Cold stress? 25 dead manatees removed from Florida waters
A.M. NATHALIE POZO WPBF 25 NEWS. A LIVE LOOK FROM MANATEE LAGOON IN PALM BEACH COUNTY. WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE MANATEES HUDDLE TOGETHER ALL DAY. THEY’RE STAYING WARM AND JUST IN TIME FOR MANATEE FEST, WHICH IS THIS WEEKEND. METEOROLOGIST BROOKE SILVER WENT TO THE LAGOON TO FIND OUT MORE. SOUTH FLORIDA MANATEES KNOW WHERE THE HOT SPOT IS. WHEN THE TEMPERATURES DROP? THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT BROUGHT TEMPERATURES DOWN TO THE 30S FOR THREE MORNINGS IN A ROW IN WEST PALM BEACH, DROPPING THE WATER TEMPERATURES FROM THE OCEAN TO THE INTRACOASTAL. SO HERE AT MANATEE LAGOON, A LOT OF MANATEES COME TO OUR WARM WATER OUTFLOW. MANATEES CANNOT SURVIVE IN WATER THAT’S 68 DEGREES OR COOLER. EARLY TUESDAY MORNING, 230 MANATEES FROM BABIES TO ADULTS WERE SWIMMING, PLAYING AND EVEN SPINNING AROUND IN THE WARM WATERS PROVIDED BY FPL’S RIVIERA BEACH NEXT GENERATION CLEAN ENERGY CENTER IN THE LAKE WORTH LAGOON. THE LAST TIME THE MANATEE LAGOON COUNTED OVER 200 MANATEES WAS BACK IN 2020 FOR ANOTHER COLD FRONT IS SET TO MOVE IN BY THE END OF THE WEEK, SO THAT MEANS EVEN MORE MANATEES ARE EXPECTED TO GATHER JUST IN TIME FOR MANATEE LAGOON’S 10TH ANNUAL MANATEE FEST. SO, OF COURSE, THE STAR OF THE SHOW, MANATEE FEST, WILL HOPEFULLY BE OUR MANATEE SINCE IT WILL BE COLDER HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA, WE EXPECT MORE MANATEES TO BE HERE LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN THIS WEEK. MANATEE FEST IS A FREE EVENT THIS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH AT THE MANATEE LAGOON AND WILL ALLOW VISITORS TO SEE MANATEES IN ACTION AND LEARN MORE ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVATION. WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION UP ON OU
Cold stress? 25 dead manatees removed from Florida waters
Updated: 5:00 PM EST Feb 19, 2026
Manatee Park in Southwest Florida was closed for several hours after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission removed multiple dead manatees.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25According to sister station WBBH, FWC said it received an increase in reports of dead manatees in the Orange River and surrounding areas of Fort Myers. About 25 manatee deaths were reported in Lee County between Feb. 13 and Feb. 18.FWC said cold stress is a possible contributing factor. The data is preliminary and the investigation is ongoing. You are urged to call FWC’s wildlife alert hotline if you come across an injured, distressed or deceased manatee. The number is 888-404-FWCC (3922).Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
LEE COUNTY, Fla. —
Manatee Park in Southwest Florida was closed for several hours after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission removed multiple dead manatees.
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
According to sister station WBBH, FWC said it received an increase in reports of dead manatees in the Orange River and surrounding areas of Fort Myers.
About 25 manatee deaths were reported in Lee County between Feb. 13 and Feb. 18.
FWC said cold stress is a possible contributing factor.
The data is preliminary and the investigation is ongoing.
You are urged to call FWC’s wildlife alert hotline if you come across an injured, distressed or deceased manatee. The number is 888-404-FWCC (3922).
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.