Hundreds of manatees (Trichechus manatee) have gathered in Citrus County, Florida, seeking refuge from the low temperatures. On social networks, images of at least 200 specimens of these animals have been shared in Three Sister Springs, which is located in the city of Crystal River.
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) shared a video on its social networks showing these animals taking shelter from the cold, noting that this had been one of the reasons why they had fled. restored the shores of Three Sister Springs, an area where this phenomenon was relatively common.
“This is a great demonstration of why the district recently restored the shoreline around Three Sisters Springs. The project repaired the eroded shoreline and will help prevent future erosion caused by manatees and human activity,” the post shared on Facebook reads.
The video also shows several people closely observing the manatees, swimming just a few meters away while taking photos. Some also ventured out in canoes and pedal boats near the marine mammals, known for their calm disposition and slow movement.
According to the SFWMD, the Three Sisters Springs canal restoration project aims to repair the habitat of these animals and improve water quality in the area, while increasing the safety of visitors to the springs system.
It is important to remember that manatees seek refuge from low temperatures between the months of November and April. To help with this, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Service (FWC) limits people’s access to the springs in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge.
Crystal River is known as the “manatee capital of the world,” and has a wildlife refuge where visitors can swim with them. While the hundreds of comments were in favor of the project to shelter the animals, many considered that it was not appropriate for them to be surrounded by people.
Endangered animals
While manatees are one of the animals most associated with the coasts of Florida, they are in danger of extinction, mainly due to the activities carried out by humans within their natural habitat.
Another of the main threats to this animal is low temperatures, since, according to the FWC, in 2018 804 of these animals died due to not being able to find warmer waters during the winter.
