By Cora Berchem, Director of Multimedia and Manatee Research Associate
Manatee Season at Blue Spring started in full force in late November and we have had many exciting adoptee sightings since! We have also already recorded over 70 new calves and possibly a record amount of manatees returning from previous seasons. All adoptees except for Annie, Lenny, and Lucille have been seen at Blue Spring, though Annie has been seen at another site by fellow researchers. Unfortunately, this is the third season that Lucille has not been seen and, although we are still looking for her, we are worried about her. Lenny may still show up at another site, so we will keep our eyes out when we compare photos with other researchers.
As always, you can watch manatees live on our webcams at ManaTV.org and read our daily blog updates on our website and social media.
Blue Spring Sightings
Aqua brought in a new calf this season! The pair has been seen numerous times in the spring, and usually Aqua is accompanied by other juveniles as well. Here she is taking a nap on January 6, 2025.
Aqua and her calf were seen traveling through the protected sanctuary of Blue Spring on December 8, 2024.Brutus likes to hide in the murkier water in the lower part of the spring run, making it hard to get good photos of him. Here he is on December 7, 2024.Deep Dent has made quite a few appearances since season started and can be seen all over the spring run. He ‘posed’ for a photo on December 3, 2024.
Our above-water webcam recorded Deep Dent traveling towards the St. Johns River on December 27, 2024.
Doc’s first season visit was on December 3, 2024.
On January 1, 2025, we added Ester to our adoption program! She is the daughter of long-term adoptee Elaine (who has not been seen since 2013). Ester brought in a new calf this season and the pair has been at the park a lot.
Ester and her calf were seen on our above-water webcam at Blue Spring on December 14, 2024.
In case you missed it: Ester also made an appearance on national television on November 30 on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom! You can watch the episode online on NBC’s website. (external link)
Flash can be a bit shy when it comes to taking photos and he likes to hang out in the middle of an aggregation. Here he is on January 16, 2025.December 3 was a big day for adoptee arrivals. Floyd also made his first season visit that day. Here he is resting on December 9.
Floyd, easily recognizable by his half-missing tail, was spotted on our webcams on December 8, 2024.
Always easy to identify, Gator has made a number of roll calls this season. This photo was taken on December 1, 2024.
Gator was seen on our above-water webcam swimming through a large aggregation of manatees on December 8, 2024.Howie, having a reputation for throwing the research canoe over, has been rather quiet this season and usually likes to hang out in the murkier water close to the river. Our team photographed him on December 9, 2024.Lily, the oldest female manatee at Blue Spring, is still reliable when it comes to attending the morning roll call. We photographed her on November 30!
Lily was featured in a large aggregation on January 8, 2025.Margarito has always been hard to photograph, but he went right by the research canoe on January 16, allowing for a good photo op!Merlin made his first season visit on December 5 and has a new boat strike on his left flank. Luckily, it has healed, and he seems well. We got some good photos of him on December 23, 2024.
Merlin participated in a big cavorting group that went right by our webcam on December 29, 2024.Nick loves to hang out in front of the second overlook at the park and can often be seen on our above-water webcam. We photographed him during roll call on December 22, 2024.Moo Shoo, one of the most popular and photogenic adoptees, arrived for the season on November 23, 2024. Our research team believes she may be pregnant again! Here she is resting on December 25.Paddy Doyle has been a bit elusive when it comes to having his picture taken, but we were able to snap some quick pictures on December 23, 2024.Philip usually likes to hang out in the middle of all the other manatees. Here he is taking a snooze on December 16, 2024.
Paddy Doyle was also spotted on our above-water webcam on January 4, 2025, as he was shaking off some pesky armored catfish before going back to napping.Phyllis has probably been the most photogenic adoptee yet this winter! And she has a new calf. Here is an adorable photo of the pair from November 25, 2024.Phyllis and her calf were also sighted together on December 3, 2024.
Phyllis and her calf, alongside an entourage of juvenile manatees, also went by our underwater webcam in early January.Rocket usually prefers the upper part of the spring run. Here he is on November 25, 2024.Una has been visiting the park quite a lot too, and oftentimes prefers to tuck herself away behind some other manatees, making it hard to see her. Here she is on January 6, 2025.
Whiskers also prefers the upper part of the spring run, where he likes to rest. We photographed him on January 16, 2025.
East Coast and Florida Keys Sightings
In addition to our Blue Spring adoptees, we also got word from our partners from FWC that Illusion was sighted at the Manatee Lagoon in Riviera Beach in early January.
A citizen sighted adoptee Zelda in Key West in late December. It looks like she has a little calf!
Some manatees have been hit multiple times, so much so that researchers identify individual manatees by their scars. So why do manatees keep getting hit by watercraft?
Remembering Paddy Doyle
May 16, 2025
We received the tragic news that our beloved adoptee Paddy Doyle had passed away at the end of April 2025.
Volunteer Mana-team Support for Earth Day
April 1, 2025
April is the perfect time to come together and make a meaningful impact on manatee conservation and their habitat.
