Monday, April 29, 2002

     As you can see Jessica, my manatee was keeping me company in the airport while we waited for our connecting flight.  I cannot thank you enough for being so thoughtful.

   When we arrived in Florida we were greeted by Teresa (a scientist here at Mote) at the airport.  We talked about her before we left, so perhaps you can let Mrs. Knight know what part of the expedition Teresa is in charge of here.  We walked out of the doors into the strong sunlight where we were surrounded by palm trees, and able to smell the salt from the ocean on the breeze.  It was only about 72 degrees here today, but it was certainly humid and felt a great deal warmer than that.  On the way to our house, Teresa took us to a location where they generally do land surveys of manatee populations.  This will be part of our responsibility on a daily basis, following our work on the boats.  The spot is actually in the backyard of a private residence.  The man who lives there is concerned about manatees and their disappearing numbers, so he allows Mote to use his property for observation purposes.  Teresa mentioned that the community in Sarasota is VERY involved, and that some of our boat work will be dictated by calls that come in from people in the area who see manatees that may be in distress or who are particularly active in a certain location.  Within ten seconds of observation from this point, we saw our first manatee!  He (or she) poked his snout out of the water to take a breath and continued on.  We then observed four or five more, all of whom had terrible scars, which unfortunately allowed Teresa to recognize some of them by name.  Here is the very first manatee we saw!  Teresa did not get a close look at his body, so his name is unknown at this point.  I was so surprised at how gracefully they move in the water.  We had certainly read that about the manatees, but it was entirely different to see it in person.  I will have to get some video of that for you soon.

   After unpacking, we set out on our bikes (got a little bit lost), and eventually found our way to the laboratory here at Mote Marine.  I did not see Hugh and Buffett just yet, but I am typing to you from the building where they are located.  I have already met with all of the other Earthwatch volunteers, and we planned our menu for the week based upon the eight dollars per person per day restriction.  That is quite a problem solving feat that we may have to replicate when I return!  We were also made aware of the fact that on Wednesday the nesting period for sea turtles begins here in Sarasota.  Volunteers walk the beach every morning at about 6:30 to see where sea turtles lay their eggs so that they can mark these areas and keep them as safe as possible.  Sea turtles are another endangered species here in Florida.  I plan to get out and volunteer to help the sea turtles on Lido beach a few mornings this week, and take plenty of pictures as well.  

    Tomorrow we will learn how to use equipment, take pictures and fill out data sheets in the morning.  In the afternoon we will finally get out on the boat to become a real part of the manatee study here in Sarasota.  Teresa warned us that the red tide has returned in Sarasota over the past few weeks.  She mentioned that although it is not as big of a concern as it was in the winter, at least twelve manatee carcasses have been found in the past few weeks.  If we come across a manatee that has died, we will have to drag it in with us to the lab here at Mote.  I certainly hope that all of the manatees we find are in good health!  I look forward to hearing who the group of the day was and I will type more tomorrow.  I miss you all already!