The Wandering Disciple

A manatee statue donning pirate attire stands along the walking path of Manatee Park asking visitors to surrender their booty to help preserve the park. This relatively small park draws a rather large crowd in the winter months as dozens of West Indian Manatees seek refuge from the colder Gulf Waters. As the Gulf water temps dip below 68 degrees, the manatees migrate to warmer waters like the Orange River here by the power plant in Fort Myers. December through February are the best time to see these lovable sea cows here at the park. (Photo: January 30, 2015)

A rabbit nibbles on the greens along the walking path at Manatee Park in Fort Myers.  Usually the manatees steal the show at the park but the warm gulf waters are making land animals, like this rabbit, the center of attention.  (Photo: December 19, 2015)

Fort Myers, Florida: Every year as the Gulf water temperatures drop below 68 degrees, manatees look for warm shallow waters to spend the winter in such as the ones found at Manatee Park. This seventeen acre park locate on the Orange River was opened by Lee County in 1996. It features a pathway along the canal with several observation shelters to view the manatees. It also has a vast butterfly garden along the way. The manatees can be found in high numbers in late December through February as the temperatures drop in the Gulf of Mexico. As the manatees come, so do the visitors so be prepared for large crowds. The weather in Florida has been rather warm this winter and the Gulf temps are still in the 70’s so there were no manatees visible during our visit. However we did see a rabbit, a black snake and a bunch of butterflies. Manatee Park is located at 1901 Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers. It is open daily from dawn to dusk. There is no admission charge however there i...