Jason Gulley's Image

Jason Gulley (USA) gazes through clear water at a manatee and a calf adrift among eelgrass.

Jason has photographed many manatee mother-and-calf pairs. The expression on the calf’s face and the bubbles trailing from its flippers, combined with the hopeful backstory, has made it one of Jason’s favourite images.

With year-round temperatures of 23°C (73°F), the waters of Crystal River on Florida’s west coast are a perfect winter refuge for manatees. However, when Jason first dived here in 2019, there was little visibility, no eelgrass and few manatees.

Farming had caused chemicals to wash into the river, resulting in a large growth of algae. This in turn killed the eelgrass beds that the manatees eat.

The local community acted, restoring the habitat and improving water quality, resulting in more manatees than ever being recorded in the winter of 2022–23.

How you can help

• Help keep waterways clean. In some areas, the excessive spread of algae, known as ‘algal blooms’, has reduced the amount of seagrass available for manatees to eat. Avoid using pesticides or fertilisers, which contribute to this problem when they wash into rivers and the sea.
• Reduce plastic pollution. Swallowing plastic is a common cause of death for marine animals like manatees. Recycle plastic wherever possible and dispose of it properly to stop your rubbish becoming part of the problem. Find out more about how you can limit the damage caused by plastic pollution.
• Avoid harmful collisions. A big threat to creatures like manatees is collisions with boats. If you use a boat or take part in water sports, observe speed limits and follow other safety guidelines. Keep your distance from aquatic creatures, try not to disrupt their natural behaviour and avoid touching them.