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The range of the Florida manatee is primarily peninsular Florida but extends as far north as Rhode Island. Manatees have been rescued near Houston, Texas, and Mississippi. West Indian manatees may be found in any waterway over 1 m (3.25 ft.) deep and connected to the coast. They prefer waters with temperatures above 21°C (70°F). Florida manateesrarely venture into deep ocean waters. However, manatees have been spotted as far offshore as the Dry Tortugas Islands, approximately 81 km (50 mi.) west of Key West, Florida. Historically, Florida manatees have migrated south into warmer waters during the colder months of the year. On the Gulf coast, manatees congregated at natural warm-water springs. On the Atlantic coast, manatees headed south of the Sebastian River.Today, power plant outfalls and other warm-water discharges are important winter destinations for many manatees.The Florida manatee census taken in January, 2000, found 2,222 individuals. The 1999 survey was 2,353. Scientists believe there may be as many as 3,000 manatees currently in the state of Florida.
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In Florida, more than 200 manatees congregate at some power plants during cold weather. These artificially heated sources have allowed manatees to remain north of their historic wintering grounds. |
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Among the most important of the artificial warm-water discharges are the Florida Power & Light Company’s power plants at Cape Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Riviera Beach, and Fort Myers, as well as the Tampa Electric Company’s Apollo Beach power plant in Tampa Bay, Florida (Van Meter, 1989). |
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Call us to reserve your spot on the Manatee Tour Jupiter ! |
We are in our Manatee season where you can jump on a SUP or Kayak and paddle out to see the beautiful Florida Manatee on our Manatee Tour.