Florida Manatees

Their front flippers help them steer or sometimes crawl through shallow water.

Florida manatees. Florida manatees can be. The florida manatee is a symbol for conservation and an extremely popular animal with the public. As of february 2016 6 250 manatees were reported swimming in florida s springs. The manatee viewing centre in tampa is another great place to see manatees in florida.

Tourists and residents alike seek encounters with manatees in the wild or visit zoos and aquaria to view captives. Florida manatee present in kings bay and crystal river nwr year round but highest aggregation november march approx. The florida manatee a subspecies of the west indian manatee is a large slow moving marine mammal with an elongated round body and paddle shaped flippers and tail. The florida manatee florida s state marine mammal is a large aquatic relative of the elephant.

One of the most popular spots to see florida s famous manatee residents blue springs state park covers more than 2 600 acres. For the remainder of the year manatees are widely dispersed in florida s waterways. It is a similar principle to manatee park fort myers the manatees are drawn to the warm water of the power plant. Manatee population in the united states reached a low in the 1970 s during which only a few hundred individuals lived in the nation.

During the winter months manatees head for warm waters such as springs and power plant discharge basins. Manatees are usually seen alone in pairs or in small groups of a half dozen or fewer animals. Manatees are herbivores feeding solely on seagrass algae and other vegetation in freshwater and estuarine systems in the southeastern united states. You cannot swim with manatees here but you are able to view them from november 1 through april 15 each year.

Some wild manatees become accustomed to humans and will swim among snorkelers and anchored boats seeking to be rubbed and scratched. Summer months approx. Located north of orlando in orange city this park is a designated manatee refuge where during winter months from november to march visitors can come and see the growing population of west indian manatees at the spring s overlooks. They also have powerful flat tails that help propel them through the water.

The florida manatee trichechus manatus latirostris is a subspecies of the west indian manatee trichechus manatus manatus. The following is a list of some of the places where you can see manatees in florida. Manatees are grayish brown in color and have thick wrinkled skin on which there is often a growth of algae. It is illegal under federal and florida law to injure or harm a manatee.

From above the water s surface the animal s nose and nostrils are often the only thing visible.