Re: [VFB] sea trout trip/Manatees

[Deb Duran]

Don I went to Mexico this time hoping to get a chance to see the wild Manatee that occasionally frequent the eco park I stay at.   Manatee in Mexico don't behave in the same manner as the ones found in Florida.   They aren't used to people and shy away from them.  There are plenty of hiding spots in the mangroves and they spend up to a month out in open sea before they return to the mangrove. I went snorkeling with one of the head biologists in a restricted area of the park and we were extremely lucky in that we found one of them that morning.   When you're in the water and one swims up to get a closer look they sure seem a lot larger than they do looking down at them in a fish tank.   I hope my pictures turn out.   He was unusually curious and got close enough to almost touch.   I didn't want to try it because I wasn't sure if it would endanger him to disturb his slime coat.   That really made this trip memorable.  I did all my fishing with a camera this trip.  I did run into a gentleman on the flight down that recognized me from some of the DEM fly tying courses I teach.   That was a little different for me.  I ran into him again in a market in Playa Del Carmen.  Steve was going to try to hook up with him to fish but we kept so busy with all the things we wanted to do he never got a chance.  He went snorkeling with me instead and fished with a camera.  Deb ----- Original Message ----- From: DonO To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2004 6:08 PM Subject: Re: [VFB] sea trout trip Scott, A couple of years ago I fished with Jerry Goldsmith around the Jupiter and cape area.  We saw lots of manatees, but what really surprised me was how many large alligators we saw.  Getting swamped by a manatee wouldn't scare me near as much as thinking what could be waiting to take a bite out of me once I hit the drink.  When I was young, alligators were rare and usually spotted in a pot of gumbo way back in da Loosianna bayous.  I did catch a 3' gator on an awesome hair fly there in Florida, though.  Did the quick-release method.   DonO