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All the United States Florida Apollo Beach Big Bend Power Plant Manatee Viewing Area
AO Edited

Big Bend Power Plant Manatee Viewing Area

Manatees congregate around a power plant's discharge canal where the water is especially warm.

Apollo Beach, Florida

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Neil Hendrick
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  Sydney Rose / Atlas Obscura User
Manatee Viewing area  
Manatee at Big Bend Power Station   Judy Gallagher / CC BY-SA 3.0
Big Bend Power Plant, Apollo Beach   lindseycstraub / Atlas Obscura User
  Thewanderingmeatball / Atlas Obscura User
  Thewanderingmeatball / Atlas Obscura User
A bridge along one of the nature paths leading to the observation tower.   J Ginsberg / Atlas Obscura User
  bamasugarbear / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Every year, when the temperature of the water in Tampa Bay drops below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, manatees, otherwise known as the cows of the sea, head to the TECO Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach, Florida.  They go there for the warmth of the heated wastewater leaving the power plant's discharge canal and gather around a special viewing area for tourists.

There are observation platforms and a nature walk through the mangroves and shallows leading out to the discharge canal. Many types of birds and sea creatures are often seen, including stingrays, pelicans, and cranes. A special butterfly garden draws additional visitors.

Across the canal is an unobstructed view of the Power Station and its four smoking stacks, the huge industrially impressive site offering a strange but enjoyable counterpoint to the humble, lumpy manatees which gather around it.  Big Bend's discharge canal is designated by the state and Federal governments as a "manatee sanctuary" that offers much-needed protection to these endangered animals.

The Manatee Viewing Center offers free parking and admission for its guests. Any donations you choose to make to the center are greatly appreciated and go directly toward the purchase and maintenance of educational exhibits and publications that can help teach more visitors about the manatee and the many animals and plants that share its habitat, according to the center's official website.

Related Tags

Animals Nuclear Wildlife Sanctuaries Beaches

Know Before You Go

The center is open November 1 through April 15.

Community Contributors

Added By

mojotexas

Edited By

brendantheraven, franchise7129, Sydney Rose, J Ginsberg...

  • brendantheraven
  • franchise7129
  • Sydney Rose
  • J Ginsberg
  • lindseycstraub
  • Thewanderingmeatball
  • bamasugarbear
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

January 19, 2011

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  • Trip Advisor: Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34678-d267429-Reviews-Tampa_Electric_Manatee_Viewing_Center-Tampa_Florida.html
  • Yelp: Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center: http://www.yelp.com/biz/tampa-electric-manatee-viewing-center-apollo-beach
Big Bend Power Plant Manatee Viewing Area
6990 Dickman Road
Apollo Beach, Florida, 33572
United States
27.792688, -82.399953
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