LEE COUNTY, Fla. – A visit to Manatee Park usually brings excitement. the sight of a manatee poking its snout out of the water is enough to make visitors stop in their tracks.

“I felt like a kid. I was so overjoyed. Yeah, it was really good,” one visitor said.

“I was charmed,” another added.

But what visitors witnessed this week was something entirely different.

“There was the Ranger truck, and then there was the sign that said that they were closed for unknown reasons,” said Laurie Buechl, a Cape Coral neighbor.

Behind closed gates, crews worked to remove dead manatees from the water. An orange crane lowered into the canal, slowly lifting the animals out one by one.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirmed 25 manatees were found dead between February 13 and February 18 at Manatee Park and along the Orange River. The park has since reopened.

“It’s horrible. It’s really horrible,” one visitor said.

“It’s terrible. I mean, it’s an endangered species. There aren’t that many. They’re such a lovely, wild creature,” another added.

FWC says the investigation is ongoing. Early observations suggest cold stress could be a possible factor.

Cold stress is one of the leading threats to manatees during Florida winters. When water temperatures drop below 68 degrees, the animals can struggle to stay warm, which can lead to illness or death.

However, some visitors aren’t convinced the cold is to blame. Manatee Park is known as a warm-water refuge, where water heated by a nearby power plant draws manatees during colder months.

“This park is where they all go to get away from the cold waters because of the discharge from the plant over here. And I don’t believe that it’s from the cold,” one visitor said.

“I’m sure that with the heat from the power plant, it never got that cold here,” another added.

In a statement to WINK News, Florida Power & Light Company said:

“Yes, we are aware that FWC is investigating manatee deaths at Manatee Park. We are coordinating closely with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

For more information about this incident, please contact FWC.”

FWC says some of the manatees will undergo examination to determine the exact cause of death. All of the animals will be properly disposed of.

The agency says the investigation remains active.