Manatees in spotlight at WildlifePark in December
Guest article by Susan Strawbridge
With cooling temperatures wild manatees are seeking warmer waters such as springs and will soon be joining EllieSchillerHomosassaSpringsWildlifePark’s four resident manatees to enjoy the warmer waters of the park’s first-magnitude spring. The water temperature in the springis 74 degrees year round. On very cold mornings as many as 70 wild manatees have congregated in the spring.
The park is one of only a few places where you can see manatees up close and learn more about them at the daily educational programs. It also serves as a sanctuary and rehabilitation center for these gentle marine mammals. The park started this program in December 1983 when it brought in three manatees named Rosie, Beverly and Beauregard. Beverly and Beauregard were released back to the wild after recovering at the park. Rosie is a permanent resident since she could not successfully survive in the wild. Through the years many manatees have found refuge and care here and most have been successfully returned to the wild. For all these reasons, the park is celebrating December as Manatee Month.
In addition to displays in the main entrance and Visitor Center on US 19 and in the recently reopened Discovery Center inside the park, the park will be hosting the Save the Manatee Club for a special holiday Manatee Adoption event on Saturday, December 19, 2015. By adopting a manatee you will become a member of the Save the Manatee Club and help this endangered species. You’ll also receive an adoption certificate for the manatee you choose to adopt with a full-color photo and biography. As a member you’ll also receive The Manatee Zone newsletter with updates on your manatee and Paddle Tales the club’s e-newsletter. Memberships fund manatee rescue, rehabilitation, and release efforts, education and public awareness projects and conservation work to protect manatees and their habitat.
Also Barbara Cairns willbe presenting a Wildlife Jeopardy program on Florida’s manatees on Saturday, December 19, 2015, starting at 12 Noon in the Discovery Center. This half-hour program uses a 20-question “Jeopardy-style” format and is geared for young and old alike.
Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is currently home to four female manatees: Rosie, Ariel, Lorelei and Electra who can be seen year round at the park.
Rosie has been in captivity since 1968 and is described as the “Matriarch” of the springs by the park staff. She was brought to Homosassa Springs from Marsh Island Marineland in December 1983. She is known to be very gentle, and she often looks after the younger manatees at the park.Rosie is estimated to be 47 years old.
Ariel was just two weeks old when she was rescued with her mother Amanda on Christmas Day 1973 and arrived at Homosassa Springs with her mother Amanda on July 14, 1986. She is a regular at manatee education programs, lifting her head out of the water to “smile” at the visitors.
Lorelei has been living at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park since 1994. She was born on May 3, 1975 at Miami Seaquarium and arrived at Homosassa Springs on July 14, 1986. She is very gentle and is often seen resting with the other manatees. However, she also like to “work out” on occasion – swimming from one end of the spring to the other.
Electra was born in the wild and rescued on December 13, 1998 after sustaining injuries in the wild which caused her to have difficulty swimming. She came to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in May 2000. She is doing very well in the spring water and has overcome any buoyancy problems she had.
The park’s ManateeCareCenter is a State-of-the Art facility including an in-ground pool and an above ground pool for the care of manatees that are recovering from Red tide, cold stress or who have been treated for injuries and are on the mend.
From November 15, when the gates are raised in the LongRiverBridge to allow wild manatee access to the main spring’s warm waters, through March 31st, Manatee programs are offered three times daily (11:30 am, 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm) alongside the ManateeCareCenter. The remainder of the year from April 1 through November 14 the programs take place alongside the main spring and Fish Bowl underwater observatory.
In other news at the park, preparations are well underway for the annual Celebration of Lights seven-evening event featuring a synchronized light and music show by Sebastian Hawes, different holiday entertainment featured nightly, refreshments and more. A non-denominational Christmas Eve service will be offered by the Nature Coast Community Church on the evening of December 24, 2015. The Celebration of Lights will be held the evenings of December 19 through Christmas Eve and will reopen on December 26 for an After-Christmas “Oldies” Party. For more information on the celebration of Lights, please call (352) 628-5343.
We invite you to enjoy the season and come out and enjoy meeting the park’s manatees and other wildlife, adopt a manatee, and join us for the Celebration of Lights.