The Hidden Secrets of Manatee Island

David K Giordano

For at least thirty years I have been an admirer and student of the beliefs and practices of the ancient Maya of Central America. I have traveled to, climbed, and entered many of their pyramids in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Their knowledge of the number of days in a year was only milliseconds different from the atomic clocks of today—365.242 days. Amazing! They were one of the first cultures in the world to establish the meaning and value of the numeral “0.” Yet with all this advanced knowledge and wisdom, they never grasped the benefit and the use of the wheel. And though secluded from much of the world and hidden deep in the rainforest, the ancient Mayan Empire flourished long before the coming of Christ halfway around the world. Their astronomical and mathematical knowledge equaled, and in many instances, surpassed that of any civilization on the planet. Religion guided their way of life, and they worshipped many different gods. They had gods for the sun, the moon, the rain, and even gods of evil and the underworld below.

It has been said that man created God because he needed him. In times of hardship or famine, it’s easy to see why . . . During an extended drought, it’s easy to see why such primitive people would pray to their god of rain. Superstition clouded the minds of good and evil people alike, giving rise to violence, rumors and rituals passed down from father to son through many generations.

What if there is a God? What if the Devil does exist?

Are we mortals just pawns in some cosmic chess game? Are we merely some form of amusement for beings far greater than ourselves? I once dreamed God watched us on some heavenly TV set, sitting on his throne eating bread and drinking wine, while the evil one planned his next diabolical move. A religious scholar I am not, but I have been given a gift. Not a gift of talent or great abilities, but more a gift of curiosity, passion, and desire. In many ways nothing more than a sincere desire to know the how and why of

how people think and how things work. You wouldn’t be reading this right now unless you had some similar curiosity.

I imagine the Maya of yesterday weren’t much different. They, like the Egyptians and many Native American and other cultures around the world believed their ancestors came from the stars. Specifically, the stars in the Orion constellation. Their priests and astronomers turned their gaze to the three stars in Orion’s belt. The Mayan, the Aztec and the pyramids of Giza in Egypt are said to be aligned with these same three stars. They kept a constant eye on the sky. And when an object that looked like one of their deities—“Kukulkan” (feathered serpent)—was spotted, it was easy to see how that object would be revered and worshipped.

Would a winged object that flies, like . . . let’s say an airplane or a spacecraft fit that description?

I would have to say, “yes.”

There have been many civilizations throughout history that have testified and recorded witnessing strange flying objects they couldn’t explain or identify. Even today many credible sources have claimed to have seen objects that defy what we know or believe. They could be nothing more than secret experimental crafts built and designed right here on Earth . . . but couldn’t they also be from somewhere else altogether?

All this leads me to tell you about the ancient eye-witness accounts and recent discoveries made right here in our backyard along Crystal River on the Nature Coast of Florida.

***

July 14, 1519

The ship passed through a dense bank of clouds and adjusted its path toward a distant shore. Beyond the miles of dark blue ocean, a shimmering turquoise sea flooded the view of a fast-approaching lush green shoreline. The commander looked down at a control panel, touched a few icons on the screen and gazed back at the panoramic view of

paradise . . . long ago Florida. His hard features softened as a smile crossed his face. “Increase magnetic drive polarity.” The ship slowed. It was barely gliding now.

The second-in-command evaluated the information on his screen. “Commander, the best place to bring her down with the most essentials for survival is in that river, sir.”

“Do it, and get the crew prepared to transport.” His tall frame exuded a confident aura that his crew respected. His jet-black hair and bright violet eyes were different from that of most men. However, he considered his looks to be average at best. “Be sure to leave some transport orbs and the sacred G-force element onboard. Make sure they stay on the ship after we transport.” He stared directly into the man’s eyes. “Is that clear?”

“Yes, Commander. Perfectly clear, sir.” He looked down at a screen. “One minute to impact, sir. Outer hull at acceptable temperature levels.”

The ship sizzled as it traveled east barely ten feet above the sea.

***

Nakita walked along the banks of Crystal River watching a cloud of large seafaring birds dive to the surface of the river to feed on a school of fish only visible from the air. He cast his baited shell fragment out toward the scattering birds and watched his line go taught as he jerked his bamboo pole sharply upward. His face lit up with a smile as he pulled the struggling fish out of the water. It was the fifth one he hooked today. He baited the shell for the next cast when a sizzling sound grabbed his attention.

