Workers install the new gate underneath the bridge that stretches across the spring run at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. (Photo by Susan Lowe, DEP)

Recently, a new spring run gate was opened at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. The gate opening allowed the wild manatee population to swim through for the first time in the park’s history and enjoy the warmth and safety of the main spring throughout the winter months.

An event on December 3rd, which was hosted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Florida State Parks, commemorated the opening of the gate, which is located underneath the bridge that stretches across the spring run and separates captive, rehabilitating manatees in the spring bowl from the wild manatees in the spring run. Participants at the gate opening event included representatives from Save the Manatee Club, DEP, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and other partners.

Save the Manatee Club provided funding for the new gate. The Club has always supported the opening of the springs to the wild manatees while also supporting the dedicated rehabilitation efforts of the park. “It’s good news for the manatees whose overall population suffered devastating, record-setting mortality in 2010 from cold stress,” said Patrick Rose, the Club’s Executive Director. “With the head spring’s temperatures of 72 degrees year-round, this is an ideal place for manatees to gather and keep warm when temperatures drop in Florida. Also, it provides a harassment-free area where people can observe manatees but not directly interact with them.”

Wild manatees lost no time in taking advantage of the new warm water refuge at the park. (Photo by Susan Lowe, DEP)

One of Club's four Adopt-A-Manatee programs is located at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. Historically, the Club has contributed to various manatee protection efforts at Homosassa, including funding for heating support tanks, veterinary care, and food to rehabilitate rescued manatees suffering from cold stress in 2010. Also, in 2009, the Club funded the Park’s “Manatee Watch” pontoon boat to serve as a quick-response, high visibility, electric-powered vessel that can be dispatched in emergencies.

Area manatees were ready, willing, and able to move right into the new warm water refuge that was now available to them. On the Monday morning following the gate opening ceremony, park staff reported 25 to 30 wild manatees in the spring run with many cow - calf pairs. During the record cold weather in December 2010, more than 80 manatees were counted at the park on one morning.

Soon after the gate opened, several wild mother and calf pairs were sighted in the warm waters of the spring run (top) and at the underwater viewing room. (Photos by Susan Lowe, DEP)

Watch a video from the gate opening ceremony at the park. Dawn Jennings from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the speaker. Go >>

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