Did you ever see a manatee?

Somerville, Mass - I was thrilled to read in the Globe this morning that Ilya the manatee is making his way back to Florida, after spending the summer at Cape Cod.

Manatees are good long-distance swimmers, but scientists are baffled about why a Florida manatee would make the 1500-mile journey all the way up to New England waters. "Warmer water is one possible explanation, scientists say, and this year’s record warmth in coastal waters could certainly be a lure," according to the Boston Globe.

This is the second year in a row that a Florida manatee has caused a late summertime stir off the coast of Cape Cod. Last year, a stubborn creature was dubbed "Dennis" by marine mammal fans in that Cape town. Sadly, Dennis stuck around too long and the waters began to chill to uncomfortable temperatures. Although a crew attempted to rescue big Dennis and truck him down to Sea World to recuperate, they were too late. Dennis died of hypothermia before he made it back to Florida.

Fortunately, Ilya is faring better. Apparently he is in better health to begin with. More importantly, he seems to be heading home on his own, as he was spotted off the coast of Connecticut last week. Go, Ilya, go!

I have been in love with the manatees ever since I met their West Indian cousins (up close and personal) last year in Belize (Read about it here). What's not to love about a gentle 1600lb vegetarian giant that floats around - never hurting a soul - except for the 100lbs of grass that it eats every day!