TECO's Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach Opens 40th Season With Turtle Habitat, Permanent Ray Tank

Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach opened for its 2026-27 season on Sunday, Nov. 1, marking its 40th anniversary with a permanent home for its cownose rays, a new freshwater turtle habitat and public access to a state fish hatchery on the grounds. Admission and parking remain free, and the center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 15, when the warm-water canal next to TECO's Big Bend Power Station becomes a winter refuge for hundreds of Florida manatees.

The center draws nearly 400,000 visitors each season and has welcomed more than 8.7 million people since it opened, according to TECO figures reported by FOX 13. Last season, on one very cold day, a record 2,100 manatees crowded into the discharge canal at the same time.

What's new this season

TECO announced several additions and upgrades for the anniversary season, according to FOX 13:

• Cownose rays now live permanently in the center's touch tank instead of being moved out for the summer. In the off-season, they serve as animal ambassadors for summer campers.
• A new freshwater turtle habitat with underwater viewing at the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center on the property.
• Public access to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's fish hatchery on site.
• A new shaded shelter for tram pickup near the south end of the parking lot.
• New solar-powered charging tables replacing units damaged by hurricanes.
• Improvements to the Tom Hernandez Clean Energy Center, scheduled during the season.

Stan Kroh, TECO's manager of Land and Stewardship Programs, has overseen the center for more than two decades. He said the center has always been "a special place where people can experience the wonders of Florida up close," and that visitors get "a chance to connect with nature and see environmental stewardship in action."

Why manatees come to Apollo Beach

Florida manatees cannot tolerate cold water for long. When Tampa Bay's water temperature falls to about 68 degrees or below, manatees seek out warmer refuges, and since the early 1970s many have gathered in the discharge canal at Big Bend, according to TECO.

The power plant draws water from Tampa Bay for cooling and returns it to the bay warmer than it came in, creating a warm pocket of water in winter, WFLA reported. Jamie Woodlee, an operations administrator with TECO, told WFLA that manatees "actually can become cold stressed and sick, so they start seeking out warmer water."

The canal and surrounding waters are a state and federal manatee sanctuary. The center's origins trace back to that designation: after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission closed the waterway beside the plant to boats to protect the animals, people began gathering at the fence to watch them, and TECO responded by building a viewing area that started as a single platform and a trailer, according to WFLA.

The viewing center opened in 1986 and has grown from that first platform into a roughly 50-acre campus with boardwalks, exhibits and education buildings. Its attendance has climbed steadily along the way. In February 2020, FOX 13 reported that the center was about to welcome its 6 millionth visitor; with nearly 400,000 people coming through each season since then, the running total has now passed 8.7 million, according to TECO. Everything on the campus, from the trails to the museum exhibits and hands-on learning activities, is free, WFLA reported.

Many of the animals are regulars. TECO says about 190 manatees have been documented returning to the site for more than 20 years, and one has been coming back for more than 40 years, roughly as long as the center has existed.

What visitors can see and do

The center sits on TECO property off Dickman Road in Apollo Beach, in southern Hillsborough County. Visitors watch manatees from boardwalks and viewing platforms along the canal, and there is no guarantee of a sighting, since the animals come and go on their own. WFLA reported that the best time to visit is on a cold, sunny day, when manatees pack into the warm water.

Beyond the canal, the campus includes a nature trail, a 50-foot observation tower overlooking Tampa Bay, exhibits on Florida's natural environment, and the touch tank where visitors can gently touch rays. Regular visitors told WFLA they also spot sharks and rays in the water, with one describing the experience as "like a real-life aquarium."

TECO recommends comfortable shoes and clothing, and trained service animals are allowed. Season details at a glance:

The bigger picture for Florida manatees

Warm-water sites such as Big Bend matter because cold snaps are one of the main natural threats to manatees. Power plant outfalls, natural springs and deep canals serve as winter refuges along both of Florida's coasts.

Manatees were reclassified from endangered to threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2017, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. FWC asks anyone who sees an injured, sick, orphaned or dead manatee to call its Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922, or #FWC or *FWC from a cell phone.

Boaters in Tampa Bay should also watch for seasonal manatee protection zones. FWC posts slow-speed zones in many areas from mid-November through the end of March, when manatees concentrate near warm water. Speed rules vary by location, so boaters should check the posted signs.

What's next

The center's busiest days come with the first real cold fronts of the season, when bay water temperatures drop and manatees move into the canal in large numbers. National Weather Service forecasters are watching for a stronger cold front around Nov. 9 that could bring some of the coolest air of the autumn so far to Florida. Through the season, TECO also plans work on the Tom Hernandez Clean Energy Center. The center remains open daily, except on the listed holidays, through April 15.