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Dozens of manatees gather at Manatee Lagoon as officials remind boaters to idle
Summary
A WPB TV report showed dozens of manatees at Manatee Lagoon near Florida Power & Light’s Riviera Beach Plant; visitors and police urged boaters to observe idle zones after reports of injuries from boat strikes.
Cheryl Conn, a reporter for WPB TV, said dozens of manatees were visible at Manatee Lagoon near Florida Power & Light’s Riviera Beach Plant on a chilly morning, drawing wildlife viewers to the site.
The animals seek the warm water discharged by the plant, Conn reported, and visitors said the lagoon fills with people whenever temperatures drop. “This is one of our spots we make sure we come to every year,” a visitor said.
The report noted risks to the animals from boats. “Idle zone, captain. Idle zone. Idle,” a visitor called out, and Conn said West Palm Beach police patrol the Intracoastal Waterway to enforce slow-speed and idle-area rules. The story also said many manatees are injured or killed each year by careless boaters and that some carry scars from prior collisions.
Wildlife watchers on camera described the manatees as large, slow-moving animals that can remain underwater about 20 minutes when resting; when active, they surface about every two minutes. “They’re overwhelming. They’re they’re they’re big blobs of joy,” a visitor said in the segment.
The segment closed with a reminder to boaters to slow down in known manatee areas and with the reporter’s sign-off: “This is Cheryl Conn reporting for WPB TV.”
