Manatee Faces at the TECO Plant

It was a cold and windy day in Tampa. When we got to the Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center the people looked as huddled together from the cold as the manatees. Usually you see shadows of the manatees' large bodies under water. Every so often a tail or snout will emerge. Today a large number of manatees had their heads sticking out of the water.

They were all facing the same direction like a classroom of school children facing the teacher. We have no idea what they were looking at. Their eyes are so tiny considering how huge the rest of their bodies are.  I would think that the cold wind would make them want to stay under water.  Maybe they were resting in the shallows.  They would have been swimming in the same direction from the deeper water to the shallows and maybe they decided to stay put and rest.

This area is a winter sanctuary for the manatees.  They have been in distress due to the long duration of cold weather in Florida this winter.  It is the coldest winter in about 20 years.  Manatees are warm-blooded mammals and can't tolerate water that is colder than 68 degrees for long periods of time.  The manatees gather at natural springs and in warm water around power plants to survive the cold.

More photos of the manatees at TECO.

Wildlife at Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center

(Click photos for larger images.)

Tampa Electric's Big Bend power plant releases warm water into the bay as part of its production process. Manatees and other wildlife are attracted to this area in the winter. You'll see manatees here in large numbers when the Gulf water temperature dips below 65° Fahrenheit (18° Celsius).

Here's one of the viewing platforms with the power plant in the background.


There are all kinds of interesting contraptions around the power plant.


You don't have to walk far to see the wildlife. There are several viewing areas to explore.


You can find the manatees where ever there is a disturbance in the water.


Manatees are large air breathing mammals. You can see them surfacing often to breathe.


Here is a needlenose fish and a sting ray.


A pelican enjoys a spot in the sun to preen. The Manatee Viewing Center is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail.

Admission is free. The Manatee Viewing Center is open to the public from 10am and 5pm between November 1st and April 15th.

Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center

Our visit to the South Florida Museum last weekend peaked our interest in learning more about manatees. This is one of the lookout platforms at Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center. The water around Apollo Beach is warmed by the power production process at Big Bend Power Station. Manatees seek refuge in this canal when the water temperature in Tampa Bay gets below 68 degrees Fahrenheit. You can see hundreds of manatees here in the winter time.

There were manatees everywhere! Here are 2 manatees sticking their noses out of the water for a breath of air.

Where ever we could see a swell in the water there were manatees. They played by rolling around in the water together. Sometimes 4-6 bodies would be rolling around on top of each other. There was a lot more to see, but it was a work day, and we couldn't stay long. There's another walkway with a butterfly garden and another viewing platform. It's an interesting place to explore and the cost of entry is free!