TECO’s Manatee Viewing Center sets ‘incredible’ new record for most manatees spotted

Kaycee Sloan
·2 min read
TECO’s Manatee Viewing Center sets ‘incredible’ new record for most manatees spotted

Related video: Manatees staying warm at TECO power plant

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — It’s been quite the year for manatees, as temperatures in Florida have stayed on the cooler side, leaving them to huddle for warmth. On Monday, Tampa Electric announced its manatee viewing center set an “amazing new record” of manatee sightings at one time.

TECO said the center hosted 1,100 manatees at once, smashing the previous record of 850, which was set last winter.

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“This season has been consistently chilly, which has allowed us to see more manatees at one time than ever before,” Stan Kroh, manager of Land and Stewardship Programs for Tampa Electric, said in a statement. “This makes for an even better experience for our visitors. We’re proud to be such a coveted destination – and a showcase for Tampa Electric’s commitment to environmental stewardship.”

Since the early 1970s, the gentle giants have gathered in the canal, huddling at TECO to generate warmth when the water temperatures in Tampa Bay are 68 degrees or colder. The mammals gather in the clean, warm water discharge canal at Tampa Electrics’ Big Bend Power Station, sometimes by the hundreds — and this year, repeatedly over a thousand.

Aerial image of manatees huddled at Tampa Electric. Image courtesy of TECO.
Aerial image of manatees huddled at Tampa Electric. Image courtesy of TECO.

Every season, the 50-acre Manatee Viewing Center draws hundreds of thousands of visitors and tourists, with nearly 500,000 people visiting in 2023. Since the center opened in 1986, TECO stated that 7.4 million people have visited.

TECO’s announcement comes a few weeks after Blue Springs State Park in Volusia County shared they saw a whopping 932 manatees on Jan. 21 — setting the park’s record for the most manatees spotted. The previous record for the park was set on New Year’s Day, with 736 sea cows counted.

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated that these aquatic mammals cannot endure temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit for long periods as they can die from cold stress. As water temperatures drop, the gentle giants huddle together to generate warmth.

TECO’s Manatee Viewing Center is free for guests to visit. The center will remain open through April 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. For more information on TECO’s Manatee Viewing Center, visit their website or call 813-228-4289.

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