News

Sighting updates are provided by Save the Manatee Club’s Manatee Specialist, Wayne Hartley, and Director of Multimedia and Manatee Research Associate, Cora Berchem, after the conclusion of the morning “roll call” at the park. These updates start around November and continue until manatee sightings become intermittent, which is roughly around March.

Monday, December 2, 2024

It was a very busy day at the park! With the river temperature dropping to 62.2 °F (16.8 °C), I counted 352 manatees. I estimate there were more as they were all moving around, playing, and stirring up the clay, and I was helping fellow researchers with something that distracted me from the count for a little bit.

Anyhow, adoptees Margarito, Nick, and Paddy Doyle made their first season visit today! Other adoptees in were Una, Moo Shoo, Philip, Gator, Aqua, Rocket, Whiskers, and Lily. It is nice to see so many “old-timers” return (including non-adoptees). We are also seeing many, many new calves, which is promising. The wind picked up quite a bit on the way back down from the springhead, not allowing us to linger much for any further IDs. The whole week looks like cold weather!

~Cora

Sunday, December 1, 2024

The river was down to 63.7 °F (17.6 °C). That’s 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit and one degree Celsius colder than yesterday. The count was 299, but there were more, I am sure. Save the Manatee Club adoptees were Gator, Una, Whiskers, and Aqua. It was the first season appearance for Una and Whiskers and perhaps Gator. Cora might have seen him earlier, but she was not sure.

It was not as windy today or quite so cold as yesterday, which made the roll call easier. What made it difficult was the activity of the manatees. They were stirring around and cavorting in small groups. I got a tail of water thrown over me. Now that was cold! Yesterday it was worse. Every fifty yards or so there would be a small group of cavorters we had to avoid yet try and ID. I consider it unfair that Cora did not get wet!

Wayne & Cora

Saturday, November 30, 2024

Not as cold a couple of days this season, but the wind made up for it. In spite of the wind, we counted 172 manatees. Save the Manatee Club adoptee Lily made her first appearance! She was the only adoptee in. The river was the same as our last count at Thanksgiving, 65.5 °F (18.6 °C) but the count was up by two to 172! More manatees ahead!

Wayne and Cora

Thursday, November 28, 2024

It warmed up a bit, and the river temperature was 65.6 °F (18.7 °C). Most of the manatees were closer to the river this morning, feeling the warmer air and eager to go out and feed on some Thanksgiving dinner in the river before the next cold front. The rest were playing with a fallen palm tree further up the run and making the water so murky it was almost impossible to see or identify anyone. The only adoptee seen was Rocket.

Of note is that Amelia and Irma who were released together a few years ago and stuck together for quite a while before going separate ways still seem to link up in the spring during the winter months. We have seen them several days in different areas of the spring run these past days—together. It is interesting, and rather unusual! We also suspect Amelia might be pregnant, which would be wonderful news.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Cora

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

The small warming trend we have had the past couple of days is peaking tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day. Then a cooler trend will set in. Not very cold, but enough to keep manatees around even though no records will be set. The river temp today was 64.9 °F (18.5 °C). We counted 195 manatees. This included Save the Manatee Club adoptees Rocket and Phyllis with her calf. The weekend should bring in a bunch!

Wayne & Cora

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

It is warming up slightly, and the manatees can feel it! The river temperature was 64.5 °F (18.1 °C), so ½ a degree warmer than yesterday, and I counted 225 manatees. Many were moving around, eager to leave the spring for a bit to go out and feed. People oftentimes ask if there is food in the spring run for them. There is not, but there is plenty of good vegetation nearby for the manatees to feed on.

The adoptees in today were Phyllis with her calf, Rocket, and Aqua! This is Aqua’s first season visit, and she seems to have a calf, too! Many more manatees that we haven’t seen yet this season keep coming in every day, so we are keeping an eye out for all the other adoptees. Last year we were surprised to not see a lot of alligators until very late in the season. Right now we have an alligator hanging out by the river every morning!

~Cora

Monday, November 25, 2024

The river temp was 64.04 °F (17.8 °C). Just a tiny bit lower than yesterday. The count was 249 manatees. Counts may be a bit strange until the spring run clears a little more. We still must be missing many that are hidden by the murky water. Save the Manatee Club adoptees were Howie, Moo Shoo, and Phyllis with calf. The river is going down fast. I can smell the rotting vegetation. At the boil, I smelled fresh-cut wood from the boardwalk replacement project.

Afternoon update: Rocket was also seen at Blue Spring today, and we got a report of adoptee Annie at another spring.

Wayne & Cora

Sunday, November 24, 2024

The temperature of the air was a little warmer today, but the river went down to 64.4 °F (18 °C). All I can say is that I counted at least 300 manatees. Best of all, Howie, Philip, Moo Shoo, and Phyllis from among the Save the Manatee Club adoptees were in, and Phyllis appears to have a calf! I saw a tricolored heron perched on what is left of the diver entry during the new construction. They used to be called Louisiana herons. I have seen very few on the river and none near the spring boil.

Wayne

Saturday, November 23, 2024

We went from unseasonably warm to ice on the windshield in two days. The river temperature was 66.3 °F (19.1 °C). We counted 130 manatees today, but it should have been many more. Half the run was full of silt in suspension, and it was hard to see manatees, let alone scar patterns for identification. We did see one Save the Manatee Club adoptee, Moo Shoo! One is better than none! More calves are in every day. Always a good thing!

Wayne & Cora

Friday, November 22, 2024

It got quite a bit colder overnight, and the river temperature dropped to 69 °F (20.6 °C). 68° is usually our “magic number” that brings the manatees in!

We counted 43 manatees this morning. It was still a bit too windy, making identification difficult, but it was better than yesterday! No SMC adoptees yet, but we saw numerous known manatees, including several that we helped release in years past and who seem to be doing well. At least 7 new calves were in today too with their moms. Mom-calf pairs and juveniles usually come in first, as they need the warmth of the spring even more than the large adults, and the moms will show their little ones where the warm water is. They certainly enjoyed a fallen palm tree under which they were playing, rubbing their backs, and checking out the palm fronds. More manatees should be arriving over the next few days!

Cora & Wayne

Thursday, November 21, 2024

It has been unseasonably warm, so the manatee season at Blue Spring has not quite started yet. However, we are expecting the first significant cold front over the next few days, so a few manatees have started to arrive.

The river temperature today was 71.7 °F (22.1 °C), just slightly cooler than the spring temperature. The park staff saw 9 manatees on November 18, 5 on November 19, and 5 today. Save the Manatee Club counted 7 this morning, with a few more arriving afterwards. It was extremely windy, so a good count from the canoe was not possible. No Save the Manatee Club adoptees yet, but we saw some manatees we recognize from seasons past. More should be coming in soon!

Cora & Wayne