VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 November is Manatee Awareness Month, highlighting a time when Florida\u2019s manatees are starting their seasonal movements to warmer waters around the state. <\/p>\n
Here in Central Florida, that means Blue Spring State Park will be bustling with manatees and the guests who come to see them. <\/p>\n
About 200 manatees were counted in the spring Wednesday. This is higher than average and reflects the early cold front that swept through earlier this week. <\/p>\n
Guests at Blue Spring State Park (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n
Brittany Murdock, a manatee observer and volunteer, acts as a park ambassador. She answers visitor questions and enhances the experience for tourists from around the world. <\/p>\n
Murdock explained that the manatees seek the warm 72-degree water that flows from the spring year-round. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey only have about an inch of body fat, so they need the warm spring water to avoid what is basically animal frostbite,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Blue Spring State Park (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n
The manatees gather in the warmest part of the spring, known as the \u201cboil,\u201d where the water emerges from underground. This natural refuge attracts manatees from miles around, sometimes drawing up to 1,000 during peak season.<\/p>\n
Among the crowd is a special sight: a 10-day-old baby manatee staying close to her mother, Annie. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe baby stays within a body length of Annie for one to two years,\u201d Murdock said. \u201cThey nurse right under the fin, so you\u2019ll often see the baby close by.\u201d<\/p>\n
Visitors come from all over the world to experience this unique natural spectacle. Many are amazed by the manatees\u2019 playful personalities despite their solitary nature. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re huge, gentle creatures with so much personality,\u201d Murdock said.<\/p>\n
As the season progresses and temperatures drop further, more manatees will arrive to take refuge in the warm spring waters, continuing a beloved Florida tradition that connects people with these remarkable marine mammals.<\/p>\n
Blue Spring State Park (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says when viewing groups of manatees at warm-water sites, it is important to give them space. Disturbing manatees at these sites can cause them to swim out of protected areas and into potentially life-threatening cold water. Manatees are a protected species, and it is illegal to harass, feed, disturb or harm them. <\/p>\n
If you see an injured, distressed, sick or dead manatee, report it to the FWC\u2019s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) so that trained responders can assist. <\/p>\n
Do not try to physically handle an injured or sick manatee yourself, as this can cause more harm to the animal and potentially put you at risk of serious injury.<\/p>\n
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