Check out this great view of underwater manatees live! This underwater camera dives into Homosassa Springs to open a window into the crystal-clear Florida water where Florida’s most beloved aquatic mammal, the West Indian manatee, swims with a jubilee of fish through crystal-clear water.
Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park provides a year-round sanctuary and home to three permanent resident manatees that cannot be released back into the wild due to injuries. The park also serves as a rehabilitation facility for manatees with injuries or illness before release.
When To Watch the Underwater Manatee Cam
In the winter months (November 15th – April 1st), the three permanent residents are in a different area of the park and a gate connecting the spring to the river allows wild manatees to use the spring as a warm-water sanctuary.
Between April 1st – November 15th, the gate is closed and the permanent resident manatees enjoy the spring and can be seen on the webcams. Since they are permanent captives, the manatees are being fed romaine lettuce and other vegetables by park staff. (Please note: It is illegal to feed manatees in the wild.)
Through this lens, viewers can get up close to these gentle giants and enjoy the serene sights and sounds of the springs. The park’s natural freshwater spring bowl remains a constant 72-degree temperature year-round. The three permanent resident manatees – Ariel, Electra, and Betsy – are in Save the Manatee Club’s Adopt-A-Manatee® program.
Save the Manatee Club’s Adopt-A-Manatee ®
Save the Manatee Club is an award-winning national nonprofit 501(c)(3) and membership-based organization established in 1981 by renowned singer/songwriter, Jimmy Buffett, and former U.S. Senator, Bob Graham, when he was governor of Florida.
Their mission is to protect manatees and their aquatic habitat for future generations. The live webcams at the protected warm water winter sanctuary at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and Blue Springs State Park will give viewers from around the world the chance to observe manatees and other species in their natural habitat.
To learn more, visit their website, savethemanatee.org/adopt.
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