Manatee Dive-Crystal River FINAL

[simbrooks]

OOOPS.
I must've totally missed it but...
is there a website or FAQ for this tour?
Anyone done it before?
What's involved?

Do we race down the river, sitting comfortably under heavy blankets in our wetsuits with 1980's neon leg-warmers while the captain sings christmas jingles and passes out spiked egg-nog... every now & then pointing to half-submerged logs wizzing past & calling out, "there's yer manatees."

Chuck, go with the flow, many of us have done it at least once before. Capt Suzie has taken out a whole bunch on her boat before. This is the thread with all the info, no FAQ's here though Snorkeling in the morning, diving in the afternoon. I am bringing the SB banner for the trip - i think we might be able to fly it somewhere, have to ask around on that.

 

[cra2]

Chuck, go with the flow,

Yeah,..this coming from someone who posts 17 times in one thread asking, "Who's goin' diving?" , "Who will dive that afternoon?" , "Are we gonna dive?" , "Anyone planning to dive?" , "Wanna split a charter and dive?" , "who's planning this dive?" etc, etc. And sometimes the posts are within MINUTES of each other?!
...and I'm the wound-up one?
ROFL.

"many of us have done it at least once before."

great. then perhaps you'd like to fill us newbs in ...like I asked, Mr Helpful?

It's 4 hours - What's involved? What should we expect?
(aside from Ken lassoing tees?)

*though I did just find this VERY informative site:
http://www.gotosnapshot.com/manatee-experience/t-experience-1.htm

 

[simbrooks]

No i was after sorting out details, there is a fine line difference - and cos i did it, that makes it ok If you ask anyone they will tell you i am very laid back, but pro-active when it comes to organising/assisting trips like these!

Ok, so what to expect, 72F water, chilly after a while. Meet at the restaurant, watch a video or listen to a talk by Capt Suzie regarding interaction laws with manatees - the basics of which is dont harass them, let them come to you, dont chase them, and anything inside the roped off, marked area is their refuge, not for you to enter. We are only snorkeling in the morning, so no need to bring loads of stuff for that dive. I should guess an hour or two of that is long enough in cold water for anyone Bring towels and warm clothing!! Leave dock probably 7.15-7.30ish, its a quick motor across the bay from that hotel/restaurant to the springs where the manatees are. Drop in slowly and gently - dont scare the tee's or land on one. Snorkel, play and have fun - within the standard laws. Back on the boat, warm up, go for lunch

Afternoon, i really dont know which springs we are hitting, but i will bring two tanks just in case, probably only need one though for a few short dives to check out various sites. I guess we are going to have to organise quite what is going on after the morning trip.

Its a minimum of 2 hours drive from downtown, so a little over from Oveido, aim to get there before 7 (i think, check Capt Suzie's post).

 

[cra2]

there is a fine line difference - and cos i did it, that makes it ok

uh-huh... I see...
lol.

"If you ask anyone they will tell you i am very laid back, but pro-active when it comes to organising/assisting trips like these!"

then we must be twins.
"wonder-twins powers: ACTiVAtE! Form of - bucket of ice water!"

"I should guess an hour or two of that is long enough in cold water for anyone "

ahh, ... that clears it up.
so it's not really a "tour" in the sense of heading up & down the river for hours, looking for tees and pointing out landmarks? You basically spend however long people can take it parked next to the manatees.
So if everyone's cold, it's really more like an hour or two, eh.
good to know.

Well, riddle me this.. does the boat stay over where the tees are?
I mean, do you alternate groups getting in/out of the water so that everyone doesn't pile into the water at once? And so people can take turns thawing out before getting back in? ...Just curious.

"Bring towels and warm clothing!!"

what about ye ol' irish fire?? (booze at 8am!! yippeee)

oh,.. do we bring munchies & hot thermos, or do they provide anything like that?
I heard they provide hot chocolate somewhere or another. Mmmmmm

"Leave dock probably 7.15-7.30ish, its a quick motor across the bay from that hotel/restaurant to the springs where the manatees are."

everyone suit up when you find the tees? or is there no room for such tom-foolery onboard and everyone shows up in the wetsuits?

"Afternoon, i really dont know which springs we are hitting,... I guess we are going to have to organise quite what is going on after the morning trip."

There ya go again. lol. I know - noone's responding to you. It's stressing you out. I know man. I'm with ya. Hang in there. We'll get through this together.
*hands you some happy pills*

"Its a minimum of 2 hours drive from downtown, so a little over from Oveido, aim to get there before 7"

ouch.. that's a 4am wake-up call then. lol.

Thanks for the info Sim

 

[simbrooks]

uh-huh... I see...
lol.

