Great Blue Heron - Big Gulp

Kayaking in the morning in the mangrove swamps at Lover's Key. We hoped to see some manatees, and we did - right off the bat as we paddled away from the shore. There were two - a big one and a 'baby' - although the baby was categorized as such by being much the smaller of the pair it was large enough that it could probably have overturned the kayak if it had felt so inclined. The manatees seemed insatiably curious, swimming around us and beneath us, their seal-like snouts popping out of the water every now and then to catch a breath of air. (Although they look like seals, manatees are actually more closely related to elephants - see here.) So that was treat. Although we paddled the whole trail, they turned out to be the only manatees we saw on the trip. We did see a dolphin though on our return - in exactly the same place as the manatees had been - and spent a pleasant 10 minutes or so watching him dive for fish. No pictures, unfortunately, as a couple of incidents have convinced me that cameras and kayaks don't really mix.

In the afternoon, Mr. L. hit the golf course, and I hit the beach, which is where I came across this great blue heron. The heron had set up camp next to a couple who were on the beach fishing, and a small group of photographers, me included, set up camp next to the heron. Everyone was very relaxed, even the bird. Suddenly, there was excitement - a fish was caught! And the fisherman, without warning, tossed it to the heron who swallowed it in one gulp! Great photo op lost! Compare this with the osprey who delicately eats his fish in small bite-size pieces (and cleans his beak afterwards).

(Amusing conversation with the fishing couple followed, in which they recounted a story of a heron swallowing a sheep's head and your trusty author not understanding that a sheep's head is a kind of fish. Oh well.)