Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” GENESIS 1:16 NASB
As I’ve traveled around, I’ve discovered that no matter where you go there is always something unique and interesting to see and enjoy. A few years back I went to Florida to record some videos. On this particular trip I decided that I would swim with manatees-large mammals that live in the ocean and are often called sea cows. They are extremely docile and even friendly, but seeing one requites planning because manatees like warm water. For the majority of the year, they spend their time swimming along the eastern seaboard as far north as Massachusetts! When winter comes, hundreds of manatees go to Florida, Where warm spring waters come out from under ground and flow into the ocean. There are many places in Florida where they congregate during the winter, so it’s a great way to see them. Most places in Florida do not allow visitors to get in the water with manatees, but it’s allowed near Crystal River.
During this trip, it would be there perfect time to view them, so I found a boat that would take me to see them. The boat captain was very knowledgeable at finding the spots where they swam, plus he was extra careful as he steered his boat to make sure we didn’t hit any of them. Soon we found a group of manatees, and I carefully slipped into the water with my mask and snorkel and had a wonderful face-to-face experience with these wonderful creatures.
THE BIBLE says animals were given to us to rule over, but that doesn’t mean we are to be cruel or mean to them. God asks us to be good stewards, or managers, over all the creatures on earth.