Being a mod i get certain privaledges, being right is one of them

ahh, ... that clears it up.
so it's not really a "tour" in the sense of heading up & down the river for hours, looking for tees and pointing out landmarks? You basically spend however long people can take it parked next to the manatees.
So if everyone's cold, it's really more like an hour or two, eh.
good to know. Well, riddle me this.. does the boat stay over where the tees are?
I mean, do you alternate groups getting in/out of the water so that everyone doesn't pile into the water at once? And so people can take turns thawing out before getting back in? ...Just curious.

Yes Capt Suzie is providing law abiding guidance and a warm (dry - maybe) platform for us to use to get to the site and back again. Spend as long as you want in the water, i doubt 2 hours is frostbite timing, but you might be feeling it by then The boats are usually anchored just away from the manatees, drop in, snorkel over. Stay in, take turns, do what you like or until you lose all feeling in your extremities!

what about ye ol' irish fire?? (booze at 8am!! yippeee)

oh,.. do we bring munchies & hot thermos, or do they provide anything like that?
I heard they provide hot chocolate somewhere or another. Mmmmmm

I'd leave that at home, FHP on the roads, false sense of warmth means your blood flows back to your skin and you lose heat quicker than if you didnt drink it. I should imagine we might all hit lunch at the restuarant by the Port hotel, where we are meeting in the morning. Bring something for the boat if you like, i dont know if Capt Suzie will provide thermos flasks of cocoa or coffee - American Pro did, but we paid them more money for the dive last time Dont know about room on the boat, Capt Suzie are you there?

Ok, can i go back to work now? No deadlines as always, but still should get something moving again before i leave work

 

[H2Andy]

Ten things you need to know about manatees but were afraid to ask:

1. they are protected and you can't molest them. "molesting" a manatee includes
anything that makes them change their natural behaviour, such as chasing them,
holding them, or driving them off their feeding grounds

2. if you let the manatee come to you, they will

3. if you rub the manatee's forward fin (left or right), they might turn their tummy to
you for a scratching. you can hang out with them for as long as they let you.
if they start to swim away, don't chase them. if you leave them alone, they might
turn around for another pass

4. don't yell, splash, or use scuba -- these things frighten manatees

5. boy manatees have one opening near the base of their tails; girl manatees have two.
most of the manatees that come near you are boys

6. keep an eye for their belly buttons. it's an "eye" shaped bump in their tummies.

7. see if you can spot the fingernais on their fins. they are there. manatees are
related to the elephant, and their skins are similar.

8. manatees are completely herbivorous (except for the Crystal River Man-Eating
Manatees of Doom) and eat up to 15% of their body weight in food DAILY. ironically,
we'll be serving salad with our bar-b-qued manatees.

9. a healthy manatee can live upwards of 60 years.

10. there were approximately 81 manatees in the Crystal River bay as of November 11, 2004, with approx. 40 others in the near-by area.

 

[simbrooks]

Further sub-clause rules:
7A. If you spot painted fingernails on their fins, this is the other way of telling they are girl manatee.
8A. If you are having BBQ manatee you are allowed to clear the area of the same vegetation they were eating before you culled them for use in your side salad.
10A. The other 40 manatees are waiting for their shift to start in the nearby bar, they will sign autographs, but only if you cross their fins with succulent greens, or of course if you offer a small fresh child they will get up and perform for you the special manatee song and dance routine.

 

[DEEPSEAWOLF]

Hey Cra2, bring the spear. I'm not sure if I'll get my bonus this check or not, but I'll try to scrounge the cash for ya. As for the defense against the dark arts manatees.... We call those people Nog-Herders. Not to be confused with the endangerd Nauga-herders from North Central Florida. I tell ya, having done that job for two years, those critters can get ON the extinction list! You think your cat's litter box stunk...... WHEW!!!!!!
BTW, just read the past few posts again, you guys are SICK! SICK! SICK! SICK!
<sniffles> I luv all a ya!!!!! My kind of people!

 

[cardzard]

Ken You hear back on attendance #'s yet ? I know that more have posted than those on the calander. Also anyone gonna stay and dive on sunday ? Anyone showing up Friday night ?
Looks like we will have good temps on Saturday and Sunday.

 

[DEEPSEAWOLF]

I called Capt. Suzie and left a message for another slot and asked for a headcount. My plans for a sitter fell through, so Lil' B will be coming with us! We are picking up his wetsuit this morning! This also means that we may be staying later in the evening since we won't have to rush back to pick up the kid. So,... Andy, we have more manatee bait!!!

Just checked VOA email. As of 12/02 not including Lil'B, or anyone else who has RSVP'd in the past two days, we are at 13 attendees. Suzie also said since it's been sunny out, it hasn't been very cold in the water lately.