Thursday, Feb. 28 - Monday, Mar. 4

[Recap of previous post]

After a tedious 9.5 hour day on the water spent dodging crab pots and seaweed mats, we made it from Everglades City to Marathon Marina! Whew – Bo was so relieved when we reached the grass! We did see some kind of flying fish occasionally along the way – it would look like a pencil hopping quickly on top of the water, then disappear under the sea. There were also a few schools of 12-18 inch long gray-silvery fish.

[New stuff…]

One thing Sue didn’t know until a few days ago is that Marathon is not a Key. It is a city in Florida on Boot Key. (Always more to learn!)

On our first evening, Brian noticed a strange looking black blob-like thing swimming near the dock. It was about 8-inches long with antennae-like protrusions from the head end (Shrek-like) and wing or flowing fin-like appendages on its sides. We took some pictures and video (https://youtu.be/SYyyI_QWFfA). Brian found it online and it is a Sea Hare (sometimes called a sea-bat which makes perfect sense when you see it.)

We also finally saw a manatee! It was enormous! At least 6 feet long, it was slowly swimming along the edge of the mangroves, then the dock then it went out into the river. Brian was able to get a couple pictures of it as well.

We met up again with our friends who made up our 3-some of Looper boats that were at Everglades City, though we each went to a different marina in Marathon. That didn’t stop us from getting together for drinks and dinner “down at the Sunset Grille” (Don Henley, but a very different place than in the song). We saw a beautiful sunset (of course!). We listened to a great cover band that played everything from our HS years to present day music. The open-air restaurant also had a pool (that’s something you don’t see back home!) and quite a few people were taking advantage of it. After dark we watched many tarpon swimming upstream (though mostly staying stationary) at the restaurant’s pier having their own dinner as yummy things (to them) floated by on the way out with the tide.

Marathon has a Turtle Hospital (Motto: Rescue, Rehab, Release) and Sea Turtle Center (for research and education) that we were able to tour. Most turtles can be released once taken care of, but there are some that have become permanent residents, like one they affectionately call Bubble Butt. When it arrived in 1989, it had been hit by a boat and had a deformed shell that was holding trapped air. (Although turtle shells seem quite hard, they are no match for a boat hull, especially when moving at high speed – that is the boat, not so much the turtle! 😉)

This type of ailment (bouyancy disorder or Floater Syndrome, though here they refer to it as Bubble Butt Syndrome) can be caused by several factors: collisions with boats, eating undigestible objects, stress disorders or disease. In the wild, these turtles typically perish due to starvation, being unable to get to the seabed to eat, or due to dangers (boats and predators) that can't be avoided by submerging.

When people notice turtles that remain at the surface (or appear hurt in any way), they call the Turtle Hospital which sends out the rescue team and turtle ambulance to retrieve it. (Yes, they have a turtle ambulance!) If bouyancy is the issue, lead weights are attached to the shell to counteract the air bubble (air/gasses are typically not removable) but the weights eventually fall off so the turtle can't be released back into the sea as they will eventually become a floater again. They have many turtles with deformed shells due to boat collisions too. Other reasons for trips to the hospital are a virus specific to sea turtles called fibropapillomatosis (FP) which causes tumors, entanglement in fishing or boat lines, as well as impaction. “What is impaction?” you may ask. “Sounds like getting hit by a boat.” It’s a different kind of impact. Since turtles are opportunistic eaters (like the “goat of the seas”), the digestive system can become blocked or impacted with undigestible materials. A treatment or two of Metamucil, fiber and vegetable oil usually takes care of it. They have seen the strangest things come out of turtles – usually trash that should not have been in the water in the first place.

Back to the marina... It was very nice with great people, including the “Texas Tornado.” The nickname comes from getting so much done so fast, and Debbie is the kindest person who will do anything she can to help you out. The pool was also very pleasant with plenty of room and the water temperature was just right! After 5 nights, it was time to move on down the Keys.