The United States Fish & Wildlife Service were forces to temporarily shut down part of Florida’s Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge after nearly 300 manatee gathers in the warm waters of the Three Sisters Springs forcing out swimmers and kayakers. The spring was expected to open again on Tuesday but remained closed when the manatees returned at high tide.
高数量可能是该地区保护更大的结果,并且由于该州其他地区的栖息地地区正在丢失。虽然300人的聚会似乎确实很了不起,但海牛在三姐妹泉水中聚集在这些数字中并不少见,去年,同样的大型且潜在的创纪录的聚会也迫使临时关闭了三个弹簧。在寒冷的月份,海牛聚集在温泉中,为水温下降提供了急需的缓解。
Last month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported a record 1,047 manatees in Citrus County with an estimated 6,000 manatees across the entire state. The average adult manatee measures around 10 feet long and can weigh as much as 1,200 pounds. They are known as gentle and slow animals who do not pose a danger to humans, but staff at Crystal River encourages swimmers to keep their distance and respect the creatures’ space.
You can check out the crystal river websitehereand even takea virtual tourof the Three Sister Springs. [USA Today]