Time for a day trip; this time to Blue Springs, about 90 minutes away. Today it was so popular that there was a huge waiting line just to get in. Cars were directed past the entrance, down the road to a wide spot they could turn around at, and back to the same entrance. This almost kept the line from backing up to the main road. Once we got in, though, it was so peaceful. There is an old, restored house on the property, and some guy was sitting on the porch playing a flute. It was the perfect accompaniment to a lovely, sunny day.
There is a boardwalk all along the spring. This is a quintessential "Florida" thing; a boardwalk through the jungle, built around the trees, and signs about alligators.
We walked up to the headwaters of the spring, where over a million gallons of water pour out daily, eventually ending up in the St. John river.
You are allowed to dive in the springs, but this is where great care is needed. I'd actually say "avoidance" is needed. The hole is the entrance to deep underwater cavern that goes down around 110 feet. It continues further but my understanding is that the shaft constricts there, so even if you were nuts enough to get to that point, you probably couldn't further because the water flow is so strong.
The reason everyone was here was to see the Manatees that, because of the cold spell we've had, have come up from the gulf into the springs. The springs are 72 degrees which is cold to me, but it's warmer than the gulf and that's what matters to them.
A pair of manatees who like to hang out together had got tagged together, and the small buoys just floated along behind them. Fortunately they don't seem to tangle up.
To my joy, I saw a manatee with two babies! They were swimming along with her, one on each side, nursing.
The manatees in this area seem to move a little more than the ones at Three Sisters. This guy even liked to roll over on his back occasionally.
The biggest surprise was that the Manatees weren't getting the most attention. Everyone was blow away by the sheer number of fish here! Hundreds of them were crowded together on one one side of the spring, while the resting manatees were on other side.
And they hardly moved, besides a vague tail swish. They just sat there, like the manatees. It was kind of freaky.
We were told these are Tilapia, which are an invasive species from Africa. Apparently it's nesting time because all along the bank some have made nests. These were a little more active; they had to be, to clean out a spot and keep it safe.
Having nests so close together simply invites territory disputes. I watch one fish try to move in on a smaller fish's nest. But the small one simply refused to budge, so big fish had to go back to her own nest, which was a little further out in the springs.
I gotta say, some of these are goofy looking fish.
There are larger black fish here, too, called Sailfin Catfish. They're not native either; they're from South America and probably ended up here when they got too big for some kid's fish tank. And they move more than the Tilapia; I couldn't get a good picture of one. But they're pretty, with their long shape and big fins.
And lots of birds. Since Manatees have no natural enemies and are not anyone else's enemy, they all get along just fine.
I'm sure this is a Double-crested Cormorant. I love the beautiful feathers, edged in black.
And of course Black Vultures live here. In fact, a whole colony of 8 or more were gathered in the woods, just a few feet off the trail.
