Outdoors
The Manatees Took the Scenic Route. Fifty Miles Inland.
Rangers at Myakka River State Park want your manatee sightings. Late summer rain pulls them up from Charlotte Harbor — more than 50 miles from the Gulf — and they've been showing up every fall since 2012.
Most people look for manatees where the Gulf meets the grass flats. Right now the smarter search is Myakka River State Park, which sits across Sarasota and Manatee counties and is nowhere near a beach towel.
Bay News 9 reported today that park rangers are asking visitors to help document manatee sightings. Late-summer rain raises the river, and the animals push up from Charlotte Harbor more than 50 miles to feed on aquatic plants along the banks. Rangers first noted them in October 2008. They've returned every year since 2012. The sightings get shared with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
What to do if you see one
Watch from a distance. Binoculars beat a paddle. Don't chase, touch, or feed them — FWC's viewing guidance is the same inland as it is on the coast. Healthy sightings help researchers; sick, injured, entangled, or tagged animals should go straight to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.
Practical bits
The park is open 8 a.m. to sunset year-round. Entrance is $6 per vehicle (2–8 people) or $4 for a single-occupant car, per the Florida State Parks hours and fees page. Bring patience. The manatees are under the floating salad. They are not posing for your group chat.
I'll be the one on the boardwalk with empty pockets and a full thermos, pretending I meant to leave the beach to the tourists.
— Sandy
