Florida manatees rebound to record-breaking winter numbers

ORANGE CITY, Fla. - After years of dwindling numbers for Florida manatees, wildlife officials say numbers are bouncing back thanks to continued efforts by the state.

"Florida’s manatee population continues to strengthen because of our record investments in manatee protection programs and water quality improvements," said Governor Ron DeSantis during a news conference at Blue Springs State Park in Orange City. "I am grateful for FWC for their proactive rescue and rehabilitation efforts."

In 2021, FWC officials reported a loss of around 1100 manatees. The following year, another 800 reportedly died.

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In January, Blue Spring State Park saw a record 932 manatees seeking warm waters in the spring, beating their previous record on New Year’s Day of 736 manatees. A record number of manatees also sought warmth at Tampa's TECO Manatee Viewing Center this winter, with around 1100 seen bathing in the warm waters this winter.

File: Manatee

During his address, Governor DeSantis proudly touted that 2023 marked Florida's lowest manatee mortality rate since 2017.

Manatees are herbivores who maintain diets of mostly seagrass and other aquatic plants. 

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Environmental experts say the lush food sources Florida manatees were used to grazing on were starting to disappear, and officials worried that the famed sea cows wouldn't be far behind.

Governor DeSantis laid out how the state prioritized funding for manatees and water quality improvements to enhance manatee habitats on Tuesday, by investing over $50 million in manatee programs and more than $1.8 billion in water quality improvements since 2019.

Manatees find refuge in the warm waters of Blue Spring located at Blue Spring State Park in Volusia County, Florida, in a 2015 file image. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

In recent years, Governor DeSantis has approved more than $50 million for manatee protection, expanding and enhancing manatee rescue and rehabilitation efforts and providing habitat restoration for areas where manatees are highly concentrated.

The state has also invested $325 million to restore Florida’s world-renowned springs which serve as an important manatee habitat when the animals seek warmer waters in the wintertime.