In Case You Missed It: Manatee caresses snorkeler
Manatee hugs snorkeler's flipper
WPBF 25 engineer Jay Darden spent his Thanksgiving weekend swimming with a manatee in the Crystal River, near Tampa, where he got up close and personal with the sea cow.
So, where does getting caressed by a manatee fall on your bucket list?
Not sure it is on anyone’s list, except one snorkeler’s list of stories to tell.
During a swim off the Gulf Coast of Florida, Jay Darden, a TV engineer in Florida, was approached by an apparently friendly manatee.
No doubt this is pretty cool.
Then the manatee gets a little too friendly when he hugs Darden’s leg, then caresses his flipper.
Darden might have been asking for it when he tickled the sea cow’s belly.
Darden told WPBF the manatee was about 8 feet long and likely weighed around 1,000 pounds.
I do have to say, it’s nice to see something referred to as a sea cow comfortable in its own skin.
Contact Graydon Johns at gjohns@reviewjournal.com. Find him on Twitter: @gjohns
