This morning while checking shrimp traps

Cool video, beautiful location!

It sure doesn't look natural to see them laying like cordwood in the springs during some of the freezes.

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So what is the answer. Culling? Transplant some to other areas?

Just asking.

The reason I mentioned the grass was not because they are responsible for the dearth of it hear in the northern reaches of the St. Johns, the causes of that being initially the persistent high/dark water from Irma/Matthew which caused it to die from lack of sufficient light.

Why it has not come back is another question, one which in all likelihood has a multiple of causes, ranging from greatly increased tilapia numbers, both in raw numbers and in range/distribution, to the expansion of plecos range and numbers, to the increased number of turtles and even the fact of there being more gizzard shad than there were 40 years ago.

All those things will work on the grass in its emergent stages, essentially the way deer will nibble new oak leaves but not mature.

The idea with the fencing out up here ( we've a tiny one ) is to possibly give the grass a running start. It is rather amazing to see what is inside the fenced areas on around Green Cove and then on down the river, especially the west side of Lake George.

In fact.....in Lake George....other smaller instances also......when there have been gaps in the fencing what got in and hammered things was turtles......they've got videos.

I could go on......

Point being that the manatees are not a problem.

And.....actually......if we think about it properly......they are a asset to those of us who fish, for if we will leverage their need for clean water to helps us keep things clean such that we have plenty of fish.....a win all the way around.

They seem like gentle giants. Are they always docile?