Cold snap brings manatee and calf to Blue Spring State Park in Volusia

The cold snap in Volusia County has brought more than crisper temperatures to the area. It's also lured manatees to Blue Spring a little earlier than normal.

Officials with the nonprofit Save the Manatee Club spotted the manatee Moore on a webcam along with what is believed to be her second calf on Thursday swimming in the warm waters of Blue Spring State Park in Orange City.

"We first saw her in 2019 when she came in as a juvenile, and we recognize her by a little white scar that she has on her back," said Cora Berchem, director of multimedia and a manatee research associate for the Save the Manatee Club.

Berchem said she believes the calf is less than a month old. Other mom and calf pairs have been spotted, too.

"I almost think, like, maybe mom wants to show the calf where to go when it gets cold," she said.

Peak manatee season in Blue Spring is from Nov. 15 to March 31, with the biggest numbers typically seen in January, Berchem said. But with the cold snap taking temperatures into 50s, manatees have been coming and going a little early. The spring stays 72 degrees year-round and is a draw when river temperatures drop.

"In the wintertime, it's a really nice warm water sanctuary for manatees," she said.

It's still a little too early to expect manatees to be at Blue Spring daily. On Thursday a volunteer reported seeing 29 manatees, she said. But this morning Berchem didn't see any.

Save the Manatee's webcams will go live in November for manatee season at Blue Spring at manatv.org.

While manatees are cute and gentle, they need space. Berchem said people should stay at least 20 feet away from them.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Manatee Moore and her calf visit Blue Spring during cold snap