Manatee season in Florida officially starts Nov. 15, and Gainesville is about an hour’s drive from two popular manatee viewing spots.
I spoke with Rachel Shanker, the conservation and education manager for FPL’s South Florida eco-discovery center, Manatee Lagoon, about why manatees gather in specific places, how to safely view them in the wild and what families can do this season.
Why Do Manatees Come to Florida’s Springs and Outflows?
According to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, manatees head for Florida’s springs and warm-water outflows each winter because the surrounding coastal and river water falls below the temperature they can tolerate.
Manatees lack the thick blubber layer that helps other marine mammals endure the cold, so longer exposure to water below about 68 F can bring on deadly cold stress, Shanker said.
Once temperatures drop, she said, manatees need to find warm water fast, and that urgency is what drives the seasonal gathering at specific springs and outflows across the state, including two near Gainesville.
Spring water flows out of the aquifer at almost a constant 70 F to 72 F year-round, which makes it a reliable home for manatees regardless of what’s happening at the surface.
Best Manatee Viewing Locations Near Alachua County
- Manatee Springs State Park (Levy County) is built around a spring that, according to Florida State Parks, releases about 100 million gallons of water a day at a consistent 72 F. From November to April, manatees swim up the Suwannee River and gather in the spring run to escape the river’s colder water.
- Fanning Springs State Park (Levy County) attracts manatees in smaller, less predictable numbers during the same winter stretch, according to Florida’s Smart. Visitors can watch from the park’s river overlook or spot them from a boat on the Suwannee.
What to Expect During Manatee Season
According to Manatee Lagoon, manatee season officially runs from Nov. 15 to March 31 every year.
Manatees could show up in November or December, Shanker said, depending on the weather. The manatees will stay as long as it’s cold, then spread out again as temperatures rise.
Rules for Viewing Manatees in the Wild
Manatees are a protected species under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, meaning it’s illegal to touch, harass, feed or give water to one. But Shanker said the same courtesy should extend to all wildlife, protected or not.
“We should leave all wildlife alone, give them their space, not feed them or give them water and just let our wildlife be wild,” she said.
Feeding manatees or giving them fresh water (even accidentally, like rinsing a boat with a hose) can teach them to approach docks and boats, Shanker said. That puts them in the path of the single biggest human-related threat they face.
The basics, according to Shanker:
- Stay at least 50 feet away and observe from a distance.
- Never touch, feed or give water to a manatee.
- If a manatee approaches you while you’re paddleboarding, kayaking or swimming, keep your hands to yourself and let it move on its own.
- Manatees are large and strong. As Shanker put it, “Even though they’re not aggressive, if it gets spooked, they’re very big and very strong,” and an accident could hurt the manatee or a person nearby.
The Biggest Threats Manatees Face
Boats are the leading human-related cause of death for manatees of any age, Shanker said. To help, she recommends:
- Slowing down in manatee zones.
- Wearing polarized sunglasses to spot manatees through glare.
- Following posted speed limits and no-wake zones, especially during manatee season.
Cold weather is the biggest natural threat, according to Shanker. Manatees can’t survive water below about 68 F, so they have to find warm water pockets around the state each winter.
Manatees can also get entangled in debris or get sick from eating trash in the water, she said.
How to Help Manatee Conservation Efforts
Shanker’s suggestions:
- Make sure trash ends up in a trash can.
- Reduce, reuse, recycle and refuse single-use items.
- Join a beach or waterway cleanup.
- Learn about manatees and share what you learn. “One of my favorite ways that everyone can help manatees, no matter where you are,” Shanker said.
Areas to Avoid During Manatee Season
Manatee sanctuaries and protection zones go up around the state during manatee season, marked with buoys reading “no motorized vessels,” Shanker said.
Shanker advises avoiding water sports, swimming or any interaction in areas where manatees are known to gather for warm water. Scaring them out of those spots can push them back into cold water and put them at risk of getting sick, she said.
Signs a Manatee May Be in Distress
According to Shanker, watch out for:
- An open wound that looks fresh or is actively bleeding (healed injuries typically show up as light gray or white scarring, which is normal for manatees that have survived a boat strike).
- Floating consistently on one side, known as listing, rather than floating evenly with its back up and belly down.
- Its tail riding higher than its head consistently while it’s in the water.
- Breathing more often than once a minute (manatees normally surface every two to five minutes while moving, and can hold their breath up to 20 minutes while resting).
If a manatee is floating calmly and not moving for 10 to 15 minutes, she said, it’s likely just resting. If you see a manatee showing signs of distress, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC).
Keep your distance and don’t try to help the manatee yourself; leave that to trained responders. Taking photos and video and noting how often the manatee is breathing can help wildlife experts assess the situation when they arrive, Shanker said.
The next time you encounter a manatee in the wild or find yourself curious to see them up-close, just remember to keep your hands to yourself and learn with your eyes. Keep a respectful distance, skip the touching and feeding, and let these sea puppies do what they came to the springs to do: stay warm.