Support for the Manatee Webcams at Blue Spring State Park was made possible by a donation to Save the Manatee Club as a memorial gift in honor of the late Mrs. Norma Norton, a Florida resident who cared deeply for manatees.
Underwater Webcam Highlights from the 2018 – 2019 Season (Not Live)
Above-Water Webcam Highlights from the 2018 – 2019 Season (Not Live)
Please Note: Both the underwater and above-water cams are no longer live and are currently playing highlights from the 2018 – 2019 manatee season. You can also scroll down the page to see past manatee videos from the web cams. Any people seen in the videos are researchers or other individuals with special permission.
Latest Manatee Update
May 31, 2019:
We got a call from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to check on a supposedly dead manatee that someone had called in at the Sanford Marina on Lake Monroe. Upon arrival, I found a large mating herd. Luckily, all manatees were very much alive! I was able to take some photos and video of the manatees, and Wayne Hartley, Save the Manatee Club’s Manatee Specialist, helped with identification. We first ID’d Save the Manatee Club adoptees Paddy Doyle and Philip and also multiple Blue Spring males, including Rocky, Pogo, Chad II, Phud, Bart, and possibly Josh. Manatee mating herds are very common at this time of the year and usually center around a receptive focal female in estrus. Wayne was able to identify the female as “U78/18” from this past winter season at Blue Spring, meaning she was a manatee with significant scars but not yet known at Blue Spring. At the end of the season, Wayne numbers and names all those manatees, so this one got the identification number BS1053 “Pink.” It was a nice surprise to see some of our winter regulars during the summer months! The mating herd was very active all day and boaters driving by were made aware of the activity and told to watch out for the manatees. In addition, we posted a couple of photos and a live feed on our social media educating people about mating herds and reminding them to observe from a distance and not get too close. On a side note, adoptee Gator has also made a couple of summer visits to Blue Spring since season ended.
— by Cora Berchem, Manatee Research & Multimedia Specialist
Read more manatee updates from this season by clicking the “Learn More” box below and click the Webcam Videos box to see manatee video clips from this season.
Please call Blue Spring State Park before you visit to get the latest manatee count at the park: 386-775-3663.
- Read Manatee Updates from this season as well as past seasons.
- Identify manatees in the Club’s adoption program using Wayne Hartley’s Scar Pattern Chart (pdf).
- See Wayne’s Scar Charts for all of the Blue Spring manatees (pdf).
- Learn about Blue Spring State Park and why it is vital habitat for manatees.
- Check out our Species Spotlight to learn about other living things that share the manatee’s habitat at Blue Spring (pdf).
Manatee “U34/18” With Calf. December 13, 2018.
Watch even more Manatee Video
Blue Spring State Park, Park Manager Michael Watkins, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
