A mother and baby manatee swim in the TECO station’s discharge canal.
Photo by Suzanne Townsend | The Crow’s Nest
By Suzanne Townsend
Floridians aren’t the only ones trying their best to stay warm in the chillier months of winter—manatees are also particular about staying warm, and have seasonal migration patterns based on water temperature.
Members of the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) Adventure Club paid a visit to part of their namesake at the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach on Feb. 3, where sea cows congregate each winter when water temperatures dip below 68 degrees.
The Tampa Electric Company’s (TECO) Big Bend Power Station offers manatees a warm respite from winter’s cooler waters. The plant uses water from the bay for cooling and then pumps it back into the bay, clean and warm, perfect for these marine mammal neighbors. The warmth attracts these gentle giants to gather en masse in the waters near the station’s discharge canal.
Photo by Suzie Townsend | The Crow’s Nest
TECO, which funds the viewing center and its operations, reported that this year alone, a record breaking number of manatees have gathered in its canal, over 1,000 at once.
The Manatee Viewing Center is a state and federally designated manatee sanctuary, so not only are the sea cows protected from cold stress which can lead to death, but they are also protected from boats’ propeller strikes and damage to seagrass, which is one of manatees’ main food sources.
Adventure Club President Lauren Karg chose the Manatee Viewing Center from a list of the club’s many activity ideas. Noting recent constraints of the club’s budget, club members were grateful that Saturday’s trip was free for all visitors.
The Center is free to attend and will remain open through April 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
