Manatees are swimming their way to Apollo Beach. With the recent cold front, the deep waters where manatees normally live are too cold for them. So, the large marine mammals migrate inland to heat sources, which coincide with areas accessible by people.  Recently, the DE Marine Biology and AP Environmental Science students were able to take a field trip to the Manatee Viewing Center (MVC) allowing them to learn more about these large sea cows.

Manatees have been flooding Florida’s Coasts for over 45 million years. These large herbivores are slow-moving, peaceful marine animals. “However, despite their massive bulk, they are graceful swimmers in coastal waters and rivers. Powering themselves with their strong tails, manatees typically glide along at 5 miles an hour but can swim 15 miles an hour in short bursts.” National Geographic explained in their article “Manatees”.  Within the past 5 years, the massive marine mammal has been downgraded from the endangered level to threatened. In Florida alone, 800 manatees died in 2022, which is an improvement than 1,100 the year before.

The Manatee Viewing Center provides a sanctuary for these sweet animals. During the colder months, deep seas are too cold for the animals to survive successfully. So, these warm-blooded animals have learned to stay close by heat sources, such as the Tampa Electric Company’s power plant.  While staying in coastal water, it is very common for these animals to be harmed from human activity; such as boat strikes.  The MVC makes sure these animals are in no harm whatsoever.

The main focus of the Manatee Viewing Center is to teach visitors and students about marine life.   Once again, Wesley Chapel’s students were able to tour the center, on February 6th, while enjoying nature on a beautiful day.  Students were able to observe multiple types of marine life while on this trip. Whether students were exploring the boardwalk viewing marine life or touching the stingrays in the tank there is always an opportunity to learn.