News

Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park Adoption Update

By Kate Spratt, Park Services Specialist, HSWSP

It sure has been a hot summer so far at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park! Our adoptable manatees, Ariel and Betsy, have been happily enjoying the cool spring waters, basking in shallow areas of the paddocks in the warm morning sun and swimming the hot days away. Betsy is always first to show up to feedings, hanging out right at the feeding ring, while Heinz grabs a head of lettuce and swims away to munch and enjoy. Ariel happily consumes her lettuce alongside Betsy. When wildlife park rangers conduct in-water fence checks, the three resident manatee girls watch with fascination and sometimes act like they need to assist.

How much food do you think all the manatees under our care eat daily—100 pounds, 200 pounds, more? Well, wild manatees eat about 10% of their body weight, so around 100 pounds of food daily. Our resident manatees don’t have to look for their food, therefore expending less energy, meaning they need to eat less. Our resident manatees are currently consuming a total of around 350 pounds of lettuce daily! Feedings happen throughout the day to mimic how they would graze in the wild. Interested in seeing how they eat? Come visit one of our two daily manatee programs (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) to learn more!

We encourage you to come and visit our adoptable ladies. Our state park is currently open with limited services, as we are awaiting repairs from storm damage last year. Despite this, our manatees are viewable from the Long River Bridge and the in-ground manatee pool. For the most up-to-date information on the availability of park services, please visit the park’s website at floridastateparks.org.