16 Dec Manatee Viewing Center at Apollo Beach: A Must-Visit Attraction

One of the best places to see manatees in all of Florida is at the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach next to Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station. The warm (and clean) water surrounding the Big Bend Power Station attracts manatees, especially when the outside temperature drops to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (~20 Celsius) or below. Walk along the boardwalks to see manatees swimming in the water, take a stroll down the habitat trail to check out an array of wildlife and plants, or visit the environmental educational building to learn more about manatees and how to protect them. 

I have personally visited the Manatee Viewing Center multiple times, for I always make an effort to visit when I am in the Tampa Bay / Sarasota area. Why? Manatees are adorable, of course! That should be reason enough. But if you are not convinced yet, then keep reading – I am sure you will be starting to plan your visit by the end.

Contents:

1) Location

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee 

3) The Best Time to Visit

4) Quick Facts + FAQs

5) Manatee Facts

6) Attractions at the Manatee Viewing Center

7) Online Webcams 

1) Location of the Manatee Viewing Center

The Manatee Viewing Center is located on Dickman Road in Apollo Beach, Florida right beside the Big Bend Power Station (which is a subsidiary of Tampa Electric Company or TECO) . You might wonder why manatees gather around a power plant, but it is due to the warmer temperature of the water in the winter months. Big Bend uses water from the bay to cool down their machinery, and the water then returns to the bay clean and warmer than before.

For reference, the Manatee Viewing Center is 25 minutes south of Tampa or one hour north of Sarasota.

For another fun, family-friendly activity in the area, head to the Ringling Museum to learn all about the Ringling Brothers Circus. Additionally, check out this one day itinerary for Sarasota if you need some additional recommendations for things to do. 

Manatee Viewing Center Parking

There is a visitor parking lot right next to the Manatee Viewing Center. However, the parking lot can easily fill up at peak times. If you are struggling to find a spot when you visit, then head south approximately 0.25 miles (~0.4 kilometers) to the overflow parking. From the overflow parking, you can either walk the nature trail or hop on the free shuttle to head back to the main building.

As a note, there are often staff / volunteers present that can help direct you where to park during the busy seasons.

Spotting a manatee off the boardwalk

Nearby Lodging to Apollo Beach, FL

For nearby lodging, check out options in Apollo Beach. However, there are not too many options due to Apollo Beach being a smaller town. Most of the options available are condos or homes that are rented out on a nightly basis.

On the other hand, you can stay in the nearby city of Tampa. As you can imagine, there is no shortage of lodging options in Tampa. If you need to stick to a budget, check out The Citrus Guesthouse in Tampa. Otherwise, check out Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay if you are looking to shell out for a more luxurious experience. The hotel includes two pools, two restaurants, a fitness center, water views, and more.

Nearby Airports to Apollo Beach, FL

The closest airport to the Manatee Viewing Center is the Tampa International Airport (TPA) at 40 minutes northwest. The next closest airport is the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) at 50 minutes south. However, I want to note that traffic from Tampa is often worse than traffic from Sarasota, so keep that in mind.

Moreover, I recommend you rent a car from the airport if you have to fly into the area. While you can always use ride share services such as Uber or Lyft, renting a car for a few days will likely be cheaper than having to book multiple Uber rides (especially when you consider the rides to/from the airport).

View from the boardwalk out into the bay

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

The Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach is open from November 1st to April 15th from 10am to 5pm, with trails closing at 4pm. However, the viewing center is closed on the holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. For Christmas Eve, the hours are slightly reduced at 10am to 3pm. Additionally, the viewing center is completely closed from April 16th to October 31st.  

On a positive note, there are no entrance or parking fees for the Manatee Viewing Center in Florida. 

Thermostat showing the water temperature

3) The Best Time to Visit the Manatee Viewing Center

The best time to see manatees at the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach is in the winter season when temperatures are at their lowest, which is generally the months of December through February. More manatees tend to hang out in the area when the temperature is around or lower than 68 degrees Fahrenheit (~20 Celsius). If you are lucky, you might even see dozens or hundreds of manatees swimming out in the water at that time. 

However, it is also possible you will be a bit unlucky. I visited once in February when the temperature was in the low 70s Fahrenheit (~21 Celsius), and I only saw two manatees that day. On the other hand, I have also visited in December and saw dozens of manatees swimming around in the water. 

Estimated Visit Time

I would plan anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours for visiting the Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center at Apollo Beach. If you do not have much time and need to squeeze in a quick visit, then 30 minutes is enough time to go search for manatees out in the water. On the other hand, two hours gives you enough time to stroll down the boardwalk searching for manatees, check out the gift shop, pet a stingray, learn something new in the environmental education building, and walk along the habitat loop trail. 

A lone manatee swimming around

4) Quick Facts + FAQs

1. The Manatee Viewing Center is located in Apollo Beach, Florida next to Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station.

2. Opening hours for the Manatee Viewing Center are 10am to 4pm from November 1st through April 15th.

3. There are no admission or parking fees.

4. An average visit time is around two hours.

5. The Manatee Viewing Center has a variety of attractions, for example a boardwalk leading to the water for manatee viewing, gift shop, stingray exhibit, an environmental education building, and a short trail with an observation tower.

FAQs for the Manatee Viewing Center

Is the Manatee Viewing Center open? Yes, the Manatee Viewing Center is open daily from 10am to 4pm through the months of November 1st through April 15th.

Are dogs allowed at the Manatee Viewing Center? No, dogs or other pets are not allowed at the Manatee Viewing Center (except for service animals).

Can I swim with the manatees at the Manatee Viewing Center? No, unfortunately you cannot swim with the manatees. Nevertheless, you can view them from a boardwalk just above the water.

