How many manatees use Blue Spring throughout the year?
Manatees frequent Blue Spring Run at any time of the year. However, the most intensive use occurs during the colder months of each year, when manatees seek warm-water refuge. Manatees seek refuge in the warmer waters of the Blue Spring Run when the temperature of the river drops below 68°F (20°C). Manatees typically begin congregating in the spring run in November and leave in March, which is referred to as the “manatee season.” Manatees typically leave the run each day to feed in the St. Johns River. No food resources are available to the manatees in Blue Spring Run. Manatee use of Blue Spring Run as a winter warm-water refuge has increased dramatically since 1978, when routine manatee counts were begun. Based on counts performed for daily surveys, the maximum number of manatees observed on a single day during the manatee season has increased nearly seven-fold, from 28 in 1978 to 182 during the 2005 manatee season.
