I recently visited my dad in Florida, and among other things, went to Homosassa Springs State Park. Besides being the "land where the wild peppers grow", it also plays permanent home to 4 female manatees and temporary home in the winter to hundreds more. The manatees graze on lettuce several times during the day, and they're pretty huge.
A fun fact I learned was that manatees, despite being so large, actually have a very small percentage of body fat. The reason their run-ins with speed boats are so deadly is that their lungs are just under the surface of their thick skin on their backs, so when propellers hit them, they literally cut into the manatees' lungs.
Homosassa Springs has a nice assortment of local, native animals, in addition to a retired movie star hippo who residents petitioned to let remain in the park.
Out of the 11 alligators on site, I took notice of this guy in particular who I nicknamed Ol' Stubby.
