Manatee Viewing Center, Apollo Beach, Florida

TECO, Tampa Electric Company, located in Apollo Beach, Florida has a wonderful viewing center for the public to come and view the manatees that come in the winter to warm themselves in the discharge waters coming out of the plant. They have a platform, boardwalk, snack shop, gift shop, education center, and a tank with stingrays that you can actually touch! When we were there, we saw some Tarpon and a couple of manatee that came close enough for me to get a picture.

There are mangrove trees all around the viewing center and boardwalk. Mangroves are the basis of the estuary's food chain and are important nurseries for fish, crustaceans, and shellfish. In South Florida, 75% of the gamefish and 90% of the commercial species are dependent on mangrove ecosystems. These systems provide food for a large number of marine organisms, such as snook, snapper, tarpon, jack, sheepshead, red drum, trout, oysters and shrimp. 

Mangrove forests also provide valuable habitat. The branches are nesting areas for large coastal birds, such as pelicans, roseate spoonbills. Mangrove roots provide habitat for oysters, crabs, juvenile fish, and barnacles. Mangrove swamps, with their specialized root systems, help prevent erosion and filter out pollution. They help protect Florida's uplands from storm winds, waves, and floods.

The waterway you see outside is the discharge canal for the power plant. Making electricity takes a lot of heat, so the station takes in salt water from Tampa Bay to cool the plant. This clean warm water then flows into the canal. The long channel allows the water to cool to ambient temperature before it returns to the bay. Tampa Electric Company has supplied the Tampa area electricity since 1899.

I was actually able to get a picture of a juvenile manatee's back and snout just breaking the surface of the water. Meanwhile, inside the education center . . . 

Manatees can eat 15% of their body weight in a day. For a 1,000 pound manatee, that is 150 pounds of plants. Seagrass is a vital part of their diet. Seagrasses provide a sanctuary for a variety of creatures, such as fish, crabs and shrimp that live in the seagrass. Seagrasses are actually flowering plants and not true grasses. Do you know why manatees are called "sea cows"? Like cows, manatees graze on grass -- seagrass that is. 

Manatees cannot survive for long in water that is below 68° F. Unfortunately, their access to many natural warm-water springs has dwindled. Manatees have come to depend on the warm water from power plants for their survival.

It has been estimated that roughly 60% of Florida manatees spend the winter near power plants, while only 15% return to natural warm-water springs. How do manatees find their way to the power plants? Mothers teach their calves the route to follow.

What are springs? Springs are natural openings in the ground where water flows to the surface. What you see coming out of springs is what is flowing through an Aquifer, the source of over 90% of Florida's drinking water. Springs are home to a diversity of plants and animals. Why does Florida have so many springs? 

Florida sits on a layer of limestone rock. Over thousands of years, this relatively soft rock is dissolved by rainwater, allowing springs to bubble up. The largest springs, called first magnitude springs, each gush 65 million of gallons of water or more every day. Florida has the most freshwater springs in the world -- more than 1,000.

Come winter, manatees must find warm waters or perish. Historically, they have gathered in the many springs that bubble up across the state. Spring water temperatures remain a relatively constant 72°F -- perfect for cold-sensitive manatees. Florida springs have suffered over the centuries. The rise in development, dams, and other human activities have cut off many springs from the coast. Spring water has also been diverted for industries and farming. 

Manatees gather by the hundreds each winter at just a handful of springs they can still reach.

Florida boasts the largest and deepest fresh water spring in the world -- Wakulla Springs near the state capital of Tallahassee. Springs have tremendous environmental, economic, aesthetic, and historic value. Florida has 19 state parks named for springs. 

Like many animals, manatees migrate north in summer and south in winter. From November to March, manatees gather near natural springs and power plant outfalls. Look for the yellow dot on the map to see the spots they return to each winter. When waters warm in spring and summer, manatees move away from winter refuges. The gold on the map represents the rivers and coastal waters that they frequent. Though they do not venture far offshore, some adventurous manatees visit other coastal states.

When migrating, manatees usually travel directly and rapidly to their destination. They can over 30 miles a day for 10 to 15 days in a row. Scientists recorded one swift-swimming manatee that traveled 54 miles in one day! 

It is illegal to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb manatees. They are protected under the Endangered Species, Marine Mammal Protection, and Florida Manatee Sanctuary Acts. 

There are four different types of manatees throughout the world ~~ West Indian, Amazonian, West African, and Dugong Manatees:

Amazonian Manatee

Dugong Manatee

West African Manatee

West Indian Manatee

The lengthy lungs help the manatees rise and sink in the water. A manatee stores enough oxygen in its lungs to remain underwater for up to 20 minutes (while at rest). The "odor" that comes from a manatee's mouth originates from the lungs and nose. A manatee only breathes through its nose -- not its mouth. A manatee's lungs are elongated, flattened and run the length of the rib cage. The lungs on an adult manatee may be 3 feet long or more, helping the body to maintain buoyancy. Manatees are herbivores, or plant eaters. They eat a large variety of freshwater and saltwater vegetation, chewing the plants with their teeth, which are molars. 

Manatees have long struggled to coexist with humans. Collusions with boats, entanglement in fishing gear, exposure to red tide, and the loss of warm water habitat are just a few of the dangers that threaten these gentle giants. Why are they called "gentle giants"? These large mammals are calm, slow moving, and love to sleep.

A manatees skin is very tough and thick and covered with fine hairs. Small ear openings just behind their eyes provide good hearing. Their eyes have no lashes or lids and close in a circular motion. Their lips are flexible and move independently for grabbing food. A new tooth forms every 1-2 years and moves to the front in about 7 years.

Now we head downstairs to the sting ray pool. They have a few different species of sting rays that swim in the pool, where they come near the surface to allow guests to touch their fins. I came here in December with Tam'ra, Karen, Ellie & Jason. They were brave and stuck their hands in the water and touched the stingrays. During this visit with Jacklyn and Jayden, Jayden was afraid to stick her hand in the water to touch them.