This time, for real!
Posted on 04/01/2016 5:30:08 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
Beginner's Luck. It was my first time using my GoPro+ LCD camera with the head band. I was in a salt water creek at Mile Marker 81.8 in the Florida Keys at Islamorada. Shortly after entering the water this big manatee came shooting past me like a torpedo. Normally manatees swim 3 to 5 mph but this manatee was travelling at least 20 mph, perhaps because he was taking advantage of a very strong current.
After the first view at normal speed, you will see the manatee slowed down to 15% speed, and finally you will see the scene again at normal speed.
Oh, and the manatee encounter happened last Sunday, Easter Sunday. By coincidence, the day before I told the guy in the video that it had been about 10 years since I had even seen a manatee and that I wished I had a GoPro camera at the time.
Very cool!
Amazing that anything that big can move that fast.Kind of like the Wookie headed for a buffet table.
I was actually looking for a big nurse shark that was resting at the bottom the last time I was there but found the manatee instead. Also last time I saw a large gag grouper but because of the full moon, the current was extremely fast so I had to get out soon after this incident.
Awesome!
Can't top you, but I got a video of me being unexpectedly bumped by a giant green sea turtle in Hawaii because I was snorkeling in a lagoon where there was a bunch of mossy turtle grass they like to eat. I was in the way of it's food so it just moved me by ramming me in the middle of my back. I almost came out of the water like a Polaris missile. It had a head like a football and a shell bigger than my mom's old big round living room coffee table. I'm scared of even little snapping turtles and presumed that this one could snap my arm off if it wanted to.
On that same trip, I got a video of a barracuda zipping around in the same lagoon at warp speed and then I immediately left the water after seeing the recently hand-made sign which read "Beware: The barracuda is back. It will take a chunk out of you."
Is it wrong that I’m so excited FR actually has a hugh manatee?!
He was moving at a fast walk. Maybe 7 mph (10ft/sec) tops.
Are there tiny manatees?
On FR the manatees are only hugh. Shirley you know this?
So no mini manatees? No medium manatees?
I’m thinking about getting a kayak and go at least a mile off shore with clearer water to record underwater and maybe spearfish. I only wish I had this GoPro camera the time in California when I was snorkeling in the kelp beds off Zuma beach and came face to face with a WHALE not 15 feet away. I could have gone closer but I was warned a whale can break your bones with just a quick flip. BTW, the whale remained in place for at least 10 minutes so I would have had good footage. Very impressed by its big eye just staring at me.
I can't see the video.
Happy April 1st ?
What an experience!!! You had the luck and skill riding with you.
Nope. Hugh and hugh only. I’m series.
Yeah, the FIRST time I used my GoPro+ LCD camera in salt water. I had it almost a year but when I used in the salt creek within a couple of minutes this manatee came into view. Luckily I had the camera running or I never would have had time to turn it on to record this. It was only running for about 30 seconds when the manatee came into view. I edited out the first part so it was manatee almost from the get-go.
Good video. My old stomping grounds. We used to spend every weekend in Islamorada or Key Largo. Did a lot of scuba diving out on Hens and Chickens reef. My last dive I turned around to see a 5 ft Barracuda sitting at eye level right behind me. I came up over the back of the motor on our boat with a 40 lb backpack like it was nothing. Never went back in. LOL! That was in the good old days where we worked our way down the canals pulling crawfish out of their holes with our hands and free diving off the boat for conch. Good times.
Even back then we didn’t see that many manatee in Islamorada. I saw way more in Jupiter and the Silver River.
“Very impressed by its big eye just staring at me.”
He was picturing you made of krill.
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