Apollo Beach, Florida: Power Station Manatees

They are fully open, now. It's a very busy place, I must say. There were no manatees on our day in early January 2022, but plenty of other wildlife and fish. It's operated by the the local power company and well run. Lots of families, kids and school groups. Donations in various places accepted.

Due to Covid-19, they are not opening the Viewing Center this year. This is our favorite part of our town and and we are sad to see it closed.

Even if you don't see any manatees, there's lots of wildlife: birds, rays, sharks, tarpon, snook, etc. Nice facility and it's free!

The day I visited, the chubby sea cows were out in full force, lollygagging around in the warm water of the power plant. I counted close to 50 of them. This place is great. The boardwalk takes you right out into the inlet and you are looking at these creatures up close. Signage is abundant and a museum on site tells you everything you ever wanted to know about manatees.

A small cafe is on site and the gift shop is open daily. It is a surprisingly fun and offbeat place to be, and it's free!

This is the second time we have been here and I love it. You can watch the manatees floating around the power station and also see numerous varieties of fish and fowl. Another plus is the cost: free! There is a gift shop, several photo ops, a small museum, and plenty of volunteers to answer questions. Worth taking the kids to see.