Thanks to all of our visitors, docents, volunteers and supporters for a great 2007-08 season. Among the season’s many highlights, the Newman Branch Fisheries Habitat Restoration Project was given an Award of Excellence from the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission during their 26th Annual Community Design Awards ceremony.
An environmental education facility like no other, the Manatee Viewing Center reopens for the public November 1, 2008. You can experience a tidal walkway showcasing vibrant Florida plants and birds, butterfly gardens, our educational building, and – when the water temperature of Tampa Bay falls below 68 degrees Fahrenheit – manatees. No pets, please, but service dogs are permitted. Admission and parking are free!
The Manatee Viewing Center is home to a 40-panel, 7,000-watt photovoltaic (PV) solar panel array. Installed atop the Center's education building, visitors can see this impressive system from the main parking lot and learn more about how solar power is generated. Visit the solar page to learn about Tampa Electric's other PV array installations.
Chart this PV array’s hour-by-hour output.
For more than 20 years, visitors of all ages have enjoyed the Manatee Viewing Center, an ecological gem tucked among the mangroves beside the discharge canal of Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station. This canal is where manatees gather in numbers that can top 300 when the temperature of Tampa Bay drops below 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Manatee Viewing Center is open to the public from November 1 through April 15. During its operational season, the center is open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving, at 3 p.m. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Easter). When the center is open, make your reservations here for your class or group to visit the Manatee Viewing Center. Pets are not allowed, but service dogs are permitted. For more information, call (813) 228-4289.
Directions to get to the Manatee Viewing Center.
During its operational season, the Manatee Viewing Center features two Web cameras that you can control from home. Check back on November 1, 2008, when the cameras will be back online.
The center features an Environmental Education Building where you'll get a chance to learn about the manatee's biological characteristics and habitat.
The Manatee Viewing Center is proud to feature free parking and admission for its guests. Any donations you choose to make to the center are greatly appreciated and go directly toward the purchase and maintenance of educational exhibits and publications that can help teach more visitors about the manatee and the many animals and plants that share its habitat.
