Manatee Sanctuary

Sunday we visited the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach, Florida. It is located near the Big Bend Power Station Canal. It is a federal and state manatee sanctuary. It provides a safe haven for these marine animals.  The viewing center opened in 1986 and has had millions of visitiors. When the bay temperature reaches 68 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, the manatees seek out the warmer water of the Big Bend discharge canal. There are also sharks, rays, fish and crabs living in the canal.

Information on manatees
The gestation period for a female manatee is 13 months but they only have a calf every 2-5 years.  Calves depend on their mother for up to 2 years. At birth a calf can be from 3-4 feet in length and weigh 60-75 pounds.
Manatees do not form long term bonds, except for mother and calf.  They do not mate for life and are not territorial.
They communicate with whistles, chirps, squeaks, kissing, bumping, and chasing each other. They have poor eyesight and are nearsighted but can see color. Manatees have a thin layer of fat and can become cold stressed if the water temperature falls below 68.
Almost all manatees have some type of scarring and the Florida Wildlife Research Institute keeps a scar photography catalog to help identify individual manatees. Manatees are herbivores and can eat up to 10% of their body weight every day. Their teeth  are all molars. They can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes when resting. They only breathe through their noses, not their mouths.
Manatees have no natural predators.  Collisions with watercraft, ingestion of marine debris, cold stress and natural causes are the main reasons for death.
The West Indian manatee congregates in the warm waters of central and south Florida in winter. In spring, summer and early fall they can be found from Texas, east to the Florida coastline and as far north as Virginia. They can live in fresh, brackish or saltwater. They are able to travel up to 15 mph in short bursts and can travel up to 50 miles per day.

We saw several manatees in the canal but got no real good pictures since they seldom come very far out of the water.

There was also a nature trail that led to an observation tower overlooking the surrounding area. The tower was built to withstand major weather. The main poles were driven more than 30 feet into bedrock. In case of a major hurricane, the roof was designed to blow off to reduce stress on the rest of the structure.