Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center Reopens for Season on...

Tampa Electric's award-winning Manatee Viewing Center opens Saturday for the season.

"The Manatee Viewing Center is a place where people can experience the wonders of Florida up close, and see manatees in the wild," said Stan Kroh, manager of Land and Stewardship Programs for Tampa Electric. "It gives everyone a chance to connect with nature and see what environmental stewardship really looks like in action."

The Manatee Viewing Center is the anchor attraction of Tampa Electric's Florida Conservation and Technology Center (FCTC), a 500-acre campus in Apollo Beach, adjacent to the company's Big Bend Power Station. The campus is home to a number of partners whose important research and educational outreach support and conserve Florida's unique ecosystem. In addition to Tampa Electric, the partners include The Florida Aquarium, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the University of Florida.

Since the early 1970s, manatees have sought cold-water refuge in the clean, warm water canal of Tampa Electric's Big Bend Power Station whenever Tampa Bay's temperature drops to 68 degrees or below. Sometimes, hundreds gather in this state and federally designated manatee sanctuary. About 190 manatees have been documented visiting the Manatee Viewing Center's canal for more than 20 years - one remarkable manatee has returned for a record 42 years!

Later in the season, visitors also can meet the rays, animals that rely on a healthy Tampa Bay ecosystem - and even touch them gently as they glide past in the touch tank. Repairs to the rays' touch tank, which was damaged in the 2024 hurricane season, are nearly complete. Guests can hike the nature trail and take in the vistas from the 50-foot observation tower.

Each season, the center draws nearly 400,000 visitors - for a total of more than 7 million. Admission and parking at the Apollo Beach facility are free. And the boardwalks are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act for our guests' convenience.

The Manatee Viewing Center welcomes visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day from Nov. 1 through April 15, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, when it is closed. On Christmas Eve, the facility closes early at 3 p.m. Comfortable shoes and clothing are recommended. Please note that no pets are allowed, only trained service animals.

Visit the center online at TampaElectric.com/Manatee or call 813-228-4289 for more information.

Tampa Electric, one of Florida's largest investor-owned electric utilities, serves more than 860,000 customers in West Central Florida. Tampa Electric is a subsidiary of Emera Inc., a geographically diverse energy and services company headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.