How to Spot a Manatee in Florida

Well, it's isn't easy to spot Manatees all the time. We managed to visit two parks in Florida on two separate trips and never saw a single Manatee in February 2007. This year in February 2008 we were luckier. First off, we stayed at Burnt Store Marina and the bay there has many manatees that spend their time warming up whenever the weather turns cold. They huddle at the bottom and dine on the turtle grass since they are vegetarian. A complete process for finding Manatees includes five steps : going to the right place at the right time, watching for the wake, watching for when Manatees breath, looking in clear spots of water, or jumping in and taking a swim.

Step One: Go to a place where Manatee are spotted. Some of the best places to see them include:

1) Burnt Store Marina - Free admission if you dine at the restaurant or stay at the marina.

2) Manatee Park - Free admission but parking costs [See photograph 1]

3) Manatee Springs State Park - Free admission, great views and a swimming area

4) Homosassa Park -- This park costs an admission fee, is extremely busy and is set up like a zoo with underwater viewing area and other native Florida animals.

Step Two: Watch for the tell tale wake [see Photograph 2]

The water will roil and produce a pattern whenever the manatee swim near the surface. A roughly rectangular spot with rounded corners will appear, followed by a much smaller similar spot. This marks the up and down motion of the tails. Most manatees propel forward using only their tail, their front fins were lost in the last phase of evolution. In this case, a mother an baby swam together.

Step Three: Watch for their nose breaching the water [see Photograph 3]

As mammals, the Manatee cannot get enough oxygen from the water to keep their brains in working order. Every four minutes or sometimes more often, they will breach the water surface and take a breath of air.