Current:Home > FinanceHundreds of manatees huddle together for warmth at Three Sisters Springs in Florida: Watch -MarketStream
Hundreds of manatees huddle together for warmth at Three Sisters Springs in Florida: Watch
View
Date:2025-04-16 05:53:50
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! (75248)
Related
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- How Google is using AI to help one U.S. city reduce traffic and emissions
- Multiple children killed in Tuesday night fire after Connecticut house 'engulfed in flames'
- See the Best Fashion Looks to Ever Hit the Golden Globes Red Carpet
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Last remaining charge dropped against Virginia elections official
- Jimmy Kimmel Fires Back at Aaron Rodgers Over Reckless Jeffrey Epstein Accusation
- Penguins line up to be counted while tiger cub plays as London zookeepers perform annual census
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Bangladesh court sentences Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to 6 months in jail for violating labor laws
Ranking
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Japan police arrest a knife-wielding woman inside a train after 4 people are reported injured
- Amateur Missouri investigator, YouTube creator helps break decade-old missing person cold case
- Vigil held to honor slain Muslim boy as accused attacker appears in court in Illinois
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Flood recovery, public safety, opioid crisis and housing are Vermont Legislature’s top priorities
- Flood recovery, public safety, opioid crisis and housing are Vermont Legislature’s top priorities
- Starbucks will now allow customers to order drinks in clean, reusable cups from home
Recommendation
Trump's 'stop
A Texas father and son arrested in the killings of a pregnant woman and her boyfriend
A message from the plants: US is getting a lot warmer, new analysis says
US job openings fell slightly in November but remain high by historic standards
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
LG Electronics partnering with West Virginia to advance renewable energy, telehealth businesses
What does 'lowkey' mean? The slang that helps you describe things subtly.
Why Fans Think Kendall Jenner & Bad Bunny Reunited After Breakup