Visitors come to this warm water viewing center to see manatees, an endangered species of marine mammals. Open Nov 1 - April 15
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4.5/5 · 3,006 reviews
5-star
75%
4-star
15%
3-star
4%
2-star
2%
1-star
4%
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Jan 18, 2025
It’s free so nothing to lose and close to i75 definitely worth a stop if you’re passing by nice wee gift shop also and many great walking paths and viewing towers. Full review by id100
Jan 12, 2025
We took the opportunity of a cold Florida day to see the manatees at the Big Bend power plant. We were not disappointed, the volunteers estimated there were around 1000 manatees in the channel that d… Full review by SRQScottie
Jan 1, 2025
Well worth a visit. This place has loads of parking and it is well staffed and well set out. Viewing platforms are large and we saw lots of manatee. We were even luck enough to see the manatee rescue… Full review by sally M
Wondering if it’s a long walk from the parking area to the viewing area. One of us has a very bad ankle
A:
It depends on the parking you get. They do have lots of handicap parking which is very nice. If you don’t have that you will park somewhere on the road wherever you find a …
It depends on the parking you get. They do have lots of handicap parking which is very nice. If you don’t have that you will park somewhere on the road wherever you find a place. Of course day of the week you go will make a big difference if it’s a school day or weekend.
is this not open in summer because the manatees go elsewhere?
A:
The Manatees leave the warm water of the Power Plant and head out to the cooler waters of the bay and beyond. During the winter months they come into the power plant outlet …
The Manatees leave the warm water of the Power Plant and head out to the cooler waters of the bay and beyond. During the winter months they come into the power plant outlet canals to warm up. You can see a couple of Manatees at Mott Aquarium in Sarasota also.
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