Manatees
Manatees are scarce in early March 2023 due to the record heat.
Over a dozen spots to see manatees along my city tour route. From bridges to places where manatees rest and frolic.
My favorite is watching a family of manatees swim under a very low bridge
Another spot seen from the side of a creek.
And this spot where the manatees rest.
This has been a horrible 3 years for Florida’s manatee population, estimated to be 7500 manatees. From increased boat traffic during the pandemic to toxic algae from cattle, septic, fertilizer phosphate runoff, the challenges to saving our precious manatees is urgent.
Manatees in the Everglades are seen from farther away, sometimes our boat captain follows the mud trail manatees leave behind while chewing up the seagrass. Sometimes manatees can be found keeping warm in rivers when the Gulf gets real cold. For maximum manatee pleasure, schedule your city tour for optimum tidal conditions by calling a few days beforehand.