I have to admit, this series on the scariest wildlife encounters was inspired by my own meeting with a sea monster. Don’t laugh, but I was terrified by a manatee. Sure, sea cows are normally docile and they have a cute face, but these beasts weigh up to 1,300 pounds and grow to over 13 feet long. As my story will attest, there is a reason to fear manatee encounters.
My Spine-Tingling Meeting with a Manatee
It was one of those early summer mornings at Florida’s Indian River Lagoon: already sultry-hot and nearly windless. Just the hint of a breeze barely moved my Hobie Outback as I tied a leader to my main line. The world was quiet and still. At least I thought it was quiet and still.
The explosion came with no advance warning. One moment I was sitting in serenity, focusing on my knot, and the next minute the water under me erupted like a depth-charge, lifting my kayak into the air. Miraculously, the kayak landed upright with me inside. Lagoon water showered me and I sat soaking wet.
In the chaos, I managed to catch a glimpse of a grey tail as wide as my kayak. My heart pounded and my hands were shaking.
I took stock and found that everything remained in the kayak except my dignity. The sea cow’s powerful tail ferociously churned the water, sending silt from the bottom into the air and onto my kayak. Definitely not a plus for my spinning reels. But I cleaned up as best I could and went on to have a pretty good day of fishing.
Mostly, I came away with a new respect for these huge, gentle and normally lethargic animals, and a new rule for kayak fishing in their waters: I do not want to sneak up on a manatee.
Watch Out for Manatee Encounters
Other kayak anglers have been less fortunate after being capsized and losing gear. You can be sure I keep a sharp eye out for signs of sea cows and give them a wide berth.
This article was first published in Kayak Angler Issue 45. Subscribe to Kayak Angler and get the magazine delivered to your front door. Download the Kayak Angler Magazine+ app to seamlessly glide between the digital archives, the latest articles and videos.
Manatee are one of the smartest animals, capable of understanding discrimination tasks and show signs of complex associative learning. Terrifying! | Feature photo: Shutterstock.com
One flipped me in the same situation. I saw the herd? pod? coming toward me and most of them veered off but a small one (maybe 6-7 ft) swam right under my kayak and when it touch he went crazy. Last thing I saw was that tail, then I was in the water under the kayak. Luckily I was in 2ft of water so I was able to find my keys, wallet, and glasses. I lock my keys and wallet up now.
First outing with my PA12 I was headed back to the launch. All of a sudden I felt the kayak rising straight up, just like on an elevator. It felt like a submarine was coming up right underneath me. After about about three feet, it and rolled over dumping me in the drink. Must have startled one as it was feeding. Fortunately, the only thing lost was a new Leatherman tool and my ego as several bank fishermen began cursing about “There goes the fishing !!”