🦭 Manatees are paddling 50 miles up the Myakka River

Rising water from late-summer and early-fall rain is letting manatees swim more than 50 miles up the Myakka River from Charlotte Harbor to Myakka River State Park, which spans about 37,000 acres in Sarasota and Manatee counties. The first manatee was spotted at the park in October 2008, and they have returned every year since 2012. Park rangers are asking guests to help document sightings, and they share the information with partners including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. One visitor from Portland, Oregon, spotted a manatee munching leaves under floating vegetation at the river's edge.