Manatees Galore in Big Cypress

Big manatee in a canal behind the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center of Big Cypress National Preserve in Southwest Florida.
One of the biggest manatees in this canal of the big swamp of South Florida.

Down and up. Down and up. A cyclical dance for air followed by casual splashes. There were many manatees in the waters behind the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center at the western entrance of Big Cypress National Preserve. A lonely alligator arrived floating like a submarine. It kept some distance. We spent some time enjoying the show. Manatees were called by old Spaniards "vaca marina" - sea cow. They were the mermaids of the early explorers. 

Where is the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center? - Map my location.