounters. I was also almost flipped by a manatee a couple weeks ago but luckily he / she surfaced and took off just in front of me and my paddle board. It was like a cannon ball just landed in front of me and left this huge wake and i balanced the best i could to not fall in… pretty crazy experiences, glad nothing serious happened as a result.

]]> By: Robert Payne http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/comment-page-1/#comment-163268 Robert Payne Thu, 26 May 2011 13:14:22 +0000 http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/#comment-163268 Chris, thanks for the comment. Glad to hear you didn't flip. It is definitely a surprising and exciting experience. Chris, thanks for the comment. Glad to hear you didn’t flip. It is definitely a surprising and exciting experience.

]]> By: chris http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/comment-page-1/#comment-162986 chris Wed, 25 May 2011 17:32:47 +0000 http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/#comment-162986 The same exact thing happened to my and two of my friends this morning. We were canoeing out to an island in the intracoastal waterway last night and saw a couple of manatees. This morning when we were paddling back, out of nowhere a manatee bombarded the bottom of our canoe for about 10 seconds straight. Water was being splashed from both sides of the canoe which drenched us and filled about 2 inches of water in the canoe. We almost flipped, but luckily were able to keep it steady. Immediately after the "manatee" swam away very quickly leaving a giant white water wake in its path. Needless to say, it was quite the adrenalin rush. Also, until i read this blog, i thought it was the muck monster. The same exact thing happened to my and two of my friends this morning. We were canoeing out to an island in the intracoastal waterway last night and saw a couple of manatees. This morning when we were paddling back, out of nowhere a manatee bombarded the bottom of our canoe for about 10 seconds straight. Water was being splashed from both sides of the canoe which drenched us and filled about 2 inches of water in the canoe. We almost flipped, but luckily were able to keep it steady. Immediately after the “manatee” swam away very quickly leaving a giant white water wake in its path. Needless to say, it was quite the adrenalin rush. Also, until i read this blog, i thought it was the muck monster.

]]> By: blogrobert http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/comment-page-1/#comment-90822 blogrobert Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:59:00 +0000 http://blog.robertpayne.net/2008/07/01/attack-of-the-manatees/#comment-90822 Wow Mike, that sounds exciting. Thanks for sharing. There must have been a baby with them. Wow Mike, that sounds exciting. Thanks for sharing. There must have been a baby with them.

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