I went out yesterday to get some crawfish. I went to one of my spots and it was sticking. I was in 60ft so I used my compressor. I was hooking and it was really sticking (A lot of Crawfish) around 15 minutes later I look up and saw this Big round thing swimming my way.I thought What the Hell is that .No fins so ?????.Well it was a huge manatee. Just swam right past me. That is the first one I have ever seen in the Bahamas. I did end up getting 126 pounds of tail from that spot, and it was cold as hell getting out of the water.

the west indian manatee .. was only a visitor to florida .. like its name it was native to most of the carribean ( or west indies ) but they were hunted for food ... over the last 200 years .. they were hunted for food in the keys by the old conchs ..in places like the cow pens in taverneir .. they were fenced up .. like cattle .. manatees were only seasonal visitors to most of florida till man made warm water sources ..like power plants .. gave them a place to escape .. winters cold .. there are more manatees in florida now than any time in history .. .. but there is no money to be made in plentiful manatees .. the save a manatee foundation can only get donations by making them sound endangered ..

I've seen them in Great Harbour and down in the Exumas but never around GB.

After diving all over the Bahamas for 38 years. it was about time I saw one. Interesting story as well Joel.