Sunday, June 12, 2011

Manatee Park



Opened in 1996, this 17 acre Regional Park is built and operated through a cooperative effort of partners & sponsors. Since opening in 1996, Manatee Park has become an outdoor classroom for visitors of all ages.  A wide variety of plants and animals can be seen while walking through the native plant habitats and beautiful butterfly garden. While small in size, Lee County’s 17 acre Manatee Park provides environmental programs for more than 100,000 visitors annually.  During the cool winter months when the temperature of the Gulf of Mexico and rivers drops below 
68 degrees F, the endangered Florida manatee seeks refuge from the cold waters by swimming 
into the Florida Power and Light warm water discharge canal.  This non-captive manatee sanctuary provides a winter haven for these warm-blooded native mammals that live, feed and raise their young year round in the fresh, brackish or saltwater coastal areas of Florida.   




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