300 Manatees Shut Down Florida Hot Spring for Slow, Gentle Sea Cow Rager
Hundreds of manatees, the Andrew W.K.s of the sea, turned up at a Florida hot spring this week in such great numbers that the water had to be closed to humans for more than a day while they got their mellow, listless sea cow party on.
More than 300 manatees swam into Three Sisters Springs, located in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, all at once, setting a new record for the area and causing what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service called "a traffic jam."
The springs are the spot for Florida's manatees all winter, because they're warmer than the open water and not infested with dangerous boats.
"No aquatic vegetation remains in the spring. It was grazed out months ago. Most manatees have to go far into Kings Bay or out to the Gulf to feed," the USFWS wrote on Facebook.
While it's great that these manatees have a dedicated wildlife refuge/party house, seeing this many of them in the area at once isn't necessarily a good sign. It's partially due to stronger conservation efforts, but also a result of habitat destruction in other parts of the state, a guide at the springs told USA Today.
