One of the most epic mornings. We got in the water at the crack of dawn and when the air temps were below freezing. The people out looked at us like we were crazy. Yeah, maybe a little, but that’s typically a requirement for great adventures am I right? We floated through the water in what seemed like an absolute fairytale. The water turned into a mirror, making it difficult to distinguish the two worlds, steam rose off the surface and filled the air, the cypress trees hung overhead, and it was so quiet we could hear egrets taking flight. Below, we were surrounded by at least a dozen of manatees. And if we were still, they didn’t seem to mind our presence. What caught my eye was this mama & her baby hanging out in the far corner. As I cautiously approached, mama sheltered her little one. But I gave them space, and I waited. Eventually they realized I wasn’t a threat and they actually became curious of me. We hung out together for a while, observing each other, they came closer to me and I smiled in awe as they grazed, nursed, and little one swam laps around mama. Pretty much every part of our bodies became numb from the cold, but the pain was worthwhile. It was spectacular. Sometimes we have to go to extraordinary measures to share a timeless moment with an animal that we dream to see, please do so respectfully. For the best wildlife encounters, and honestly for most things in life, I have found that if you are patient, the greatest gifts will come. And indeed it did. Do not chase, simply attract 💫 #lessonsfromnature . . . . #coreyraephotography #manatee #divingpassport #oceanswildest #wildlife #underwater #discoverocean #underwateremotions #uwphotographer #padi #paditv #paditravel #sony #sonyalpha #sonyunderwater #divetopia #underwaterphotography #scubadivingmag #uwphotosociety #aquaticadigital #underwateremotions #marinemammal #theocean #sea #oceanlife #floridalife #savefloridasprings #savethemanatees