Manatee Webcams
About the Blue Spring Manatees
Where are the Blue Spring manatees? While the underwater cameras are now live for manatee season (roughly November through March), the manatees on the Blue Spring webcams are wild. When the temperatures are warmer, manatees may venture freely in and out of the spring and return when it gets colder. At night or when the cameras are not working, the feed will switch to a highlights reel. Any people seen in the videos are researchers or other individuals with special permission.
Support for the Manatee Webcams at Blue Spring State Park was made possible by a donation to Save the Manatee Club as a memorial gift in honor of the late Mrs. Norma Norton, a Florida resident who cared deeply for manatees.
The river temp was 71.2°F (21.8°C). We launched the canoe at 8:05 a.m., and as we paddled across to check the river intrusion into the run, we soon observed two deer grazing on the bank. The smaller one ran off, but a large doe seemed as interested in us as we were in her. We reached the boil (spring head) at 8:25 a.m. I said, “The count is zero,” just as a manatee swam under the canoe. It was not a Save the Manatee Club adoptee, nor were the two we found waiting for us near the river when we paddled back to our starting place. So the count was one! There is a chance the manatee season was over several days ago when the longtime winter residents stopped showing up.
Read more updates from the season!About the Homosassa Springs Manatees
During the winter (November–March), the underwater gates at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park are open, and wild manatees will be seen on the webcams as they come to the natural spring to seek refuge from the cold water temperatures. The permanent residents, Ariel and Betsy, as well as any manatees in rehabilitation, will spend the winter in a different area of the park. Please remember that it is illegal to feed wild manatees.
Meet the Girls of Homosassa!
About the Silver Springs Manatees
This camera shows a section of Silver Springs, located near Ocala in Marion County, FL. Silver Springs is the largest artesian springs complex in the world and was a famous attraction that was especially popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is now a Florida State Park.
Manatees roam the Silver River year-round to forage, socialize, and travel, and oftentimes visit Silver Springs State Park. Manatees reach Silver Springs by traveling from the St. Johns River through the Buckman Lock, the Ocklawaha River, and the Silver River. Manatees seek out the springs during the winter months for the warm water; the spring remains a constant 72 degrees, making it a vital warm-water source for manatees. A healthy spring run or adjacent river will contain the necessary vegetation for them to eat. In addition to manatees, occasionally alligators, turtles, and a variety of fish and birds can be seen on the cameras.
Highlight Videos
Special Thanks to Our Partners
Blue Spring State Park, Park Manager Dustin Allen
Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Park Manager Marla Chancey
Silver Springs State Park, Park Manager Mathew Bledsoe
Guest Services, Inc. at Blue Spring State Park