Manatee Park
Manatee Park
4.5
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Look for the West Indian manatee.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • Pamela L
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Kayak with the Manatee at Manatee Park in Fort Myers
    This was so much fun! It was inexpensive and we got to kayak and see Manatee's up close. One even raised up and showered me with a spray. They are not always in these waters but when they are this is a truly great park and adventure. We had a mini family reunion and the waters are calm enough for everyone. Our group had pre-teens up to 80-90 year olds and everyone had a great time.
    Visited December 2022
    Traveled with family
    Written October 9, 2023
  • Mike and Amy S
    Knightdale, North Carolina83 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great time seeing manatees
    We rented a kayak for three hours and it was awesome! We got there at 9 am and there weren’t many people but there were tons of manatees. Started filling up around 11:00 am with people. We had a couple of manatees follow us and gently nudge the boat and surface to see us. Just have to be patient. We kayaked a bit down the river and it was nice.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 5, 2023
  • LoveLifeLiveLove
    Saint Francis, Minnesota14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the Stop for Manatees!
    Great park. We saw manatees from the viewing areas... you need to be patient and wait for them to surface. You will see their heads, snouts, etc and sometimes their backs. They can hold their breath for awhile, so don't expect a constant show. There is also a fishing pier that overlooks the wilder part of the river where we sat and watched them surface in the shallow waters. Much easier to see them here, I think it depends on the time of day and the sun glare on the water. Picnic tables, playground, nature walk. Just a great stop. We stayed about 2 hours, but had a picnic. I would say an average stop would be 1 hour--1.5 hours. Park cost $1/hour or $5/day. Worth the stop!
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 7, 2023
  • LABDRB
    1,319 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Gentle Giants!
    Fun morning visiting Manatee Park in Fort Myers. It is a cool location for viewing non-captive Manatees who visit the park in search of warm water during the cooler days in winter when the temperature in the Gulf of Mexico is below 68° F. The warm water in comes from the Florida Power and Light Power Plant across the street and is created as a byproduct of cooling off their equipment. Their closest living relative is an elephant 🐘. The is a small parking fee (about 1 dollar per hour). There is also a nice gift shop, restrooms and snack available on site. TY SWFL
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 17, 2023
  • bjanie13
    157 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Manatees keeping warm
    I decided to check at Manatee Park as the temps are def cooler making the gulf waters cooler. I was pretty confident I would see manatees here as they search for warm water. I was delighted to see many manatees hanging out in the canal. They were playing with other manatees and rolling around in the water. It made my heart happy to see these beautiful beings! The cost was $5 for the day to park and parking was abundant. The park was small but well kept and had a butterfly garden and flower garden as well. The pathways to see the manatees were paved and there were more natural pathways in the gardens. There was an educational video playing about manatees and I saw free educational sessions being given under the live oak tree, which was beautiful. My goal was to see manatees and I was rewarded. I was very happy with this park.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written December 23, 2023
  • Kelly M
    21 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Small park but worth the visit
    Get there early. It is $2 an hour to park. Make sure you pay because they ticket. Park is small so spending 1-2 hours is more than enough time. You might need more time if you rent a kayak. See the manatee up close on a kayak is awesome. I highly recommend. There is a small gift shop with snacks and souvenirs. Park is clean and peaceful. It gets crowded so go early.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 3, 2024
  • Michele K
    Bridgewater, Canada155 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Awesome place!
    This was a great experience for us. We have only seen manatees at the zoo and aquarium. It was way better seeing them in their natural habitat. We saw a few babies with mammas also. We walked the trails and to the look off tower. We were there about 2 hours or so, went right at opening and were in a line of traffic waiting to get in. Best part it’s free! We would totally go again as we didn’t see everything.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 15, 2024
  • Christine N
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting way to spend a cool day near Ft Myers
    Best way to spend a cool morning. The manatees are so close and easy to view. A ranger gave us some very interesting information about the manatees - like they are almost as smart as dolphins. You can spend as little or as long as you want wandering and observing the manatees. The only cost is a minor parking charge.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written January 30, 2024
  • Jennifer L
    Phoenix, Arizona113 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Rent a kayak and see the manatees up close!
    I went on a 2-hour kayak tour and saw so many manatees! The water is dark so the manatees were hard to see unless they were near and swimming not too deep. It was a joy to see their little noses come up. It felt like I spotted a manatee every minute or so. The guide was knowledgeable about the animals and also knew the best spots to find large groups. It was very relaxing few hours. I did take some time to just paddle through the mangroves as well. The temperature was in the 60s, but the water temperature was actually quite nice (and I’m a wuss about the cold 😆)
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written February 18, 2024
  • shari z
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Awesome experience
    We rented a tandem kayak and kayaked along the Orange River and saw several manatees and heard many more when they would raise their snouts out of the water to breathe. It was a spectacular experience!! We loved it so much m, we drove up twice from Sanibel to kayak with the manatees!
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 20, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,306 reviews
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TheCovertCritic
Apex, North Carolina414 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
A squirrel and a bunny had been seen recently. It said so on the chalkboard. Unfortunately the manatee that everyone hoped or thought they would see was totally absent. All those folks who anxiously waited in line to rent a kayak ($25-$35) and paddled around hoping to come upon a sea cow disappointedly sat dead in the water hoping their 1 hour rental time would soon be up. Paying for more than an hour of parking to explore the site would be pretty worthless unless you have low expectations. There are various signs explaining how to conserve manatee life around the park which is walkable and handicapped accessible. Ranger type informative talks are given at various times. It is Interesting to note that some attempt is made to let people know that another species is heading for the great beyond of extinction but very sad indeed. Hopefully one or two of the school children who are introduced to the manatee by one of the "talks" will run with that knowledge and work toward conserving and maintaining the species.
Written January 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Samsonjh
Bournemouth, UK188 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
We visited here as part of a week's holiday in Orlando. I'm not a big fan of having my fun expensively manufactured for me so decided to look a bit outside of the Orlando area and discovered Manatee Park, Fort Myers. It's about a two and a half / three hour easy drive from Orlando depending on traffic BUT don't follow the address listed on the website, type in Manatee Park in the Places Of Interest on your satnav instead and you SHOULD find it (the other address leads you about a mile down the road to a dead end on the opposite side where a very irate man doesn't exactly welcome you with open arms... I'm guessing it's a common problem so understandable).