Are there nearby restaurants to the Manatee Viewing Center? Yes, there are a multitude of nearby restaurants along S Tamiami Trl / N US Highway 41, both north and south of the viewing center.

Can I volunteer at the Manatee Viewing Center? Yes, there are volunteer opportunities available! I recommend you reference the volunteer section on their website for more information. There are a few requirements / recommendations, but they promise the work will be incredibly rewarding.

Boardwalk at the Manatee Viewing Center

5) Manatee Facts

In Florida, the vast majority of manatees you see are subspecies of the West Indian manatee called the Trichechus manatus latirostris. However, there are two other manatee species you could possibly see in Florida, though the chances are a lot lower: (1) Amazonian manatee (2) African manatee.

The manatee’s nickname is the “sea cow” or the “gentle giant”. Manatees have an average length of 10 feet (~three meters) and weigh an average of 1,000 pounds (~454 kilograms). Additionally, you might be surprised to hear one of the manatee’s closest relatives is the elephant. 

Do you also want to see some alligators while in the state of Florida? Then head to Myakka River State Park. You might see one gator, two gators, or even dozens of gators if you are lucky.

Manatee Hair and Habits

Did you know that manatees boast a little bit of hair? While they have some hair scattered around their bodies, the majority of their hair is on their whiskers. The whiskers aid in searching for food. Manatees are herbivores, and thus they stick to aquatic vegetation for their meals. 

Every time I have seen a manatee swimming along, they are moving fairly slowly. However, a manatee can actually swim up to 20 mph (~32 kph). I am trying to imagine a manatee flying through the water at such a high speed. For reference, Michael Phelps swims at only about six mph (~9.7 kph). You can thus imagine Michael Phelps swimming three times as fast as his top speed, and only then would he match a manatee at its top speed. 

On the other hand, manatees sleep anywhere from two to 14 hours each day. When in this state, they only need to surface every seven to 20 minutes compared to every three to five minutes while awake and active. 

Protection of Manatees

On a sadder note, manatees are passing at a higher rate than in previous years. However, let this be motivation to us all to take better care of our environment and oceans. We will help protect the manatees in doing so. Manatees are considered a threatened species, and thus there are heavy punishments and fines for capturing or killing them. 

Amazon has a bunch of manatee items, including this manatee plush made of recycled water bottles. Kids (or adults) will love to snuggle up with the manatee, and you can support a company that is committed to environmental efforts.

Another manatee swimming through the water at the viewing center

6) Attractions at the Manatee Viewing Center

The Manatee Viewing Center not only provides the opportunity to see manatees, but also to learn about them and the dangers they face.

After your visit here, why not spend the rest of the day relaxing at the beach at Siesta Key? Siesta Key is known for having some of the most beautiful beaches in all of Florida.

Boardwalk

The main attractions at the Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center are the manatees themselves! You can walk along the boardwalk for the chance to see manatees swimming in the water. If at first you do not see any, be patient and wait to see if one comes up to the surface after a couple of minutes. Otherwise, you can ask around to see if anyone else spotted a manatee recently.

Moreover, the boardwalk is ADA compliant and 900 feet (~274 meters) long.  

Stingray Exhibit at the Manatee Viewing Center

Before you reach the boardwalk leading to the manatee viewing area, there is a stingray exhibit underneath the gift shop. A volunteer or employee should be in the area to explain everything you need to know related to safety as well as general information about stingrays. The best part about this exhibit? Visitors are welcome to put their hands in the water and pet a stingray. I have pet a stingray previously here. I remember it having a smooth, sleek texture. Please note, there is no splashing allowed in the stingray pool. 

Two manatees swimming side by side at the Manatee Viewing Center

Environmental Education Building

At the environmental education building you can learn all about manatees, their habitats, and the most pressing dangers facing their existence today. Additionally, detailed information is available concerning a few of the manatees in the area. 

To download activity or coloring sheets provided by the viewing center, visit their website.

Habitat Loop Trail

The Habitat Trail is an approximately 0.8 mile (~1.3 kilometer) loop trail, and it is free for the public to enjoy. The trail is mostly flat, and it is thus considered to be an easy trail. The average time needed to complete the trail is 20 minutes (though that does not include additional time needed for exploring). Signs along the trail distinguish the variety of plants and trees in the area. Additionally, remember to keep an eye out for any wildlife.

Furthermore, there is a boardwalk leading to a 50 foot (~15 meter) high observation tower around the middle point of the trail. Try to visit on a day with beautiful, clear skies so you can see the other side of Tampa Bay in the distance. 

Gift Shop at the Manatee Viewing Center

Pick up a manatee stuffed animal or other souvenir to remember your visit at the gift shop.

Tampa Electric Big Bend Power Station

7) Online Webcams

• East webcam: access link 
• West webcam: access link

Some are lucky enough to live close to the Manatee Viewing Center or can visit while on vacation in Florida. For those not in the area, you can still enjoy seeing manatees through a webcam on your computer or phone. 

The viewing center website has two webcams set up. One is on the east side of the boardwalk while the other is on the west side. Only one person can access the webcam at a time. Therefore, you will be put in a queue if someone is already utilizing it. When you have control of the webcam, you can move it around to try and spot some manatees. If no one is in the queue behind you, feel free to utilize the webcam for as long as you desire. If there is a queue, you will only have control for two minutes. 

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Happen to be in the Pittsburgh area anytime soon?: Riding the Monongahela Incline in Pittsburgh.

Or the wild and wonderful state of West Virginia?: Falls of Hills Creek Waterfall Trail.