Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center Opens Wednesday

TAMPA, FL - Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center opens Wednesday, Nov. 1 for its 31st season. A stingray touch-tank in partnership with The Florida Aquarium is back this year to provide a hands-on experience for children and adults. Admission and parking at the Apollo Beach facility are free.

Other highlights this season at the Manatee Viewing Center include:

• An expanded deck outside the gift shop, giving visitors a new place to gather.
• A new-and-improved Tidal Flat Walkway. The 900-foot walkway has been raised more than 3 feet to give visitors a higher vantage point for viewing marine life.
• The 1.4-mile trail that loops to a 50-foot-high observation tower with views of Tampa Bay.

“We’re proud to be the showcase for Tampa Electric’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Stan Kroh, manager of Land and Stewardship Programs for Tampa Electric. “The more than 5 million visitors we have welcomed since 1986 prove that you really can have fun while learning about the natural treasures of Florida.”

When the water temperature of Tampa Bay is 68 degrees or colder, manatees gather in the clean, warm water discharge canal of Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station, sometimes by the hundreds. Manatee Viewing Center visitors can see the mammals up close from multiple boardwalks and vantage points.

The manatees have gathered in the canal to find refuge from the cold since the early 1970s. Each season, the 50-acre Manatee Viewing Center draws an average of 275,000 visitors – including about 10,000 schoolchildren.

The Manatee Viewing Center’s regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day from Nov. 1 through April 15, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. (The facility closes at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve.) The facility is accessible to people with disabilities, and parking and admission are free. Visit the center online at www.tampaelectric.com/manatee or call 813-228-4289 for more information.

Image via Tampa Electric