Meet Mrs. Trisha Black. Ms. T, Trish the Dish, Mama River; we call her lots of things around here, but we never call her late for a manatee swim!! Trisha has been guiding with us for over 3 years but was part of the River Ventures family long before she started working here. Trisha is married to Captain Wade, so she's been a big part of our lives for a long time and many of us fell in love with her cooking before we even got to know her well! To know her is to love her, and she is a very special part of our family!
As Captain Wade's unofficial guide/partner they have become one of the most requested and respected teams on the Bay. If you don't know ANYTHING about manatees, you will by the time Trisha is done with you! She's from Atlanta, Georgia, and was Wade's high school sweetheart. What a love story these two kids have, she's always considered herself shy but with his love, she pushes through as a turtle comes out of its shell!! She believes their move to Crystal River is the best move they've ever made and knows her life here was truly meant to be.
Two kids, two blue bulldogs, and an incredibly insane Jack Russel named Weezy complete her family to keep life full of adventure! In her free time, she values bonding with her family and loves nothing more than a movie at home or basketball with her son Cole. She loves music and has a soft spot for Chris Cornell, especially everything he did with Audioslave. We see Trisha as our very own Superwoman, but she says if she could have a superpower she would want to read people's minds! She is the sort to always want to know how the people she cares about are feeling, and what are our thoughts, and dreams... and it is so refreshing to be around someone who is really concerned. That depth of care goes into every trip, and every manatee encounter is taken up a notch with sensitive guidance like Trisha can provide.
She's soulful and fierce... she hates negativity and racism. Don't get this Southern gal started about how awesome manatees are, she will defend these creatures till her last day! She lives true to her favorite quote ' Get busy livin', or get busy dyin' - there is really no in-between for this lovely lady! Nothing makes Trisha feel more alive than a day on the river meeting manatees; she is the epitome of passion! She loves pulling pranks and may be known locally for 'Publixing People' ...yes, this is a thing! You are shopping for melon, maybe even gallon milk, unsuspecting and innocently bending over... and WHAP!!! from behind… it's Ms. Trisha as you scream, jump out of your skin, pee a little in your pants and you just got 'Publixed'. Classic.
Ten years from now Trisha still hopes she will be guiding while spoiling her grandchildren. She is exactly where she wants to be but probably would spend more time in the Keys if she won the lottery. Fact is, if you ask Trisha, she has already won! She's won at Love, she's won at Life... but really our visitors' are the big winners when they get to meet this extraordinary gal with an extraordinary heart!