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Outdoors: Searching for Manatee on the Indian River Lagoon

2009 Travel Writing Contest
HONORABLE MENTION

Paddling alongside red mangrove in brackish water was as mystical and foreign an experience as I’d had in a long time. What was even more mystical was what I was searching for – a 1,000 pound mammal I was told was as gentle as they come, and endangered as well, here in a wild region that once harbored the last dusky seaside sparrow.

I’ve always been a Northern girl. That’s why, when a new flame asked me if I wanted to join him on a trip to Fort Pierce, Florida to pick-up his kayaks in the middle of August, I had my hesitations. I love kayaking but not the heat. When he began to tell me about the sea turtles and manatees, my nature enthusiast self caved in completely. I was “in” for an eco-adventure.

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