News

Winter Is Coming!

Volunteers and Save the Manatee Club staff attend the Crystal River Manatee Festival in 2023 and educate visitors on manatee-safe practices, help process adoptions, and raffle off a gift basket.
Volunteers and Save the Manatee Club staff attend the Crystal River Manatee Festival in 2023 and educate visitors on manatee-safe practices, help process adoptions, and raffle off a gift basket.

By Gina McClain, Volunteer Specialist

One of my responsibilities (and enjoyments) is giving manatee presentations, in person and virtually, to many kinds of organizations: schools, libraries, and various and varied clubs. Recently, I stood with the members of the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club as we honored the legacy and impact of Jimmy Buffett. I felt great humility and pride in being part of our organization, which has done so much for manatees. As I presented the status of the Florida Manatee to these wonderful and caring people, I was reminded of just how much work we still must do.

Mark your calendars! November is not only Manatee Awareness Month, but also when events pick up:

In December, the manatees are in warm-water refugia, staying safe while we celebrate the holidays!

Happy New Year! We are back for our two largest events in January 2024:

Manatee season is nearly over, so enjoy some of these closing festivals in February 2024:

More Recent News

From left to right, Senator Kevin Hertel (D-12), longtime SMC 5K organizer Lesley Argiri, SMC Director of Multimedia Cora Berchem, Harrison Township Supervisor Ken Verkest, and Linda Thorpe of Congressman John James' office.
Photo by Save the Manatee Club.

Fond Farewell, New Beginning For SMC 5K

After 21 years of extraordinary dedication, Lesley Argiri and Brian McDonald hosted their final in-person Save the Manatee 5K fundraiser in Michigan this past September.

Jason Rose and Cora Berchem perform maintenance on the underwater webcam at Blue Spring.
Photo by Save the Manatee Club.

Webcams Show Manatees In Their Element

Mid-November marks the start of manatee season, which means our webcams at three state parks will livestream manatees in their natural habitat again!

The above-water webcam at Homosassa Springs captured an aggregation of manatees. Photo by Save the Manatee Club.

Piper’s Recovery Continues

Our resident manatees have been happy all season long in the steady temperature of the beautiful Homosassa spring.