(Photo by Barb Romick) Snooty swims the day away at the Parker Manatee Aquarium of the South Florida Museum in Bradenton, Fla.

When you ask most people what’s special about Bradenton, Fla., you’ll probably get answers like “I don’t know, I’ve never been there,” or “It’s on the Gulf side of Florida” or “It has a great beach, right?” If you’re a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, then you’d probably answer that Bradenton houses Pirate City, the Pirates’ minor league and spring training facility where the majors train in February, the minors play from March through May, the Gulf Coast League plays from June through August, and the Instructional League plays September through October. A Pirates’ fan might also answer that in Bradenton at McKechnie Field you can watch the Pirates go up against other major league teams in March. If you’ve spent a bit of time in Bradenton or know your horses, you’d probably answer that the world-renowned Royal Lipizzaner Stallions from Austria are trained at Colonel Herrmann’s Ranch in nearby Myakka City from January through March. But if you ask me what’s special about Bradenton, I’ll tell you it’s where I fell in love — with Snooty. Snooty is 59 years old, the oldest manatee living in captivity, and probably the oldest living manatee in the world. I’ve always liked manatees; they just look so cute and cuddly. So when my husband, John, and I decided on a road trip around Florida, I was determined to see at least one manatee. I figured our best bet for a manatee sighting would be at one of the documented manatee sighting locations.