Manatees should be left alone

By Guest column: NANCY G. DIVELY

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 23, 2000

We are coming to the end of the season when manatees travel up the Anclote River to the warm waters of Spring Bayou in Tarpon Springs. I have taken some time to reflect on the way mankind treats these gentle creatures, and I have separated us into three categories:

Gawkers. These are the people who stop their cars on the road (without warning, I might add) and, from the comfort of their automobiles, watch the manatees. If you have ever visited the bayou, you will know that you can barely see these gentle giants from the sidewalk let alone from the street. While I cannot say that any accidents have occurred as a result of the gawkers, they truly inconvenience others who travel these streets.

Spoilers. These are the people who do manage to park their cars and sit or stand on the sidewalk with their cameras. A few have actually donned wet suits and gone into the water to get just a little closer.

These are also the ones who throw lettuce and God know what else into the water thinking that the manatees need to be fed by humans. Many of the spoilers leave behind film boxes, bottles and other debris on the sidewalks for others to step over or clean up.

True observers. These are the conscientious people who understand the need to be a viewer only. The true observers enjoy watching these mammals frolic in their winter home, knowing that this is an experience that should be cherished.

Manatees visit Spring Bayou every year to rest, relax, play and perhaps even mate. They deserve to be viewed from a distance. There is not a real need to feed them. If there were, the food that is thrown in the bayou would be eaten and wouldn't be left on the shore during low tide.

We are blessed to have these creatures visit us and we need to ensure that they will continue to visit here every year, as it is quite a sight. It is amazing to me that such large creatures are so gentle and will allow humans to get too close.

It is for that reason that the manatee could be facing extinction. So we should be more careful in our treatment of them.

Nancy G. Dively is a Realtor and a longtime resident of Tarpon Springs.

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