203 Manatees at Blue Springs FL State Park

In January of 2010 Florida was having a record cold spell. On the day we visited Blue Springs State Park in Florida it was in the mid forties. The weather had been very cold for more than a week and the Manatees had fled the coastal waters and rivers and sought out the relatively warm water of the Blue Springs. The water at Blue springs is about 75F year round since the river is fed by spring water. We had hoped to see at least 2 or 3 Manatee and we were thrilled to see so many. A Ranger told us that the count was 203 that day.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Manatee
• wildlife
• nature
• river
• springs
• Rescue
• warming
• fish
• state
• park
• national
• mammals
• florida
• natural
• global

[norcaldj]

I am curios though and forgive my stupidity but I've never been down to that area. Are these manatees free to roam out into other areas or are they "corralled" into this one lake?

[mars1952]

@norcaldj The manatees are wild and normally live in coastal ocean water and some rivers. The ocean was colder than normal, so cold that the manatees followed the warmer waters of the river to the spring head where the water is constantly 72F. So manatees had been rescued from cold ocean water where the were in distress and near death but most came on their own.

[norcaldj]

@mars1952 Thank you very much for the reply! Thank you very much more though for the kindness of the response. I swear some people's videos you ask a question and get your head bitten off or something sheesh! I love the video!

[mars1952]

@norcaldj Thanks for watching. Just like in real life there are a lot of rude and ignorant people on YouTube. I coined a name for them: "JAMWAK". JAMWAKS are Just Another Moron With A Keyboard.

[rdnkchik1234]

really ?! 4 minutes of manatees ?

really ! come on now ! i know its intresting but come on !

[mars1952]

@rdnkchik1234, I posted a 15 second version on ADDTube.

[spinesales]

Awesome. Thanks for posting this. I grew up in Florida. We lived in Ft.Lauderdale on a canal and there was always manatee in there. Thanks for bringing me back!!!

[Legendclan]

I love going there; last time I went they had 231 in the same river you video taped. Have you ever been to the waffle house there?