Manatees on a Google Map, plus video

Check out this Google Map which shows a large herd of Manatees warming themselves by a (probable) power plant water outlet in West Palm Beach, Florida.


Thanks to Google Sightseeing for finding this amazing phenomenon, and as the Wikipedia article mentions...

Manatees often congregate near power plants, which warm the waters. Some have become reliant on this source of artificial heat and have ceased migrating to warmer waters. Some power plants have recently been closing and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to find a new way to heat the water for these manatees. The main water treatment plant in Guyana has four manatees that keep storage canals clear of weeds.

Here's a YouTube video of some similar Manatees resting during cold weather. Beautiful creatures.