Volusia County’s Blue Spring state park celebrates Manatee Monday

VOLUSIA, Fla. — Blue Spring State Park is celebrating Manatee Monday, announcing a current manatee count of 804!

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Blue Spring has been a major home for the gentle giants during the wintertime in Florida since becoming a protected state park in 1972,

This is because manatees need consistently warm water temperatures of 72 degrees to survive the colder water temperatures of winter.

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Blue spring has become such a haven for manatees that even during the summer months, pregnant manatees will return to the spring to give birth to calves.

In the future, more manatees will rely on natural, protected springs such as Blue Spring, especially as artificial warm water refuges from power plants will be shut down.

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