We hired a double kayak from the kiosk, which was very easy, and were on the river in no time were we saw loads of manatees! I've read the previous reviews where people have claimed it's too late in the season and if the water is warm then there won't be any etc but, too be honest, I'm not convinced it's true... you've just got to be quiet and stop paddling for a while and you'll soon see them literally all around you. Even on the day we were there others were complaining they hadn't seen a thing but we could hear them shouting on the water over 500 meters away!! We paddled quite away up river from the power station outlet to get away from everyone else's and I'd recommend doing this to anyone visiting. Yes the water is murky, it's part of the Everglades not the Bahamas! All in all, for about $70 for a three hour kayak hire... it was a great result. Well worth the visit to see these animals in the wild.
Written March 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christoph L
Gerrards Cross, UK1,340 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
We went here twice for kayaking.
First time we joined a tour and we were a group of about 10 kayakers. It was great to have a guide first time around because we got to know where the most likely manatee sighting spots were and we were a nice group with lots of fun. We saw some manatees but it was early December so there weren't too many on sight.
A few days later we came back and we just rented kayaks without the guide. Now knowing where to go we had a great time and saw many manatees, especially one who kept going under our kayaks and often looked out of the water, they can be very playful.
If you want to have a guide I suggest you book online in advance since tours seem to be popular.
If you want to go on your own you should be fine by just popping down and hire them on the spot, they have plenty of kayaks.
One word of caution, when we went on our own there was a gator resting in the water opposite to where we entered the kayaks. Don't worry, we're not on their menu so all should be fine but I would still make sure that all your body parts stay above the water, so don't be tempted to float in your kayaks with the feet or hands hanging in the water, you never know. But I guess this applies to most of Florida, just be a little more careful than you would be in other places.
In Manatee Park there are also some walkways with manatee viewing spots, in case you don't want to get into the water. However, I don't think it is worthwhile going without getting into a kayak but I could be biased because we try to kayak everywhere where we can.
Parking is easy but there's a small fee, I think it was $2 or something like it, payable with credit card or cash. They also have an overflow car park which we had to use on our first visit.
Written January 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Beth D
Fruitport, MI269 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Ever want to see a manatee in person and in their natural habitat? Then Manatee Park is a must stop location. Even if you are in the area for short period of time you should be able to view them here. We only had bout 30 minutes and saw several.
The park has awesome nature trails that lead right down by the water. The manatee like to go here in the winter as the inland waters are warmer than the gulf. So this is an area they love and hang out in. So take a walk on the trails and enjoy the manatees. You can also see many different fish jumping in the waters while you walk
If you are looking for a longer trip and up-close experience you can rent kayaks or paddle boards to view the manatee right below you. Highly recommend this option and when we are back in the area will for sure be doing this! It was awesome watching the people out on their paddle boards and having the manatee right next to them.
You will have to pay to park but there is no actual entry fee. Then there is a nice little gift shop with bathrooms and manatee information. This shop is where you can set up your trip and rent the paddle boards and kayaks.
The website is a must watch tool as well. They post if they are seeing manatees and if it is a good time to visit
Written January 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

