Manatee Viewing Center reopens

Welcome back to Tampa Bay Live. You know, whether you're a snowbird, A Bay Area native, a tourist even spending time at the Manatee Viewing Center is always a special sight. So when the temperature drops, so does the water temperature in our beloved Florida manatees. They love that warm water and good for them. This water surrounding TECO's Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach stays at a nice and warm and cozy temperature really all year long. And that is why it is the perfect place. For the Manatee Viewing Center, which doesn't stay open all year long. Opening weekend is this weekend. And to talk more about that, we've got Jamie Woodley with the TECO Manatee Viewing Center. Thanks for joining us this morning. Quite welcome. We appreciate the invite. So, Jamie, we were talking. I mean, the Manatee Viewing Center. So I am kind of a Southern Hillsboro resident. And so when my family members come to town, I mean, this is one of the places I like to take them. I come from Michigan. So seeing a manatee is not just like a short drive away. So it is always a treat to see one manatee. But going to the viewing center, you get to see so many and you get to see the babies. I mean, this really is a special place for us to have just in our own backyard. It is, it's one of the few places you can go and see them in the wild and it's all free of charge. We open November 1st through April 15th, seven days a week, except Christmas, Thanksgiving, early on Christmas Eve. But it's an education facility set up to not just see manatees, but you're able to see all kinds of sort of an ecosystem. We have platforms and viewing platforms, education building, trails, a 50-foot tower. We've partnered with the Florida Aquarium and FWC, there's a turtle hospital on site, a fish hatchery on site, a youth conservation center on site. We have a raised touch tank on site. So there's a lot to do. And the great thing about it, we're celebrating our 40th anniversary this year. So never expected it to get this big, but it's definitely turned out to be a very popular place. Very popular. And Jamie, I want to ask you, I feel like you'd be the person to ask, is there a perfect water temperature that a manatee prefers it to be? Yeah, manatees aren't. Big and blubbery, like you think, they really only have about an inch of fat, so they get cold very easily, cold stressed. They handle 68 degrees water, nothing lower. They can only handle that for so long before they become sick. So when the bay temperature starts, bay temperature, not air temperature, when the bay temperature drops to in the low 70s, we'll start seeing them come in. Anything lower than that, they come here and congregate because they need the warm water. So we've even had manatees recently. I think they're coming to check us out because our temperatures have dropped in the evening. So we've had moms and babies and some adults come in and check us out to make sure we're still here. Yes, and you guys are still there. I mean, still open and also what's so special is still free. I mean, I hope that's something that's not lost on you guys because in a year, 2026, where there are so many wonderful family places that are behind a paywall. The Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach remains free, and I hope that's not something that's lost on you guys. I think that's also a special piece of this, that this unique and educational place is free and open to the public. And we have, when we first opened, that was the idea to do something to give back to the public. And it started out really small, and then it turned into a state and federal sanctuary. It was one of the few places you could come and see it. So it's just gotten bigger and grown more, and it's great that we can still offer it for free. Absolutely. So for people who don't know the background, In the story of the viewing center, I feel like there's a question that I should ask you, what came first, the chicken or the egg? Was the viewing center first because you knew the manatees would come there eventually or were the manatees there so you built the viewing center? Well, what happens is whenever you create warm water, which our power plant does, we use cold water from the other side. We use it to cool the system down. The warm water gets discharged on this side. And when manatees would come with our first few units, but when four went in, it created a lot more hot water. So more and more manatees started showing up. Basically, the power plant came first and then the manatees followed. Followed. Okay, you know, that does make sense when you take two seconds to think about it. Opening weekend, it is opening weekend, opens on Sunday. I know that obviously there are the manatees to go there and view and enjoy. Personally, I love seeing the babies, but there's a lot more to see than just the manatees there, right? Right. And we can't guarantee when the manatees are in and out because they're wild. They come and go as they please. But there's a lot of stuff to see. Same with the turtle hospital. It is a working turtle hospital. So we can't always guarantee there's turtles. I mean, it's good to see them, but it's good that they're not there. There's no injuries or sickness. But, you know, the trails, the tower, other wildlife that they can see, the education building, there's a movie, there's a sandbox for the kids to, you know, play in, The raised tank. Lots and lots to do. Wear comfortable shoes, be willing to walk around because it is a walking facility. And again, we are celebrating our 40th anniversary, so there'll be some different things going on throughout the season. The first three Saturdays of December, there'll be a little bit more going on, but we're kind of just stretching it through the whole season so that everybody can And I know that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has a fish hatchery that is open to the public. Can you talk us through the specifics, the details of that? A little bit so. The fish hatchery is not up and running fully, but they have received some fish. And what they're going to do is they are going to take redfish and spotted trout and they're going to grow them. They're going to breed them there and eventually release A lot back into the Bay Area Sarasota area throughout the Florida area. So and we'll see how that goes if they find that we've been told if they find that there's more things that they can do or more types of fish that they can do maybe eventually they will. But right now their plan is to raise redfish and trout. Okay Jamie, I wanna make sure, sorry, I'm just gonna wanna make sure that people, we haven't said this yet, the address. How can you get through the whole interview and not talk about the address? Where is it? The Manatee Viewing Center is at 6990 Dickman Road in Apollo Beach, right beside the power plant. We have trails that will take you throughout the facility down to our overflow parking lot. If you park at our overflow parking lot, we have golf cart transportation that will take you down to the Turtle Hospital. It'll be. Youth Conservation Center and also the Fish Hatchery. So there's some walking, there is possibility of some riding. And again, it just depends on what you want to see and how long you want to stay. You could stay for 10 minutes or you could stay for two hours. Jamie, we always want to stay for two hours. We want to see everything. We want to walk everywhere. Yeah, if you're going to come, come see it all. It's well worth it. And I know this wasn't part of my official talking points, but do you have that little snack bar over there too? I do want to shout out the hot chocolate. Yes, we do. It's small, but it's mighty. Yes, ma'am. Small, but mighty. Yeah. So we offer an array of things, more kind of things that you would give to your kids at home. So it's not a real fancy, but it provides what you need. Absolutely. Okay. And then also, can you, I know you said it at the beginning, but can you remind us opening day is Sunday and how long does the viewing center stay open? We're open from November 1st through April 15th, seven days a week, 10 to 5. Again, wear comfortable shoes, comfortable clothing, shirts and shoes obviously required, no pets. We do allow official dogs. Yeah, just be ready to come and have a good time. Always a good time, the Vanity Viewing Center. Jamie Woodley, thank you so much for your time, and then have a great opening weekend. Hopefully I get to see you. Y'all have a good one. Thank you.