Meet A Manatee: Lily

She is one of the most well-known manatees at Blue Spring State Park

Updated September 20, 2022

Lily the manatee
Lily (left) on January 23, 2018 at Blue Spring. She is the matriarch of a fourth-generation manatee family at the park.

Lily is one of the most well-known manatees at Blue Spring State Park. First recorded in 1974, she is a favorite with both park staff and visitors, and they look forward to her arrival each winter season.

Lily is also well known as the matriarch of a fourth-generation manatee family at Blue Spring State Park. Over the years, Lily has had at least 11 calves of her own, and she is also a great-grandmother! Lily is easily recognized by several distinctive scars that she bears. One of the scars is on the top right side of her back and is left over from a skin fungus. Her other distinctive scars are located on her lower right side and are the result of a boat hit.

Many manatees have preferred habitats they return to each year, and Blue Spring seems to be Lily’s favorite area. In fact, she has visited the park each winter since she was first identified, and she has been known to make anywhere from 20-35 visits per season.

During manatee season, check our Blue Spring webcams for updates on the latest news on Lily and other Blue Spring manatees.

You can adopt Lily or other manatees!
Each person who adopts her will receive a full-color photo, biography, and adoption certificate, as well as a membership handbook and subscription to The Manatee Zone, a newsletter featuring updates on the adopted manatees when they are sighted, and Paddle Tales, Save the Manatee Club’s bi-monthly eNewsletter.
Adopt for Myself Adopt for Someone Else Educator Adoption
For more information or to view other manatees available for adoption, visit the Adopt-A-Manatee page, or call 1-800-432-JOIN (5646).