00:00Recently, winter storms covered much of the United States, and that includes southern
00:08ones like Florida.
00:09Northern parts of the Sunshine State are expected to see extreme lows for the area, with a possibility
00:14of sub-freezing temperatures.
00:16That polar vortex is also lowering the temperature of coastal areas even further south, and at
00:21the Florida Power and Light Company's Riviera Beach plant, manatees are now gathering to
00:26keep warm.
00:27This plant has been a popular destination for the massive sea cows for years, as the
00:30heat released by the plant provides warm bathing for the 1,200-pound creatures.
00:35Cold stress is the biggest natural threat to manatees, which is why they can often be
00:38seen gathering near power plants between November and March.
00:41During those months, the waters surrounding Florida are at their coolest.
00:45The best part is experts say the water is clean, and completely safe for animals to
00:49live in.
00:50Rachel Shanker, Manatee Lagoon Education Manager, says, it's important to watch manatees
00:54for more than just entertainment.
00:55Telling U.S. News and World Report, they're kind of the first animals to start to respond
00:59to any changes in the environment, and because they're so charismatic, people really take
01:03note of that.
01:04Manatee populations are currently recovering, however experts say they are still a threatened
01:09species.
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