No manatees today😢

Today was clearly the worst day to choose to visit the manatees at Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach.

This attraction is an initiative of Florida Light and Power (FLP) which on seeing that manatees gather in the warm-water outflows at Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center, especially during cold weather, developed that area as an interesting scientific center where families could learn about these huge gentle mammals.

Their mission is “to not only educate the public about the relationship it has with these wonderful creatures, but to “inspire communities to preserve and protect Florida’s environment and wildlife for future generations,” they declare on the promotional material inviting persons to visit their free attraction.

Inside the educational center

It is really a good educational center, especially for kids and an excellent initiative by FLP.

I have been fascinated by these huge gentle creatures ever since I had the opportunity to swim with a nuclear family of manatees, (father mother and two babies) and pet them many decades ago, at Alligator Hole in Claredon Jamaica.

Our manatees are endangered and this is an environmental center, but unfortunately, on the three other occasions I have stopped there to see them, I was  disappointed, as they were up-river feeding.

In Florida I have seen many however, especially in the St. John's River at Blue Water Springs; https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2022/02/hontoon-island-and-more.html.

Giving kids an education 

I still can’t get enough of manatees though, so, when my high school friend Sonja told me about this preserve operated by Florida Light and Power, I was ready to explore.

Rough seas today

However, on Saturday 4^th, low-temperature records dropped drastically across portions of the USA because of an artic freeze. While in southern Florida, the temperatures were in the 70’s, there was a strong breeze throughout the day, (up to 40 mph in some areas), causing rough seas.  That is probably why we did not have the good luck to see any manatees.😪

At one point, while inside the scientific center, we saw a few on the live loop camera feed, but by the time we rushed outside, they had vanished.

Oh well, at least we discovered somewhere new and maybe next time our luck will be better ( I hope).

And I did learn one thing which is that manatees are very distantly related to elephants though their extinct ancestors.

As I keep discovering, all things are possible with the complicated science of evolution!

 West Palm in the distance

A very cold Christmas

I knew it was cold in the USA but I had no idea it could be so cold in Southern Florida! Well, it hasn’t been this cold here in over 30 years the weather people declared, but why did it have to happen when I was here?

Heading outside in my winter coat in Florida! Window inside all misty.

 It’s a good thing the last time I was in Colorado, I   brought over my winter garb as without them, I would probably have frozen to death. 

 30’s and 40’s  in Southern Florida. It is inhumane!

 This is definitely climate change at work, for on   Christmas day when we were in the 40’s, my friend in Colorado said it was in the 50’s there? 

Two days before, it had dropped a whopping 47 degrees in two hours there. My daughter’s poor dog, smart girl that she is, refused to go outside so left her owner an unwelcome Christmas present inside.😖

All the same, while I was griping, 48 people died of cold-related problems in the the USA, most in the Buffalo area where there were blizzards. And in the Dakotas, it went down to 62 below zero, the weatherman just announced.

So, in retrospect, we were warm here and I had a good Christmas lunch with friends Sonja and Rosa. The plan was to go play dominoes afterwards, but my bed sent me a message that this was a crazy idea. So, I didn’t. Instead, I drove home and watched two movies with my grandson and his mother.😊

 A much better idea.

Another good Christmas and I shall always be eternally grateful for warm weather, and of course stay healthy in 2023.