[Cincinatus' Wife]

Interesting blog about "Power Plant Manatees" - ***....The Tampa Electric Company is a power plant. It makes electricity from coal. In the process, water is heated so hot it makes steam. To cool the steam back down, the Tampa Electric Company pumps in cool sea water from the bay. After the sea water cools the steam back into water, the sea water has warmed up and is returned to the bay.

And the manatees like to swim in this warmed up water! This is the warm water discharge from the power plant. The warm water goes into a canal right next to the power plant. In 1986 the state of Florida declared this canal to be an official manatee sanctuary. It is a winter haven for migrating manatees.

Boats and people are not allowed in this canal. The manatees are safe here. They can't be hit by boats or disturbed by people in any way. They can rest in the canal and stay warm. They cannot eat here because there aren't any plants for them at the bottom of the canal. But the power company provides two water hoses for them. The hoses are hung out over the canal and the manatees will drink out of the hoses.....****

A good place to find manatees in Tampa is at the Tampa Electric Company power plant. The warm water coming from the power plant attracts manatees trying to warm up!

The manatee observation platform at TECO. School students and families can come here to see the manatees.

Manatee observation trip at the Florida Power and Lignt Indian River Lagoon Power plant. Joe's making friends with the native below.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

This reminds me of the caribou that hang out at oilfields in Alaska.

And it reminds me of the bears walking on the pipeline in Alaska.

[Joe Boucher]

Manatees are not native but like cows were used for food.
Like many species placed on the "endangered list" keeping them safe by restricting habitat usage often is overdone and is a pain in the rear.

[sgtbono2002]

The Manatees found the warm water, when it goes they will look for something else.

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

We get to read the same articles every year. Nothing new.

[Incorrigible]

 

[Roccus]

Bumper sticker material

"SAVE A MANATEE, BUILD A POWER PLANT"

[MarkL]

We're worried about manatees? Heck, with the money they make as writers of "Family Guy," they can damn well afford to buy a place anywhere they want!

Mark

[Elsie]

Al Gore: if what you want is implemented, the poor manatees will suffer!

[vigilante2]

but I thought the oceans were getting warmer?

[Elsie]

A 95-year-old plant in Fort Pierce that once attracted as many as 49 manatees will close next year.

We now return you to your regular scheduled programming...

Oh; if you guys have EVOLVED to match the warmer water, too bad: evolve back or DIE!