After a very full week, the weekend arrived. I had some time to relax and see the area. Since Lido Beach is directly across the street, I spent the early morning on the beach. Being very accustomed to rising early, I think I was the first one on the beach on yet another glorious Sarasota morning!
| A couple of hours on the beach was as much R & R as I could take ...so much to see and so little time. Miss Plante and I headed to the aquarium at Mote. Even though we have been there every day there had been no time to see it. Here are pictures of a few of the tropical fish on display at the aquarium. |
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A very interesting thing we saw was an artificial reef. Reefs are important habitats for aquatic animals. Unfortunately many are disappearing in nature. To give nature a "helping hand", artificial reefs made of cement are being placed in the ocean to create "homes" for marine life. To the right are two pictures - a before and after. Looks like the animals have done a good job decorating! |
Below are a few other interesting fish found at Mote Aquarium.
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"Upside down" jellyfish |
Ghost jellyfish. I'll bet you can guess how they got their names! |
Stingrays - scary looking but tame enough to touch |
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A marine "petting zoo". |
Now here is one that you would not want to pet! |
To get from the main Mote Aquarium to the section for rescued marine animals we followed the "manatee path", kind of like the "yellow brick road".
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One of the first things we saw here were two loggerhead
turtles named Montego and Shelley . They were born in captivity and studied for
20 years by scientists at the University of North Carolina. At 20 they
reached sexual maturity and were given to Mote so the public could enjoy
them. They live as long as humans. Some even live to over 100. Visitors to
Mote will be enjoying them for many years to come! |
 Another
interesting loggerhead is a female named Edgar. Now isn't that a strange
name for a female? She was rescued and brought to the aquarium when she
was very young and her sex undetermined. Once they discovered that "he"
was a "she" it was too late to change her name! Although many animals are
released once they have been rehabilitated, Edgar's very light coloring
would make her a very easy prey. To protect her she will remain in
captivity. |
Remember on Wednesday when we walked the beach looking for sea turtle nests? Well, this is what they look like and how they are marked and protected.
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Letting violators know the
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Nest below surface of sand protected with a wire basket to protect the eggs from predators. |
Markers placed by volunteers. It indicates date, year,
and location of the nest. |
For me this was the best part of the aquarium. We saw Hugh and Buffett the two captive manatees at Mote. These two manatees have spent their entire lives at Mote and would not be able to survive on their own. We arrived just as they were being fed. As you know they are vegetarians and in the wild feed primarily on seagrasses. In captivity, however their diet is primarily lettuce (they prefer romaine) along with some kale and a few other varieties of leafy green vegetables. A while ago the staff here tried to alter their diet and feed them seagrasses, but discovered that they had become finicky eaters. They refused to eat the seagrasses, went on a diet, and lost 200 lbs! They are now back on their lettuce diet and are much happier! Below is a picture of one of the manatees eating and a poster giving some information about the diet. It is an expensive proposition keeping a manatee fed. Donations are always welcome. You'll be hearing a lot more about Hugh and Buffet next week when we help feed them as part of our earthwatch experience.
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Daily menu- no wonder they spend so much time eating! |
Feasting on romaine. |
Making a small contribution |
As you know manatees are extremely large marine mammals. Their closest land relative is the elephant. Below are a few pictures which give you some idea of the relative size of these gentle giants!
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You see can how I measure up to a manatee - not too well!
Here is a manatee skeleton which also gives you some idea of its immense size |
Reporting live from the field at
Pansy Bayou this weekend...
Videography by Mrs. Frederick, narration by Miss Plante
Click on each picture for a different video clip taken during our land surveys
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After noting the scar patterns and observing the behaviors of some of the Pansy Bayou manatees can you think of some fitting names for them?
