In cold weather, Lee County's Manatee Park heats up

LEE COUNTY, Fla — There aren't a lot of things to do in Southwest Florida on the rare occasions it gets cold. But Manatee Park is certainly a favorite.

Click here to see how the park fills up when the weather gets cold:

The Lee County park is a non-captive, warm water refuge for the Florida Manatee, especially when the Gulf is below 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Manatees are drawn to this spot along the Orange River where warm water is released from a nearby Florida Power and Light power plant.

And you can click here to see a live camera of the park.

The park is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to dusk. It's located at 10901 State Road 80 in Fort Myers. They also have kayak and canoe rentals available. Call 239-481-4600 for the gift shop.