Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center sets 'amazing' new record of manatees gathered
Photo courtesy: TECO Manatee Viewing Center
APOLLO BEACH, Fla. - Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center smashed their old record of manatees hosted at one time earlier this winter.
READ: Manatees return to Apollo Beach as temperatures drop
TECO's center in Appollo Beach hosted 1,100 manatees at the same time on December 29, dwarfing the previous record of 850, set last winter.
"This season has been consistently chilly, which has allowed us to see more manatees at one time than ever before," said Stan Kroh, manager of Land and Stewardship Programs for Tampa Electric. "This makes for an even better experience for our visitors. We’re proud to be such a coveted destination – and a showcase for Tampa Electric’s commitment to environmental stewardship."
This picture was taken at the Manatee Viewing Center on Dec. 29 (Photo courtesy: TECO Manatee Viewing Center)
According to the center, when the water temperature of Tampa Bay drops below 68 degrees, the mammals gather in the clean, warm water discharge canal of Tampa Electric's Big Bend Power Station, often by the hundreds, and now, over a thousand.
The manatees have gathered in the canal since the early 1970s.