Approaching from the west, a very large shining bird-like creature with a color that reminded him of the inside of a clam shell headed directly toward him. Its wings did not move. His mouth shot open, and his eyes widened like the moon. He dropped his pole and tried to run but could not. He froze and uttered a scream as the enormous bird skimmed the surface of the water not far enough away. It glided closer, dipped below the surface, and seconds later rose to the surface again where it finally came to rest along the shore just steps away from Nakita.

Steam rose from the motionless creature that glowed like the face of the sun.

The dark tanned Mayan boy swept his long dark hair from his forehead back behind his ears and moved in closer to the monstrous creature. It was huge and like nothing he’d ever seen before. As he walked close enough to touch the bird thing, the heat it emitted forced him to step back. He was shaking and scared. A faint sound came from the bird and grew steadily louder resembling the sound of a flute . . . yet different and coarse. It

made strange sounds that pierced his ears and irritated him. They were not the pleasant melodic tones those in his village produced with their flutes. These were discordant harsh sounds that increased in volume and intensity and grew closer and closer together until they morphed into a shrill siren-like scream.

He started trembling. His teeth chattered and his heart pounded like a drum. He tried to be brave and move in closer, but his feet would not allow it. Finally, his body responded as he turned from the creature and ran back toward his village on Manatee Island.

His people hadn’t been here long. They had escaped Cortez and Spanish invaders from their homeland. Many were slaughtered. A few sailed away. And after battling storms at sea were blown ashore here on the banks of Crystal River far from home. They thanked their gods for the good fortune to have landed here where the climate was favorable and resources plentiful. It was all of paradise and more.

Nakita rushed through brush and thickets and met three adults at the site of a campfire. His body was bruised and scratched with streaks of crimson. He was panting and out of breath. “Oakia,” he gasped for air, “giant . . . giant bird . . . fell!” He licked his parched lips. “Hurry, come see! Come see!” He shrugged and waved his arms pointing toward the beast. “It’s smoking. Never seen bird smoke. Never . . . and shiny!”

The men turned from the campfire to face the boy. A measured look of fright played with the contours of their faces and their eyes widened to the size of planets. They followed the boy to a shallow lagoon where the giant creature rested. The men circled the giant bird examining its features. As they moved, they shrugged and rolled their heads from side to side in an expression of disbelief. The tallest of the men, one with long black hair and a jaguar tattoo on his chest eyed the other men. “This no bird . . . This….”

Nakita and the elders stood speechless. Not just because of the strange thing or creature lying half in the water and half onshore. The most mysterious part of the scene playing out right before their eyes was the life that was attracted to it and the life rising from the sand and water surrounding it. Schools of fish and manatees were coming toward it. Birds were closing in like a magnet and plants were popping up through the sand and sea. The men soon realized that their aches and pains were fading away. The oldest man bowed before the object and gave thanks realizing he was feeling younger and stronger.

A beneficial life-giving God-Force seeped out from the interior of the craft . . . then its power decreased but still lingered. The birds and fish scattered. The plants, though still alive, no longer appeared to be growing as fast.

Men and women from the village gathered but only a few witnessed the miraculous. Nakita and the three men approached the group and relayed the story. Nakita did most of the talking. As he spoke the scrapes and bruises on his body began to vanish. Together as a group they bowed their heads and thanked the gods.

After many heated discussions the villagers agreed to hide and protect the sacred gift. A gift from the gods that fell from the sky. There were other hostile tribes in the area. The Maya were the strangers to Crystal River. They were the invaders. The indigenous people here didn’t take too kindly to the new arrivals hunting their animals, fish, and waterfowl. This gift was special . . . sacred and needed to be protected and kept secret.

The passing of days brought the villagers back to the lagoon to carry out their plan to bury the sacred object. In time the entire ship was covered in sand and shells. The Mayan villagers labored day and night for more than a year entombing the craft with a stepped pyramid like the ones in Guatemala, Mexico, and Belize.

In recent years explorers and archaeologists discovered the pyramid and cleared the overgrown forest blanketing it and the buried craft for centuries. Pottery identified to be of Mayan origin along with other artifacts were discovered there as well.

Today, very few even know of its existence. It still hides buried deep in the woods surrounded by a dense canopy of trees; however, the name of the island has changed. It is no longer known as Manatee Island. That is why it continues to be the best kept secret of the Nature Coast….

David K Giordano is from the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. He’s an avid scuba diver, skier, and kayaker. He’s written two action/adventure/fiction/fantasy novels: Keepers of the Conscience and Watcher of the Hidden Realms, both inspired by actual people, places, and events. The books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and many bookstores worldwide. His third book in the trilogy will be coming out soon.