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Fishing Recreation

Finding Manatees Near Anna Maria Island

manatee close up portrait underwater

Finding Manatees near Anna Maria Island is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as a visting nature lover.  These adorable herbivore creatures love warm water and if  you are lucky, you can spend a wonderful day watching Manatees play in the warm coastal waters near Anna Maria Island.

Manatees are very impressive during mating season as they are prone to barrel rolling and thrashing around in the water.

Be Careful While Boating!

Be sure to be cautious with your power boats around Manatee areas.  Boat motor propellers are the leading cause of death and injury to these gentle creatures.  Take the time to patiently navigate the waters near the shore line and throughout the inter coastal.  This is where you are most likely to find them. Make sure you are not accidentally intruding on their space!

Unfortunately, the number of Manatees is very limited and they are sometimes hard to find.

If you are really fortunate, you might also find yourself swimming with them off the northern end of the island.  It is a wonderful experience!

Visiting the MOTE

If you are having trouble finding manatees in the wild near Anna Maria Island, then try your luck at the MOTE Marine Laboratory in Sarasota.  It is a truly remarkable establishment devoted to understanding and supporting all marine wildlife, including Manatees!

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Recreation Weather

Seasonal Weather Changes on Anna Maria Island

Seasonal Weather Change Anna Maria Island

Are you looking forward to the next Seasonal Weather Change on Anna Maria Island?

When a cold front comes through up north, we prepare by getting out the scarves, mittens, hats, winter jackets, and maybe even the boots because we can know that the temperatures are going to dip, possibly to below freezing, thereby bringing along some sleet or snow.

The kids get excited because they may wake up to find that school will be closed, while parents make sure the cupboards are stocked and the heat is working.   If there is a fireplace available, plenty of wood will be brought in, and everyone will look forward to family times around a cozy fire.

Cold Fronts – Who Cares!

When a cold front comes through Anna Maria Island, we look forward to turning off the air conditioning. We even go around opening up the doors and windows.  We know that the temperatures will drop a few degrees at least, but most importantly we anticipate the lower humidity.

Now we’ll be able to ride our bikes, take our daily runs or walks, and get those outside chores accomplished! We didn’t even have to get up at the crack of dawn to avoid suffering heat exhaustion.  Our lanais and docks will be enjoyed for cocktails and dinners while everyone marvels at the beautiful, clear weather and lovely breezes.

If the temperatures drop too much, we’ll see people out and about. Full-time residents will be very clearly distinguished from the vacationers.

There will be some people wearing heavy sweaters, or winter coats even, while others will be in their swimsuits and cover-ups.  Of course, the beach is never off-limits especially for those who have escaped the “really cold” weather up north!

Recently, I took a picture of a cold front approaching over the Gulf of Mexico at 9:30am.  After about an hour or so of much needed rain, we got busy opening up of the house.  Don’t forget to work on some of those outside chores I mentioned earlier.

I went back to the beach at 4:00pm where the sun was shining beautifully. There were even lots of people who were taking advantage of the warm water. These cold fronts are hard to take, aren’t they?

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The Mackerel Run and Fishing Anna Maria City Pier

Fishing Anna Maria City Pier
Fishing Anna Maria City Pier is great for Mackerel this year.

It’s a great time to be fishing Anna Maria City Pier.  The Mackerel Run is ON and they are showing up in spades.

Last evening we decided to take a quick ride up to the Anna Maria City Pier…our favorite college team Penn State was ahead at half time, and our dinner still had another 45 minutes to finish in the oven.

Fishing Anna Maria City Pier? Buckets of Fin!

As we walked down the recently re-built pier we were greeted by lots of anglers fishing in the beautiful blue-green waters of the Tampa Bay.  The fisherman told us that the mackerel were biting and they were not kidding; there were buckets and buckets filled to the brim with fish.

It was such fun to see people of all ages, casting and catching fish…  Then we enjoyed a guitarist playing great Neil Young songs, one of which my husband requested and enjoyed.

As we listened and looked out over the lovely Gulf Of Mexico waters and the silhouette of the outstanding Skyway Bridge, we were, once again, amazed at the glory of this unbelievable place in which we have the privilege to live.

We walked back down the pier to return to our car watching the setting sun highlight the clouds. It is far too often that we don’t take enough advantage of Anna Maria Island.  We got back home and ate a great dinner while we watched our team win the game in FOUR overtimes!