TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — An incredible video from Citrus County shows hundreds of manatees huddled at Three Sisters Springs.
On Tuesday, the manatees gathered in large numbers to cope with cold temperatures. A drone video showed them huddled for warmth in a channel at the park.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, manatees seek warmer waters and often migrate to the discharge areas near power plants and in natural warm water springs to survive the cold temperatures.
Over the weekend, nearly 1000 manatees were spotted across the state at Blue Spring State Park. Park staff members said Sunday was the coldest day of the season. River temperatures were at about 58 degrees.
The FWC said manatees can be found along the coastal and inland waters of the southern United States, throughout the Caribbean Islands, and along the eastern coasts of Mexico and Central America and the northern coast of South America.