By LOIS KINDLE
TECO’s Manatee Viewing Center recently welcomed back The Florida Aquarium’s popular stingrays to Cownose Cove, much to the delight of seasonal visitors who have missed their absence of more than a year.
“We are happy to welcome the rays back home to the Manatee Viewing Center,” said Stan Kroh, manager of Land and Stewardship Programs for Tampa Electric. “Along with the manatees, they are beloved ambassadors of Tampa Electric’s environmental stewardship.”
Visitors can once again enjoy the up close, hands on experience with stingrays that’s made Cownose Cose a favorite stop at Manatee Viewing Center since 2016.
The rays were moved from the viewing center in the spring of 2024 and didn’t return that fall after Hurricanes Helene and Milton damaged their habitat’s life support system. The Florida Aquarium has since completed full repairs and added a new gel coat in the 8,300-gallon tank.
On Jan. 16, seven cownose rays were safely transported back to Cownose Cove, where they’ve been gliding through the water ever since. Visitors are once again enjoying the up close, hands on experience that’s made their habitat a favorite stop at the viewing center since 2016.
Touching the stingrays is safe because their barbs are trimmed four times a year. A husbandry team from The Florida Aquarium comes to the viewing center daily to feed the rays, monitor them and maintain the tank.
“It’s a great time to visit, said Lauren Gomez, the center’s administrator of education and outreach. “The weather’s perfect, the rays are back and so are the manatees.”
Jamie Woodlee, its operations administrator, agrees.
“The rays have been such a great addition,” she said. “They give visitors yet another species of Florida wildlife to see in person, learn about and enjoy. And due to the cooler water temps this year, manatees have been here since we opened in
November. Now with the very cold weather there are hundreds of them in TECO’s warm-water discharge canal. We’ve spotted lots of babies among them.”
The manatees are monitored by Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The Manatee Viewing Center is the anchor attraction for the Florida Conservation and Technology Center, a public-private partnership between Tampa Electric, The Florida Aquarium, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and the University of Florida. The Florida Conservation and Technology Center includes the Manatee Viewing Center, Tampa Electric’s Clean Energy Center, Florida Aquarium Coral Conservation Center and Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center, FWC Florida Youth Conservation Center and FWC Fish Hatchery.
Visitors can once again enjoy the up close, hands on experience with stingrays that’s made Cownose Cose a favorite stop at Manatee Viewing Center since 2016.
The viewing center at 6990 Dickman Road, Apollo Beach, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. now through April 15—with the exception of Easter Sunday, April 5.
Admission and parking are free. Visitors are advised to wear comfortable shoes and clothing. The center’s boardwalks are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and only trained service animals are permitted on site.
Tampa Electric has installed two new state-of-the-art webcams to give customers a better view of the manatees in the canal from the comfort of their homes.
For more information, visit www.TampaElectric.com/Manatee/ or call 813-228-4289.