New media allow us to see, learn, and in some cases care about things we have never seen. In my case, this includes the Manatee, a family of beings that until last Winter(1999)I have never actually met.

When I adopted the name as a "handle" or pseudonym on a now defunct cafe-based BBS, SF Net, I had never seen the animal and had only a vague idea as to what they were -- similarly, I had never seen the people I was messaging, nor they me. People asked why I chose the handle Manatee; as I knew almost nothing about the animal, I felt it necessary to do a little research in order to rationalize my whimsical choice. So in a fairly bizarre manner, part of my interest in Manatees began as an attempt to explain to others my interest in Manatees.

The more research I did, the more fascinated I became. My pilgrimage to Florida in October, 1999 only resulted in a few brief sightings, but it was well worth it. There are so many things you really don't perceive until you see them live; their substantial bulk and luminous, rubbery skin; their ability to dive almost halfway out of the water, and the signature snort as they surface briefly for air. Beyond this, their combination of chipper curiosity and deerlike fragility.