Manatees are generally solitary creatures, but tend to gather at warm water sites in the winter.
Florida State Parks
After a Kolbert doomcloud, a bit of sunshine is needed. Here it is in the form of creatures so charismatic they make you see something other than darkness. Thanks to National Public Radio (USA):
Legend has it that centuries ago, manatees used to be mistaken for mermaids, so a sight last week at one Florida state park would have put ancient sailors in shock.
Blue Spring State Park is home to one of the largest winter gathering sites for manatees in Florida, and recently, the park reached a new record when the number of manatees spotted in one group was nearly 1,000.
“Record-breaking morning at Blue Spring State Park,” read a Facebook post from Friends of Blue Spring State Park. The volunteer group, which helps support the park, said the previous record of manatees gathering was 736 on New Year’s Day of this year.
Manatees typically flock to the park during the winter months, but several factors have caused their numbers to increase over the years.
According to a Facebook post from the non-profit Save the Manatee Club, Jan. 21 was one of the coldest mornings of the Florida winter season so far. The temperature of the St. Johns River, which Blue Spring sits on, was recorded at 58.8 Fahrenheit.
“In Florida, over the past couple of weeks, we’ve had more frequent cold fronts that have been closer together,” says Monica Ross, director of manatee research and conservation at Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Research Institute. “That drops the ambient water temperature down and that’s when you’re going to have more animals showing up at one time.”
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