There were lots of wonderful photo ops around the island today on this beautiful Mother's Day. There were the normal photos of the beautiful Osprey, but we were also lucky to see lots of Manatees on the Gulf side of of the island. They mostly stay on the bay side, so it was a treat to see them at the beach!
It was a beautiful day at the beach today.
We were getting ready to leave and saw several people standing in the water with their phones in the air, taking videos of something. So, we walked back to see what was going on and there were several Manatees just off the beach in the warm Gulf waters. Also known as sea cows, these peaceful creatures are very large. They are 8 to 13 feet long and can weigh up to 1300 lbs.
This fish jumped out of the water, probably when it came upon the Manatees. I think it is the same type the Osprey had in its claws. I still think it is probably a Pompano.
While the photo below doesn't have anything to do with wildlife on Sanibel . . . it's funny and I thought I'd share. It was in front of a restaurant called RC Otters on Captiva Island.