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Dozens of manatees gather at Manatee Lagoon; officials remind boaters to slow down
Summary
Warm-water discharges at Manatee Lagoon attract dozens of manatees each winter; West Palm Beach officials emphasize idle zones and patrols after noting injuries and deaths from boat strikes.
Dozens of manatees were visible at Manatee Lagoon this week, drawing visitors who come to see the animals gather around the warm-water discharges from Florida Power & Light's Riviera Beach plant.
Manatees are known to use warm outlets near power plants in winter. On the broadcast This Is Your West Palm Beach, a host noted that manatees can remain submerged for about 20 minutes when resting and need to surface roughly every two minutes when active.
Officials urged boaters to observe marked idle zones and said West Palm Beach Police patrol the intracoastal to enforce speed and idle restrictions. The program warned that many manatees are injured or killed each year by collisions with boats and that some carry scars from prior encounters.
Visitors interviewed on the waterfront described the animals as a highlight of winter visits. One visitor said the manatees were "big blobs of joy" while program commentary called the sighting "fascinating to watch." The broadcast recommended slowing down and respecting marine-protection zones to reduce harm to the animals.
For information on visiting Manatee Lagoon, the program directed viewers to visit manateelagoon.com.
