Fort Myers Has One Of The Best Places To See Manatees In The Winter
Even after being in Florida for 6 years now, I still get excited to see marine animals and Fort Myers has one of the best places to see manatees in the winter.
Here in Florida, we are all too familiar with snowbirds leaving their homes up north in search for sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ve seen the roads just in the last few weeks in Fort Myers get increasingly more busy. I even got caught in beach traffic the other day on Fort Myers Beach. Well, much like the old folks, manatees also search for warmth, heading more inland to warmer waters. While they’re called sea cows, they actually lack insulating blubber like other marina mammals so they don’t do well in the cold. In fact, the cold stress cause lead to some serious health issues in these animals. So when temperatures drop, you’re more likely to see manatees in natural springs and power plant discharge areas. And there’s a place right here in Fort Myers that makes for prime viewing.
Fort Myers Has One Of The Best Places To See Manatees In The Winter
While the kids are still off from school, or if you’re looking for some fun on the weekends, you have to check the Lee County Manatee Park. It’s there that hundreds of manatees visit in the winter months. In addition to viewing areas, there’s also picnic shelters, plant and butterfly gardens and kayak & canoe rentals that launch into the Orange River. The park is open 8am-sunset every day of the year. You can check out a live webcam of the park here
You can see the full list here, but according to FWC, some other places known for seeing manatees in the winter in the winter in Florida include:
- Three Sisters Spring in Crystal River
- Fanning Springs State Park
- Manatee Springs State Park
- TECO Manatee Viewing Center
- Manatee Lagoon- Palm Beach County
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9. Tampa
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