Reaching 13 feet long, these slow-moving aquatic marine mammals are always a unique sighting. Inhabiting mostly shallow marshy coastal regions, these herbivores can also grow to 1300 pounds as well. Affectionately known as “sea cows,” these creatures propel their way through the waterways by use of a huge paddle-shaped tail.

Huddled in groups or aggregations, we were lucky to be in the state park the week in January 2024 where the greatest daily number of manatees (900+) to date were recorded. A new record! The manatees who cannot endure temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit for long, migrate to the park's spring whose temperature remains a constant 72-degrees Fahrenheit.