It’s Manatee Season!

Close up of a manatee in Tampa Bay. Photo taken by Nate Perez.

by Nate Perez

Last month kicked off the start of the manatee season. Beginning in November, manatees move into springs and estuaries like Tampa Bay where water temperatures are much more constant than in the Gulf of Mexico. Though manatees can be found year-round in Tampa Bay, they are more prevalent in the area November through March. A 2002 study by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission revealed that during the warmer months, over 50 manatees will reside in Tampa Bay at any given time, but during the colder months, that number can exceed 300. Coffee Pot Bayou just north of the Discovery Center is a great place to find manatees this time of year. Other places in Tampa Bay where you can often find manatees are near Gandy Bridge and, perhaps most famously, the TECO Power Plant at Apollo Beach where the heat from the plant warms the surrounding water, providing a place for manatees to stay warm.

With more manatees in Tampa Bay comes the need for more caution when it comes to boating. If you are out boating, please follow the signs and reduce speeds in areas where manatees often congregate in large numbers. Also do not try to touch, feed, or harass any manatees that you might encounter. Happy manatee watching!