Manatees in Lee County seek refuge from cold at Manatee Park

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—Dozens of manatees have already died this year because of cold stress, prompting many to seek refuge at Manatee Park in Lee County.

The park, located off Palm Beach Boulevard on the Orange River between Tice and Fort Myers Shores, has become a safe haven for manatees escaping cold temperatures. They gather near the Florida Power and Light plant because of the warm water it provides.

Manatees can die from cold stress when they're exposed to water temperatures below 68 degrees. Last year, cold weather, along with red tide and watercraft crashes, were the most common reasons for manatee deaths.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 58 manatees died in Lee County in February. Fourteen of those deaths were cold-related, but 39 were not necropsied.

In Collier County, eight manatee deaths were reported, with FWC saying four were from the cold. There have also been three manatee deaths in Charlotte County, two in Hendry County and one in Glades County.

Denise Boyd, an assistant research scientist with FWC's Marine Mammal Program, said it's difficult to predict when manatee rescues and deaths from cold weather will end.

"This is a little bit harder to predict because it's not similar to the last cold that I experienced in 2010-2011, so it seems to have slowed down for the mortalities but has increased for the rescues," Boyd said. "I don't want to make any predictions. I'm hoping we're nearing the end but it's too hard to tell."

Barbara Hays, a Naples resident, expressed concern for the manatees' survival.

"I'm just hoping they can find some way to find some warmth in the water so that they can continue to survive," Hays said. "I knew with the cooler weather they would be struggling."