An artist’s rendering of the manatee viewing center under construction by Florida Power & Light at its plant at Riviera Beach. This center is slated to open in February 2016. (Courtesy Florida Power & Light / Sun Sentinel)

 

I have some cool news for you! If you never saw one of us manatees, now is the time to pack your bags and get to Florida! Manatee season opens on November 15^th and goes right up to April 15^th.

What is Manatee Season?

I’m glad you asked! Since we manatees are warm-blooded marine mammals, we cannot tolerate waters below 68 degrees Fahrenheit. And some of us like love traveling during the summer months. Manatees have been known to travel from Florida as far north as Massachusetts (yours trulyJ) to as far west at Texas during the warm summer months.

Well – as the waters cool down, we make a beeline back home to Florida’s natural springs (such as Blue Spring State Park located in Orange City) and the warm water discharge areas of power plants (such as Florida Power & Light located in Riviera Beach). These special areas are where water temperatures are constantly floating at a balmy 72 degrees Fahrenheit!

The other very important aspect of Manatee Season is that “slow speed zones go into effect.” This is because so many more of us manatees are now navigating the warmer inland waters of Florida! As a result, it is paramount that watercraft owners pay particular attention to these slow speed zone areas and signs. Carol Knox, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said, “Watching these large plant-eating mammals swim slowly through Florida waters, often accompanied by their calves, is a special experience. Boaters following posted speed zones for manatees migrating to warmer waters help conserve this iconic Florida species for future generations.”

Additionally, looking at power plants with their warm water discharge, there will be a brand new viewing location to see manatees in south Florida! The Florida Power & Light Company will open its new manatee viewing center, which is called Manatee Lagoon at its location at Riviera Beach.

The new two-story center, which is free, will have skeletons of both adult and juvenile manatees, along with hands-on exhibits. The contemporary Manatee Lagoon viewing center will open its doors to the pubic in February 2016. The facility will have a gift shop, a café and also a picnic area. It will be open Tuesday through Sunday.

Discover Florida Manatees at these Popular Viewing Areas!

Florida’s East Coast:

• Blue Spring State Park
• 2100 W. French Avenue
• Orange City, FL 32763
• 386-775-3663
• View Manatee Webcams at Blue Spring State Park
• See the Blue Spring manatees in SMC’s Adopt-A-Manatee program
• Manatee Observation & Education Center
• 480 North Indian River Drive
• Fort Pierce, FL 34950
• 772-429-6266

Florida’s West Coast:

• Aardvaark’s Florida Kayak
• Manatee Ecotours
• 707 N Citrus Avenue, Suite A
• Crystal River, FL 34428
• 352-795-5650
• info@FloridaKayakCompany.com
• Manatees In Paradise
• Pontoon Boat Scenic Tours
• 1223 N. Circle Drive
• Crystal River, FL 34429
• 352-563-0865 or 352-601-5520
• mssail5024@aol.com
• Manatee Guides’ Nature Kayak Tours
• Manatee Ecotours
• Myers, FL
• 239-247-4955
• timinflorida@hotmail.com
• Nature Coast Kayak Tours
• Manatee Ecotours in the Citrus County area
• Crystal River, FL 34428
• 352-795-9877
• Tours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
• tracy@naturecoastkayaktours.com
• Three Sisters Springs Boardwalk Tours
• Crystal River, FL
• Contact: River Ventures Manatee Tour Center
• 1-877-581-8401
• Please Note: Viewing from the boardwalk is the best way to protect manatees in Three Sisters, which is a vital warm water refuge in the winter. Please watch the video and sign our petition
• Tampa Electric Company
• Manatee Viewing Center
• 6990 Dickman Rd
• Apollo Beach, FL 33572
• 813-228-4289 for an information recording

• Check out TECO’s Manatee Web Cam East and Manatee Web Cam West
• See the Tampa Bay manatees in SMC’s Adopt-A-Manatee program
• Lee County Manatee Park
• 10901 State Road 80 (Palm Beach Blvd.)
• Fort Myers, FL 33905
• 239-690-5030

If you are in Florida and you see a sick or injured manatee, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at: 1-888-404-FWCC. They are the folks who are responsible for rescuing us in Florida.

Here’s the Save the Manatee Club link to learn more about us manatees …

www.savethemanatee.org

Here’s a cool link for you to learn more about how we’re rescued and brought into rehabilitation …

www.wildtracks.org

~ Kobee Manatee