On a chilly Florida morning we slipped into the water and were greeted by this curious manatee. There’s something so special about sharing the water with these beautiful creatures. But it’s so bittersweet when you start to learn about the numerous issues they are facing. Last year 1,101 deaths were recorded, smashing the previous record of 830 set in 2013. Of these over 100 deaths were caused just from being injured by boats and other watercraft. Sadly, 2022 hasn’t been much better with over 560 deaths recorded in the first 5 months of the year. There’s roughly only 6000 florida manatees left on our planet. And that is just heart breaking. These incredible creatures need all of our help. November is Manatee awareness month. Visit @savethemanateeclub to learn more about them and how you can get involved to help protect these special creatures. Shot on the @sonyalpha a7R IV using a @sigmaphoto 15mm FE lens in a @nauticamhousings Love the insane detail you can get with the Sony a7R IV, swipe to see a 70% crop and see what I mean!