{"id":17609,"date":"2018-12-11T17:32:06","date_gmt":"2018-12-12T01:32:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mixhart.ca\/blog\/?p=17609"},"modified":"2019-01-02T12:34:05","modified_gmt":"2019-01-02T20:34:05","slug":"wild-florida-manatees-and-alligators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mixhart.ca\/index.php\/wild-florida-manatees-and-alligators\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Florida: Manatees and Alligators"},"content":{"rendered":"

Crystal River<\/h4>\n
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Florida Wild, Manatee, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I hope you enjoy a glimpse into Florida Wild that I captured (with my camera) on a Florida road trip that took me from Crystal River (on the\u00a0Gulf of Mexico) to the southernmost tip of North America in Key West.<\/p>\n

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Florida Wild, Crystal River, Mix Hart\/18<\/p>\n

\u00a0I’ve been wanting to get this post\u00a0out since last spring, but I confess, all my writing energy was absconded\u00a0by a very demanding novel.<\/p>\n

I finally have a little time to get out a few posts about some of my favourite\u00a0wild spaces on Earth.<\/p>\n

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Florida Wild, Manatee, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I began my quest to discover Florida wildlife in Crystal River. I was lured to \u00a0Crystal River in hopes of spotting the wild manatees that frequent the warm, spring-fed river when the Gulf of Mexico’s winter temperatures are too cool for the aquatic mammals.<\/p>\n

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Florida Wild, Manatee, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Swimming alongside the gentle creatures\u00a0was unbelievable. They are true mermaids. I went into this adventure believing that I would be snorkeling in a wide, open river and that I would not get too close to the creatures.<\/p>\n

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Crystal River, Florida, Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The reality was that the river is very narrow; I felt that our human presence was too invasive for these\u00a0gentle creatures and that they would be better off left alone. Knowing what I know now, I think it best that snorkellers not be allowed in the river with the manatee. They are so very gentle and peaceful; we must respect their temperament by giving them privacy and space.<\/p>\n

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Florida Wild, Manatee, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Florida Wild, Manatee, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Florida Wild, Manatee, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Everglades<\/h4>\n

Nearly all of wild Florida\u00a0has completely vanished beneath urban sprawl; however, the Everglades hold the best of Florida’s wondrous wild.<\/p>\n

You cannot pass by a water-filled ditch without spotting several alligators and splendiferous birds.<\/p>\n

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Florida Everglades, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nature’s weaving…<\/h4>\n
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Florida Everglades, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Below: two barred owls in a cypress tree.<\/p>\n

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Florida Everglades, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Below: lizard with geometric markings.<\/p>\n

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Florida Everglades, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Below: Alligators<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Florida Everglades, Mix Hart\/18<\/p>\n

I admit, even though I’d attended a crocodile safety briefing in Queensland, Australia, I was careless when it came to photographing\u00a0this large alligator. It continued to move in on me as I photographed it and yet I crouched and kept still to finish shooting. I had my eye on it but I should have stood up and walked away quickly. It’s never\u00a0wise to tempt primitive hunters that possess fast legs.<\/p>\n

Learning how to be the most respectful wildlife photographer is something I take very seriously and I am forever trying to improve on...<\/em><\/pre>\n
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Florida Everglades, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Florida Everglades, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Florida Everglades, Mix Hart\/18<\/p>\n
Above & Below: a\u00a0group of young alligators sunning themselves.<\/p>\n
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Florida Everglades, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Florida Everglades, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Above: an interesting spotted fish in an Everglade channel.<\/p>\n
Sarasota<\/h4>\n
If you’re looking for seabirds, you’ll want to walk along the Gulf of Mexico in Sarasota, preferably in the early morning while the birds are out looking for breakfast.<\/p>\n
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Sarasota, Florida, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Blue Heron looking for its breakfast.<\/p>\n
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Sarasota, Florida, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Sarasota, Florida, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Above: When your shoes match your eyeshadow.<\/p>\n
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Sarasota, Florida, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Above: beautiful shorebirds with crimson legs and beak stripe.<\/p>\n
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Sarasota, Florida, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Above: seabird catching a pelican taxi.<\/p>\n
\"\"
Sarasota, Florida, Mix Hart\/18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Above: Blue heron and pelicans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Road Trip into the Florida Wild:  manatees, alligators, herons, owls and lizards!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"kt_blocks_editor_width":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1805,2209],"tags":[3614,3499,2050,3612,276,661,3615,3616,63,594],"class_list":["post-17609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travelandadventure","category-usa-travelandadventure","tag-alligator","tag-birding","tag-florida","tag-manatee","tag-nature","tag-road-trip","tag-share-earth","tag-take-only-pictures","tag-travel","tag-wildlife"],"aioseo_notices":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":1805,"label":"Travel"},{"value":2209,"label":"U.S.A."}],"post_tag":[{"value":3614,"label":"alligator"},{"value":3499,"label":"birding"},{"value":2050,"label":"Florida"},{"value":3612,"label":"manatee"},{"value":276,"label":"nature"},{"value":661,"label":"road 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