Watching for manatees while boating is always important and spring is a particularly important season for boaters to go slow and lookout below for the slow-moving mammals as they naturally disperse from their winter refuges. Manatees overwinter in Florida springs, power plant discharges and other warm-water sites, relying on water that is warmer than 68 degrees … Read more
Florida Manatees are large, aquatic mammals native to the waters of Florida and the surrounding states. During the winter months, these animals can often be found in the warm waters of Florida’s springs and power plants as well as the Florida Keys, where they gather to avoid the cold. Manatees are generally slow-moving creatures, with … Read more
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) just released the new 2021-2022 manatee and sea turtle decals. These high-quality waterproof stickers feature two different designs and are a fun way for people to directly support research, rescue and management efforts that conserve these species and spread awareness about the challenges they face. Each July, … Read more
Twin juvenile manatees “Falcon” and “Millennium” were released in the Florida Keys Thursday by marine mammal experts with Dolphin Research Center, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Miami Seaquarium Spectators applauded as the two-and-a-half-year-old twins were returned to an area with open-water access to Florida Bay. Each was fitted with a satellite tracking … Read more
Look out and slow down for manatees in November to help them as they begin migrating to warmer waters. November is Manatee Awareness Month. Florida has more than 6,600 manatees swimming in rivers, bays and coastal waters. These large aquatic mammals can weigh over 1,000 pounds. As the weather cools, manatees are on the move, … Read more
Learn how to report a tagged – entangled manatee and how to tell the difference between a GPS tag and an entanglement. GPS tags are deployed on a small number of manatees to provide us with valuable information on individual movements and habitat use that is helpful in promoting the recovery of the species. Because … Read more
The Manatee, also known as Sea Cows, took decades to emerge from a sea of troubles. Within a year, federal wildlife officials plan to reclassify the long-embattled Florida manatee from “endangered” to the less serious status of “threatened.” On Friday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to publish a proposed rule to reclassify the … Read more
Everyone in the Florida Keys seems to have a story about an encounter with our fascinating sea life. Our visitors especially love to tell about seeing an endangered Florida manatee. While Florida’s manatees have been known to travel as far north as New Jersey and Massachusetts, they, like all good Floridians, return to warmer waters … Read more
The public is invited by the Key West Wildlife Center for a free informational presentation entitled “Manatee 101- An introduction to Manatees and FWC’s Manatee Research Program” given by Dr. Thomas Reinert, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). This presentation will take place at 7 p.m. Feb. 13 in the Key West Turtle Museum, … Read more
My Winter Vacation in Key Largo, Florida This winter break, my family and I stayed at Eagle Cove and we enjoyed our visit A LOT. The house was beautiful! The beds were REALLY comfortable and the bedspreads were so pretty and fun – mine had flip-flops on it J. Another thing I liked was that … Read more