February 4, 2015
Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
A swarm of more than 300 manatees forced officials at the US Fish and Wildlife Service to temporarily close Three Sisters Springs in Florida, according to various media reports.
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Credit: WTSP |
Manatees, also known as sea cows, are large marine mammals that are primarily herbivorous. They can be up to 13 feet (4 meters) in length and weigh up to 1,300 pounds (590 kilograms). We’ll refrain from any ‘Your Mom’ jokes.
An average of 65 manatees typically enter the Citrus County springs during cold weather.
However, according to WTSP News in Tampa, nearly five times that many moved into the interior of the springs sometime around noon on Monday. Volunteers on Tuesday counted a total of 293 manatees there as of 1:00 pm ET, and over 300 were there by 1:30 pm ET.
As a result, the USFWS declared that Three Sisters Springs would be temporarily closed, and the agency said that it would continue to monitor the situation. Officials reopened the area Tuesday, but said that it would close again if the rising of the tides caused another mass influx of manatees, according to USA Today.
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