Manatees!
Dec 30, 2021 | Daytona Beach, FL
Today was one of our most memorable days in Florida. We had rented kayaks to paddle down the Silver River at the Silver Springs state park. We showed up, checked in, grabbed our map, and got into our tandem kayak. It was kind of cloudy but the temperature was nice. We were on a hunt to find some of the famous manatees that frequent these parts.
And we did! We saw quite a few manatees, actually. Thankfully we brought the GoPro, so we were able to get awesome underwater footage of them. A few of them came up right underneath our kayak and snuck their snouts out of the water. It is highly illegal to touch them, so unfortunately we weren't able to pet them. It's probably for the better, they are endangered after all. We also saw a small gator or two swimming close to the tree line. Our most anticipated sighting was the rhesus macaque monkeys. We were a little frightened to see them since they are notoriously aggressive. They also carry the herpes B virus, which is highly deadly to humans. You can contract it simply from them scratching you. So, we wanted to see the monkeys but also kind of didn't, you know? Well, we did end up seeing them. And they were honestly really small, cute, and chill. Of course we kept our distance while a couple of them walked the tree line and climbed a submerged log nearby.
We had stopped for a moment and a kayak dock so Erika could get into comfier clothing. We were warned about a snapping turtle that likes to hang out under the dock and intimidate anyone who walks or paddles by. We spotted him, and man, was he huge. He could easy take off a couple fingers or toes if you got too close.
We finished up our paddle journey at the finish line of the trail and waited for the shuttle to come pick us up. We shuttled back to the entry point of the park where we returned our kayak. We decided to walk around the park of the park we hadn't seen yet. There were giant tropical plants everywhere, as well as some tropical birds. Overall, this day was one of our favorites from our entire trip thus far. Paddling down a quiet river with giant sea cows floating underneath and exotic birds perched above was definitely a highlight.
A sign that symbolizes that a woman can safely give up their unwanted baby there. We thought it was funny that it was at a Krispy Kreme of all places.
A sign that symbolizes that a woman can safely give up their unwanted baby there. We thought it was funny that it was at a Krispy Kreme of all places.
Sunbathing
Sunbathing
Erika caved and bought a bucket hat even though she has always made fun of them. They are really good for blocking the sun!
Erika caved and bought a bucket hat even though she has always made fun of them. They are really good for blocking the sun!
