In 1493, Christopher Columbus, sailing through the Caribbean, spotted three “mermaids” and described them as “not half as beautiful as they are painted.” No doubt, as what Columbus actually saw were West Indian Manatees, which, at 10 feet long and roughly 1,000 pounds, are no willowy beauties.These easygoing herbivores still winter along Florida’s western coast, where warm springs empty into the Gulf of Mexico. Though now endangered, manatees have become subject to a booming tourist industry. December to March is peak season, and plenty of snorkel boats run photo trips.
