Manatee Park

ABOUT THIS PLACE

The Florida Power and Light plant next door discharges warm water into the Orange River, and manatees crowd into it through the cold months because sustained water below sixty-eight degrees will kill them. This is not a captive display: the animals come and go as they please, and in a mild winter there may be none at all. The season runs from November into March, and early morning after a cold night is when the numbers are highest, because they often stay overnight and move off to feed once the day warms. Three viewing areas look over the water, with picnic shelters, a playground, restrooms and native plant and butterfly gardens behind them. An outfitter on site rents kayaks and canoes daily through the winter season and there is a launch onto the Orange River, which becomes quiet old Florida within a mile upstream, live oaks hung with air plants along the banks. The park is free to enter, parking is charged by the hour up to a daily maximum, and the site is fully accessible. The number is 239-690-5030