Current:Home > MarketsHundreds of manatees huddle together for warmth at Three Sisters Springs in Florida: Watch -AssetLink
Hundreds of manatees huddle together for warmth at Three Sisters Springs in Florida: Watch
View
Date:2025-04-25 02:02:28
While the rest of the country may have laughed at Florida for being cold in 50-degree weather, manatees were cozying up to each other to escape the chilly waters.
A video from the Southwest Florida Water Management District posted on Friday shows hundreds of manatees speckling the shoreline of the Three Sisters Springs, located north of Tampa.
That shoreline was recently renovated to restore the habitat, which is critical for manatees seeking the warm waters from the spring, according to a post on the restoration project by the organization.
Three Sisters Springs is part of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, the only national wildlife refuge in the U.S. dedicated to protecting manatees.
Manatees in Florida:Viral video of manatee's living conditions feels like a 'gut punch,' sparks relocation from Florida facility
Why do manatees huddle together?
According to a post by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, aquatic mammals don't get heat from being so close together, but rather they are all trying to fit in the small springs where the water is warmer.
While the beloved sea cows may look cute all crowded together, that means they don't cuddle so much as huddle close to shore.
Manatees, native to Florida, deemed a threatened species
The Florida manatee is a large, gray aquatic mammal native to the region. They typically grow to be nine to 10 feet long and weigh approximately 1,000 pounds.
The Florida manatee was classified as an endangered species before its population reached more than 7,500 and it was reclassified as "threatened," meaning it still could become an endangered species in the near future.
Collisions with boats and loss of habitats that provide warm waters, like the one at Crystal River, threaten the manatee population. Many manatees are also struggling to find food.
"The loss of warm water refuges is seen as a serious long-term threat to the continued existence of the manatee," according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "Due to the inability to regulate their body temperature (thermoregulate) in cold water, cold stress is a serious threat to the manatee."
The big, blobby creatures are plant-eaters, often feeding on seagrass that has earned them the nickname, "sea cows."
Contributing: Jim Waymer, Florida Today
veryGood! (36)
Related
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- Audio of 911 calls as Maui wildfire rampaged reveals frantic escape attempts
- Louisiana governor’s race ignites GOP hopes of reclaiming position as Democrats try to keep it blue
- California Gov. Newsom signs law to slowly raise health care workers’ minimum wage to $25 per hour
- Beware of giant spiders: Thousands of tarantulas to emerge in 3 states for mating season
- AP PHOTOS: Scenes of grief and desperation on war’s 7th day
- Poland prepares to vote in a high-stakes national election with foreign ties and democracy at stake
- Evolving crisis fuels anxiety among Venezuelans who want a better economy but see worsening woes
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- Australians cast final votes in a referendum on whether to create an Indigenous Voice
Ranking
- PHOTO COLLECTION: AP Top Photos of the Day Wednesday August 7, 2024
- What are the rules of war? And how do they apply to Israel's actions in Gaza?
- LeVar Burton to replace Drew Barrymore as host of National Book Awards
- What to know about Elijah McClain’s death and the cases against police and paramedics
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Prosecutor files case against Argentina’s frontrunner Javier Milei days before presidential election
- A judge has declined to block parts of Georgia’s election law while legal challenges play out
- Israeli evacuation call in Gaza hikes Egypt’s fears of a mass exodus of refugees into its territory
Recommendation
US Open player compensation rises to a record $65 million, with singles champs getting $3.6 million
Parents of Michigan school shooter ask to leave jail to attend son’s sentencing
GOP quickly eyes Trump-backed hardliner Jim Jordan as House speaker but not all Republicans back him
Finding your place in the galaxy with the help of Star Trek
Tropical rains flood homes in an inland Georgia neighborhood for the second time since 2016
House Republicans are mired in chaos after ousting McCarthy and rejecting Scalise. What’s next?
Q&A: SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher reacts to Hollywood studios breaking off negotiations
2nd grand jury indicts officer for involuntary manslaughter in Virginia mall shooting