Florida manatee swims at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. Photo credit: David Muenker
Manatees have become one of my favorite animals, so it makes me sad that Florida’s record cold has caused the death of at least 77 of these endearing animals. The coldest 12-day period since 1940 also killed hundreds of sea turtles and untold millions of fish. (That explains all the dead fish we saw on the beach at Fort DeSoto Park.)
Because manatees can’t survive for sustained periods in water temperatures less than 68 degrees Fahrenheit, they migrate to estuaries, springs, and other sources of warm waters such as power plant outfalls. The warm, crystalline waters of the manatee refuge at Blue Spring State Park (see 12/22/09 blog post) must be crammed with them right now!
The 2010 Florida manatee count has broken all records. At 5,067, the number is a third greater than last year’s record count of 3,802.
The incessant chill has disappointed lots of us visitors, but the news about its lethal impact on Florida fish and wildlife puts it in perspective. All I need to do to get warm is put on another layer of clothing and turn on the heater.
