News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—January 7, 2025
Contact: media@savethemanatee.org, 407-539-0990

LONGWOOD, FL—As temperatures plummet in Central Florida this week, the number of manatees seeking refuge at Blue Spring State Park is expected to rise and potentially reach record numbers. The public can keep an eye on the action from the comfort of their home via Save the Manatee® Club’s above- and underwater webcams, 24/7 at ManaTV.org. The streams are live during daylight hours, and highlights are featured outside of these times.

Blue Spring, a designated critical habitat for Florida manatees, offers a constant water temperature of 72º F, making it an ideal sanctuary when air temperatures drop and surrounding waterways cool into the mid-60s or below. To preserve the manatees’ winter sanctuary, the spring run is closed to all water activities during the winter months, but people have the opportunity to view the manatees in the crystal clear water from the adjacent boardwalk. In addition, the manatee webcams provide a perfect option for anyone interested in observing these gentle giants up close and personal while ensuring the animals have the space they need to rest and keep warm, free from disturbances or harassment.

At ManaTV.org, viewers can not only watch the live action but also read updates and observations about the Blue Spring manatees from Save the Manatee Club researchers, Wayne Hartley and Cora Berchem. The daily web blog highlights the current weather conditions and daily manatee counts. You can also read about which of the over 20 Blue Spring manatees who are part of Save the Manatee Club’s popular Adopt-A-Manatee® program were spotted each day. You may even be able to spot Save the Manatee Club’s newest adoptee, Ester, with her young calf on the webcams!

The manatee webcams also serve as an essential tool for research. Save the Manatee Club and its partners use the cameras to aid in photo identification of individual manatees based on their unique scars and markings. “We have learned so much through observing manatees on our webcams as well as providing life-saving information in real time,” says aquatic biologist and Save the Manatee Club Executive Director, Patrick Rose.

“The webcams have been extremely popular from the moment they launched, and, in addition to being an indispensable tool for manatee research, they also allow the public to view manatees without disturbing them in their winter sanctuaries. Save the Manatee Club is happy to provide this important resource in partnership with Florida State Parks and Explore.org and appreciates that they play an important role in increasing awareness about imperiled manatees and the vital importance of Florida’s springs,” says Rose.

Save the Manatee Club also maintains cameras at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and Silver Springs State Park. All the manatee webcams are streamed in partnership with Explore.org and Florida State Parks.

Webcams are also available to news outlets for direct embedding on their websites. For more information, please contact media@savethemanatee.org.

To Adopt-A-Manatee and support these conservation efforts, visit adoptamanatee.org or call 1-800-432-JOIN (5646).

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Save the Manatee Club, established in 1981 by the late renowned singer-songwriter, author, and entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett, along with the late former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham, is dedicated to safeguarding manatees and preserving their aquatic habitat. For more information about manatees and the Club’s efforts, visit savethemanatee.org or call 1-800-432-JOIN (5646).