Kayak Silver River

A Quiet Farewell on the Water

Monday, August 17th was a scorcher—90 degrees by noon, but a beautiful day to be out on the river.

I was there to bring some of Jeni’s ashes to her favorite places along the water. In the end, I chose three spots. The second was the “Gnome of the River,” a place we always used to stop at together. My personal favorite was the third: a calm, tree-lined bend in the river just before the Silver and Ocala and Oklawaha rivers merge. As you round that curve, a serene view opens up ahead—a place that has always felt peaceful.

Shortly after leaving the third spot, a young manatee with a completely pristine body—no scar marks at all—swam upstream right between Gary and me. I turned my kayak around to get a better look, and to my surprise, the manatee turned around too.

It swam in a circle around my kayak, moved up along the right side, and lingered underwater, gazing up at me. Then, it raised its nose and face above the water’s surface, staring right at me for several moments. I spoke quietly to it as it watched. After a minute, it dipped back under, circled my kayak one more time, and then calmly continued its journey upstream.

In all the years Jeni and I paddled these waters, I had never had a manatee pay attention to me or interact with me like that. Neither Gary nor I thought to grab a camera for a photo or video—we were too busy just being present and absorbing the moment.

Gary turned to me afterward and said he believed it was a message from Jeni, I believe she was thanking us for returning her forever to her favorite place in Florida.