Hundreds of manatees bask in the warm water, to the delight of Manatee Viewing Center guests.
A power company and manatees may seem like an odd mix.
But Tampa Electric’s bond with manatees and our commitment to help protect them spans decades – and continues to get stronger.
Our unusual relationship began in the 1970s, when we discovered the gentle giants lounging near our Big Bend Power Station. In the winter months, they are attracted to the clean, cozy warm waters created from cooling the power plant.
In the 1980s, we built our Manatee Viewing Center (MVC) so the public could safely enjoy the manatees’ annual pilgrimage.
A system of observational platforms now make it easy for visitors to see these remarkable creatures from multiple vantage points.
The Manatee Viewing Center’s grand opening was celebrated in December 1986.
Today, at what is now a state and federally designated manatee sanctuary, manatees sometimes congregate by the hundreds. In fact, about 190 manatees have been repeat visitors to the Manatee Viewing Center for more than 20 years, and one old-timer has returned for a record 42 years!
“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, Tampa Electric’s manager of Land and Stewardship Programs. “It gives everyone a chance to connect with nature and see what environmental stewardship really looks like in action.”
Speaking of action: Each season, our free attraction draws nearly 400,000 human visitors – about 7 million to date!
Opening the Manatee Viewing Center was just the beginning of our powerful bond with manatees. Here are other ways we help protect the threatened species:
- Rehabilitated manatees are frequently released at the MVC, thanks to our special release accommodations – such as ample space for manatee-transporting trucks and a sloped release pathway – and partnerships with rescue and rehabilitation organizations.
- The MVC includes an educational center with interactive exhibits and important information on the dangers manatees face and how to help keep them safe.
- Our Polk Power Station has a reclaimed water treatment system that improves water quality, which is essential for seagrass growth – a manatee’s favorite snack.
- Because manatees love to eat seagrass, we’ve begun a seagrass restoration project in the water near the MVC. The project could restore up to five acres of seagrass.
- The MVC is the anchor attraction of Tampa Electric’s Florida Conservation and Technology Center (FCTC), a 500-acre campus that’s home to a number of partners whose important research and educational outreach support and conserve Florida’s unique ecosystem. Our partners include The Florida Aquarium, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the University of Florida.
- Our award-winning Newman Branch Creek Living Shoreline/Tidal Creek Restoration project was completed in 2025. The project is a fantastic example of environmental stewardship on acreage owned by Tampa Electric, adjacent to FCTC. The project literally “shored up” 575 linear feet of steep banks to prevent additional erosion andcreated a new tidal creek system to provide habitat for fish and oyster colonization.
It's no wonder that for the past three years, the MVC was voted the #2 best free attraction in the country by the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel awards.
