Watch a Livestream of Manatees in Clear Freshwater Spring

 

Press Advisory

For further information contact:
Ally Greco
Communications and Outreach Manager
Phone: (407) 539-0990
E-mail: agreco@savethemanatee.org
For Immediate Release: December 23, 2019

Manatees gathered in the winter at Blue Spring State Park.
Manatees take refuge from cold winter weather as they gather at the warm-water refuge at Blue Spring State Park. Photo© Save the Manatee Club.

Above and underwater manatee cameras are now livestreaming from Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, FL on ManaTV.org. Viewers can watch hundreds of manatees in real time as they take refuge from cold winter waters in the clear freshwater spring. Blue Spring State Park is a crucial winter habitat for manatees, with its spring water from an underground aquifer remaining a constant temperature of 72 degrees. Manatees cannot tolerate prolonged exposure to waters below 68 degrees and thus make their way to Blue Spring to stay warm from November to March. The protected warm-water sanctuary is closed to all human activity in winter, making it a wonderful spot for manatees to rest and visitors to view them.

Now anyone, anywhere can see manatees and other Florida wildlife like alligators, longnose gar, catfish, great blue herons, and more from the livestreaming webcams. Manatee updates are also posted frequently, listing the daily manatee count at Blue Spring along with sightings of individual manatees that are part of Save the Manatee Club’s Adopt-A-Manatee program.

Media outlets can feature the ManaTV.org streams on their websites or social media accounts. To obtain permission and the embed code, please email agreco@savethemanatee.org.

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Save the Manatee Club thanks the following partners for their support of the webcams: Blue Spring State Park, Park Manager Michael Watkins, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection; Midwest Surveillance; CenturyLink; Axis Communications; Royal T Systems; Blue Springs Enterprises, Inc.; and Explore.

Save the Manatee Club was founded in 1981 by former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham and singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett. The Club’s mission is to protect manatees and their habitat. Save the Manatee Club, an international 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has educated millions around the world about imperiled manatees and the threats to their long-term survival.