The Adventures of Periwinkle and Stinky

 

Sitting in front of the Teleportation Tunnel, Periwinkle waited excitedly for her fiancé, Stinky, to arrive.  She hoped he would arrive on time, and no sooner did she think that when she saw the Tunnel begin to shake and, with the familiar WOOOSH, he tumbled out, almost knocking her over.  They giggled, fixed their furs, and whisker kissed for a while.  Slowly, the tabbies moved apart, and Stinky looked up.  "I know what we're doing today!" he says proudly.  Periwinkle smiles and asks him what he thinks the plan is. He says, "We're going to DeSoto Park to see the Manatees!  That's why we're dressed like Manatees, right?"  Periwinkle tells him he's only partially right.  The Manatees have not returned to the area where they usually see them.  She thinks it's because there is a drought and the water is too shallow.  But, she adds, they are going to see Manatees.  Taking his paw, she guides him to the Teleportation Tunnel to begin their Adventure.  

They quickly arrive at their destination.  No sooner do they leave the Teleportation Tunnel when Stinky climbs up on a sign.  Periwinkle sighs and, not wanting to upset her, he climbs right down.

It didn't take long for them to find the Manatees! Periwinkle says, " Blue Spring State Park is a winter hangout for West Indian manatees. When the ocean gets chilly, the gentle sea potatoes migrate to the warm spring water (a balmy 72F). Humans find this adorable. We cats find it suspiciously fishy. Look Stinky! A whole herd. Or is it a pod? Or, she giggles, a loaf?" Stinky replies,"It is absolutely a loaf. A gargantuan floating loaf." Periwinkle explains that they are sometimes referred to as a loaf because they are gentle and slow-moving so they look like big loaves!

Of course, Periwinkle did research about the park and its visitors. She told Stinky, "Manatees are herbivores, which means they eat plants—like seagrass, lettuce, and aquatic vegetation. They need a lot of food because they’re very big—adult manatees can weigh 800–1,200 pounds! That is at least 73 Stinkys."  Stinky did not look pleased so she quickly went on to say, "Manatees can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes when they’re resting, but usually come up for air every 3–5 minutes. Manatees are protected by law because there aren’t very many of them. Humans have to watch from a distance and never touch, feed, or ride them. It’s also illegal to bother them, chase them, or splash near them. Their survival depends on keeping them calm and safe. There have been over 800 manatees recorded here so far this year."

"Hey, Periwinkle, I think that manatee just slow-blinked us!  Let's go over and see if he will talk to us."  He took Periwinkle by the paw, and off they went.  They asked what his name was and he said he was Floofy the Floater.  He was thrilled to meet the famous Periwinkle and Stinky and asked if they would like to interview him and some of his pals.  Of course, they said yes!  The interviews went like this...

Interview #1 — Floofy the Floater

Periwinkle: Hello! How long have you been here?
Floofy: glub I come every winter. The water is warm, and no one bothers me.
Stinky: Do you float professionally?

Floofy: Yes. It’s an art.

Interview #2 — Sir Lettuce Chompington
Periwinkle: What do manatees eat?
Chompington: Seagrass and aquatic plants. Sometimes, humans at the rehabilitation centers give us snacks.
Stinky: So you eat salad all day?
Chompington: Correct.
Stinky: Respectfully, how are you so round?
Chompington: Genetics.

 
Interview #3 — Professor Puffins
Periwinkle: Why do humans protect you?
Professor: We are a threatened species. Boats, cold water, and habitat loss are dangerous to us.
Stinky: Boats are rude.
Professor: Quite.

 
Interview #4 — Tiny Flapflap (a fish)
Stinky: Why do you swim around manatees?
Flapflap: We clean algae off them. Also, they are chill and never eat us.
Stinky: That is a solid business relationship.

After their interviews, the tabbies headed over to the boardwalk to see more.  Of course, Stinky had to climb up on the rail to take a photo with the mosaic manatee.

They both let out a loud SQUEE when they saw the Mom and calf...

Walking paw in paw, they saw lots of other manatees and stopped to take in an aerial view, which amazed them!

Periwinkle said, "I made a list of park Tips (For Humans)"

Best Time to Visit:
✔ December–February
✔ Early morning during cold weather

Viewing Access:
✔ Elevated boardwalk along spring run
✔ Viewing platforms
✔ No swimming during manatee season

Accessibility Notes:
✔ Boardwalk wheelchair-friendly
✔ Shaded areas for breaks

Important Rules:
✘ Do not touch, chase, ride, feed, or harass manatees
✘ No drones during manatee season
✘ Keep voices low near water

✘ Do not use flash photography  

Pro Visitor Tips:
✓ Arrive early — parking fills up
✓ Bring binoculars if you have them
✓ Dress in layers (mornings can be cool)
✓ Pack your own snacks (no vendors inside)

Stinky agreed that that was great advice.  It was getting late so they re-entered the Teleportation Tunnel to go back to Periwinkle's house.  They took a nap in a sun puddle, had a snack and Stinky visited with Periwinkle's Mom and fursibs.  After whisker kissing and paw patting and lots of "I love yous." Stinky hopped into the Teleportation, blew one last whisker kiss and, with a WOOSH, was on his way home.  Periwinkle decided to find her fursibs and tell them all about her day with Stinky

You can watch live Manatee cams too!  Here's an Underwater cam...

And an Above Water cam...