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Gentle creatures, curious kids
By MICHELE MILLER Hitting the road at 4:15 a.m. in Holiday can make for a comatose, bleary-eyed kind of ride for even the most energetic middle-schooler (or less active 20-something photographer and closely approaching middle-age reporter.) Still, the sleepies tend to shake off pretty quick once you've squirmed into a wetsuit and taken the plunge into the cool clear water of Crystal Springs. If that doesn't do it, the sight of a giant, whiskered manatee gliding past or underneath will certainly startle you awake. Give the friendly creature a good scratch on his back and he just might roll over so you can rub his belly -- a most marvelous greeting that makes the early morning start well worth it. That kind of manatee encounter is an annual event for middle school students at World of Knowledge Montessori School in Holiday. They recently took this year's tour via Bird's Underwater of Crystal Springs. "Becoming one with the manatees," is sort of a right of passage for this set, especially those who have worked their way up the ranks since preschool days. "I've been wanting to do this ever since I was in third grade when my older sister went," said 11-year-old Louise Shull as she pulled on her flippers in preparation for her initial dive.
"I'm kind of gaggish, so when I put the snorkel in my mouth it's kind of gross," she said before timidly easing herself down the boat ladder and into the water. While the water temperature is a steady 72 degrees -- the reason for the manatee migration to the Crystal Springs during the winter months -- the air is usually a lot colder. Still, the manatees tend to be most active in the early morning, so a 6:15 a.m. launch time from the dock is imperative for those who want a sure-shot, said boat captain Rudy Banks. "It's freezing every year but I look forward to it every year," said middle school teacher Kelley Velasco, who had sternly warned the first-timers not to scream when they first hit the water. "This is so good for the kids," Velasco said. "Every year we do a unit on wildlife and endangered species. This is good for them to see the manatees, especially the ones that have scars from being hit by boats. You can tell them about the impact of boats on the manatees, but here they can actually see the impact." Before meeting the gentle giants up close and personal, students also got a video lesson in manatee manners. During the slow-clip boat ride to the manatee sites, Banks reinforced that lesson with a brief lecture. The morning was definitely rich in manatee sightings. While the sun streamed down, some 40 manatee could be seen in the main springs area with roughly 10 hovering around the boat -- a few flossing on the anchor rope. That kept 11-year-old Matthew Falzarano in the water through the entire length of the stay, moving among the manatees so he could greet them all. Matthew, a student at Deerwood Academy in Port Richey, skipped a field trip to MOSI with his classmates so he could tag along with his mom, Lori Falzarano, who is a teacher's aide at Montessori. "That was so awesome," Matthew said after arriving on the dock and trading in his wetsuit for warmer duds. "I loved everything about it."
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From today's Pasco Times |
