Manatees?

I%26#39;ll be visiting Ft. Lauderdale in November and would love to see manatees. Where is the best place for that? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Manatees?

Your closest to see manatees in captivity is the Maimi Seaquarium.

THE best place ?

1. Crystal River on the west coast - about a 1.5 hour drive north of Tampa - tours available. Homassasa Springs State Park near to and south of Crystal River is also another good location.

2. Blue Springs State Park on the St. John%26#39;s River in Orange City in Volusia County - roughly 1/2 way between Orlando and Daytona Beach.

Late November will be a better time as the Gulf and Atlantic waters are getting cooler and the manatees come in to warmer waters.

Useful Ft. Lauderdale web sites:

www.sunny.org

www.greatlocations.com

Manatees?

I%26#39;ve lived here 5 years and I couldn%26#39;t tell you a place to see them in the wild. Every time I%26#39;ve seen them it%26#39;s been by accident (swimming in Biscayne Bay and one was maybe 20 feet away from me, or I%26#39;ve seen them in the canals off of the New River).

If there is a place - no one is advertising it - afterall, they try to minimize human interaction for the sake of the manatees%26#39; safety.

They are wonderful creatures.

the hot canal

Looks like my options are a big limited. Is the Seaquarium any good? If it%26#39;s a quality place with lots of things to see, I%26#39;ll give it a try.

Take a look at the Miami Seaquarium web site to help with your decision.

Some years ago I saw anatees in the wild at Franklin Locks and Dam 10 miles east of Fort Myers near Olga off SR80. Nearby it is reported that manatees abound at The Florida Power and Light Park east of Fort Myers.

They are often found in winter at Power Plant outflows in Florida enjoying the warm water! Also just upstream from where creeks or rivers enter either the ocean or the Indian River Lagoon/Estuary.

Like Endeavour noted, on the East Coast finding manatees in the wild is just the luck of the draw. It%26#39;s much easier on the West Coast.

Endeavour...Tampa Electric has a full Viewing Center on Tampa Bay!! And Melbourne%26#39;s Crane Creek above the RR bridge used to be a pretty consistent location for viewing too. How %26#39;bout Merritt Island Wildlife refuge??

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. I had heard that manatees hang out around Port Everglades quite a bit too. Do they have some kind of observation deck or viewing area?

they closed down the port everglades deck years ago. no access now due to port security issues too. try hiring a boat to bring you into the canal. best from dec through mar. anytime it is cold down here.

Haulover Canal( not sure about spelling) at the Canaveral National Seashore has a manatee viewing area. We have been twice in the summer months and have seen many manatees feeding next to the bank. Not sure if they are there in winter or not.

scars