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| Statue of Manatees Manatee Lagoon, Rivera Beach, FL February 2, 2026 |
Yesterday was another cold day in South Florida.
That meant that it was a perfect day for a trip to Manatee Lagoon in Rivera Beach to view the manatees, because they know how to keep warm when it is cold.
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| Manatees Manatee Lagoon, Rivera Beach, FL February 2, 2026 |
Chris and I had visited the Lagoon on one other occasion a couple years ago, but it was the wrong time of year and there were no manatees. Yesterday, however, we were rewarded by viewing almost 200 manatees hanging out in the warm Florida Power and Light (FPL) electric generating plant's discharge lagoon.
It was a clear and cold day. We waited until the afternoon when the temperature crawled into the 50s to visit. It was a good choice. Even though it was cold, throngs of people were in attendance to view and enjoy the manatees in the lagoon and surrounding area.
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| Manatees in the Lagoon Manatee Lagoon, Rivera Beach, FL February 2, 2026 |
I had an issue trying to get a good image given the lighting situation. The sunlight was reflecting off the ripples on the water and made getting a good image really tough--even with post processing. Despite that, we enjoyed watching the manatees along with some fish, including a nurse shark, lounging in the warm waters of the lagoon.
It was encouraging to see the numbers of people who came out to view the manatees. Raising awareness helps to protect them. There were more than a few manatees in the lagoon who displayed evidence of their unfortunate encounters with boats. The scars are deep. One of the reasons that I try to stand when piloting the boats I am captaining is to look for manatees and debris. We have been lucky to see manatees on multiple occasions.
I highly recommend a visit to Manatee Lagoon during the cold months. It is both fun and educational.
-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL
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