The temperatures have cooled in Palm Beach County and the manatees are back in our warm shallow waters.  The warmer water provides the ultimate opportunity to meet one of our most-loved residents, the Florida manatee. The loved “sea cows” are massive marine mammals that live in the coastal waters of Florida.

Manatees have earned the reputation as gentle giants.  They are large, slow-moving marine mammals with an elongated, round body and paddle-shaped flippers and tails. Manatees are herbivores, feeding solely on seagrass, algae, and other vegetation in freshwater and estuarine systems in the southeastern United States.  Manatees on average weigh up to 1,000 pounds and up to ten feet in length.

Visit Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach to have a passive observation and a safe manatee encounter. Manatees gather at the Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center every winter.  The warm water outflows of the power plant meet at the Lake Worth Lagoon.  Admission is free at the FPL Eco-Discovery Center. Manatee Lagoon opened for its sixth season in November 2021. The center features a first-floor observation deck.  Manatee “masters” have discussions with visitors, as well as manatee tales storytime for children.  Plan a visit this winter.

From mid-November through late March, these sweet creatures migrate from the cold ocean waters and seek refuge in warmer inland waterways. The Florida manatee is a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.  They are also protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.  If you touch, feed, chase or harm a manatee you could face a $100,000 fine.