tampa electric manatee viewing center

We had been there previously and saw hundreds of manatees so we wanted to share the experience with our grandson who had never seen a manatee. Unfortunately there was NOT one manatee to be seen. We were very disappointed. The walkways are nice and enjoyed seeing butterflies in the butterfly garden.

Good thing it was free and we had time to spare. No manatees visible and the view was marred by a huge coal plant right next door. I wouldn't go back.

My husband and I took the in-laws here on the spur of the moment. We were all impressed by the cleanliness, how nicely planned it was and how much there was to do. They both have mobility issues and got around just fine and found lots of places to sit. We saw lots of manatees and fish and birds and butterflies. We all found something in the gift shop and enjoyed over two hours there. Very nice day!

We had seen manatee on occasion in the wild in Florida lagoons. Usually at distance. and we have paid for multi-hour boat excursions that were expensive in Ft Meyers only to get little or no sighting. This free park was the first time we saw this many gathered this close to a viewing area. Lounging in the warm lagoon adjacent to the warm water of power plant. Also taking in fresh water from the spring, and allowing fish to clean off debris off their bodies under the pier. Great free experience to see this many manatees gathered

We drove here from Tampa and it was worth the trip. Free to park and walk around. Nice viewing boardwalk right by the electric plant. Not that many manatees but enough to see. They were about 100' away but they surface every so often and you can see them really well. My son was here a couple of weeks ago and said it was loaded with manatee. Got some good pics. We also walked out on the long pier and saw plenty of fish and even dolphin. Saw some absolutely huge tarpon. Don't miss this if your in the area and like nature. The price was right, free! This is perfect for all age children.

This attraction is free and very well presented as a public service and is well worth a stop if in the area and interested in Manatees. It is only open in the winter months and the numbers of Manatees is directly related to the air and water temperatures. The manatees come here because of the warm water discharges from the power plant during the cooler months.The attraction includes elevated walkways, a nature walk, an indoor exhibit about Manatees, a small snack bar and a gift shop.

The FLP power station near Apollo Beach, FL is a big attraction to the manatees in winter when water temperature in Tampa Bay takes a drop below their preferred water temperature.Day we stopped by we saw at least ten of the giant giants casually swimming around the water discharge area. There is an elevated walkway that you walk along and that gives you a great view of the manatees.Was nice to see them to appreciate their size and gentleness. What an amazing diversity of animal life Florida is blessed with.

I came here thinking I might see one or two beached manatees, if I was lucky. First thing I saw was a few right under the boardwalk/viewing area. I thought hey, ok, cool. Then I looked out towards the bay. I stopped counting at a couple dozen. They spend most of their time underwater, but come up every few minutes to breathe. Cool to see, and you might also see waterfowl (we saw a Great Blue Heron fanning it's wings). It's free, so why not. Downside is, small parking area. It's also about 11 miles from the highway, so it's a little of a "boring" drive there.

Check it out if you get a chance. You can see not only Manatees which is really cool but also birds and fish. They even have a nice little picnic type area to spend a few hours with the kids.

The electric company does a phenomenal job with this exhibit. Well kept up, staff is friendly and knowledgeable. We see manatees each time we have gone. A great stop to see.

I didn't know anything about manatees before going to the manatee viewing center. My husband and I had an interesting visit and very much enjoyed spotting the manatees in the water. Guides were present to provide us with information.

I could not believe the number of manatees just relaxing in the warm waters of the power station. I was hoping to spot a couple but there were dozens within easy view. There are some great walks, a friendly but small cafe and a good gift shop.The viewing walkways were well designed and accessible but the staff shone out as sharing top billing with the manatee.A fantastic half day experience.

If you are looking to squeeze in one more site or if you just want to do something that doesn't take a lot of time this is a good choice for you. This is fun for people of all ages, but besides looking at the manatees there isn't much to do (so expect it to take only 1 hour to 1 and a half hours of your time max). But, you can definitely expect to see more manatees here at one time than you can anywhere else. The water is fairly clear so you get a great view and it truly is a sight to see. However, don't expect this to be an area with an empty skyline, because right next to the water is an Electricity Plant and it certainly dampens the magic.

Manatees are odd creatures and this is a good way to see them. We only visited the walkway over the water but we saw manatees under the boardwalk and many beyond in deeper water. Parking is limited but the turnover is quick since you'll probably be there less than an hour.

This is a free attraction and is incredible. We were so excited to see manatees in their natural habitat glide around. They are such interesting creatures and are very curious. You can spend a good hour there just walking around the decks viewing different manatees and fish swim around. We weren't expecting this attraction to be as fun as it was but boy were we wrong. It's definitely worth the drive. Manatees are slow but not quite as slow as we thought. There is information about the manatees as well which makes it an educational attraction as well as a fun and interesting one.