Today was a gloomy, gloomy day. It had me thinking about the last real rainy day, which wasn’t too long ago – just this past Monday. My mom was still visiting, and we were determined to make the best of it. But as we drove North on I-75 and I wished for a higher speed on my windshield wipers, the skepticism set in…and this was the initial view from the parking lot.
My mother was draped in one of those cheap plastic ponchos that amusement parks sell for $10 when it rains; it wasn’t looking good. Then there was the canal but not one manatee as I craned my neck over the railing…uh oh. But we were soon directed down the path and through the mangroves. When we emerged, there they were. It was rainy, cold and absolutely spectacular. As we walked the observation deck, there were large black spots running along the right side toward the power plant. There were so many spots they darkened the water as a whole. Every spot was a manatee. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports, “More than 200 manatees make their winter home in the canal.” The canal is a discharge canal for the Tampa Electric Company; the manatees visit when the water in Tampa Bay dips under 68 degrees. We also spotted a school of stingrays and a few pelicans. As eye-catching as the sea life was, it was hard not to also stare at the towering power plant directly across the canal.
And even harder to get that old Simpson’s episode out of my head…
But as far as I could tell, there were no extra eyes on the manatees. And they seemed quite active and unbothered by the rain. There were backs, fins, and snouts surfacing as quickly as the rain drops were falling.
If you want to visit the Manatee Viewing Center, and I highly recommend that you do, hurry before the water warms. View Larger MapAnd by the way, it’s free! Although the hurricane simulator will cost you two dollars.
On a nice day, bring a picnic. There are plenty of tables. There’s also a visitor’s center with educational games and displays. For more information, call (813) 228-4289.