allthegirls2014
Naples, FL129 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020
We went on Christmas Day, right after a cold spell, so the conditions were perfect for viewing. A few tips: Turn right to pay for parking before you park, because you have to print out the ticket it and display it in your car. Otherwise, you'll go first to park, come back, stand in line to print your ticket and then have to bring it back to the car and walk back. Nothing is a particularly long walk, but it just is a tad inconvenient. Second, go check out the ManateeCam at the Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach. If you can see lots of manatees on the camera, then the conditions are likely good for viewing at this park, too. It might be nice to bring binoculars but the various viewing areas get you pretty close to the manatees. Most attendees were good about wearing masks, as the fence line doesn't really allow for social distancing when crowded. Open during holidays, so it's a great, short getaway outdoors. Very nice.
Written December 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jessica G
16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021
This is a very inexpensive place to observe manatees or even better launch your kayaks and observe manatees right beside you. My husband had one manatee play with his kayak, spinning him and swimming underneath him. The parking is only $5 for the entire day. We brought our own kayaks, but you can rent kayaks there. We saw so many manatees right beside us. The staff at the park are so friendly and knowledgeable and the small gift shop is very nice. The staff also help in manatee rescues, for example in fishing lines and propeller injuries. They do recommend not chasing the manatees or paddling deep, and we sure didn't want to scare or harm the animals. Observing them closely was so much fun and if you kayak slowly and enjoy, the manatees may actually play with you.
Written December 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bruce B
Fort Myers Beach, FL441 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Well if your interested at all in seeing a large group of Manitee close up, this is where you have to get to. Easy drive out route 80 from Fort Myers but expect to pay a PARKING FEE for what should have been a free family event, but as usual the City of Fort Myers has to stuff it to us. No entry fee YET but I expect that anytime now so they can suck some additional fees and tax out of us again. At least Jimmy Buffett and the "Save the Manitee" group was not out there with their politics!
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

radar643
Minden, Canada1,718 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
There is no guarantee that you will see a manatee as these creatures are free to roam the waters and not in captivity.....but we saw two in two locations of the park. The power plant nearby generates heat to these waters which attracts these ancient creatures. Presentations on the manatee are under an oak tree. There are also other attractions in the park including trails, picnic tables, mangroves and a play area for the kids No fee for entrance although donations are accepted. Parking for a minimal fee.
Written February 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CaptTrouble
Hudson, WI7,892 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020 • Couples
My husband and I got going early this morning as it was a cold snap of 51 degrees. I figured that there would be at least some manatees near shore; we were rewarded with multiple sightings of several manatees in this park.

There were marine researchers near the water and the manatees seemed both curious about them and determined to show off too. The manatees were also curious about the rest of us, with an older adult frequently poking his head out of the water to look at us.

After we had spent a long time in one spot watching them, we walked further down the path to a place where we could be even closer. We stood there for a long time taking photos and watching. Afterwards, we walked through the rest of the park, including a boardwalk and the EthnoBotany Trail.

This park is administered by Lee County. There isn’t an admission fee BUT parking is $2 per hour. Apparently there are different rates for buses and vans. There is quite a bit of parking. Where it gets crowded is the fence line separating you from the manatees in the canal.

We will definitely go back.
Written December 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nari K
Gainesville, VA444 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We were there on our last day in Fort Myers and thought we could kill a few hours before our flight to make a trip to this Manatee Park. Like all other Manatee Parks, this one also is associated with a power plant next door from where hot water flows into the bay. If the bay is cold, manatees come into the park and put on a show. Apparently the day we were there was the first cold day after a string of 80 degree days. It seems that a string of cold days cools the Gulf and the Bays enough that they seek the warm water of the Manatee Park. Nevertheless, Manatees leave their babies behind in the sheltered waters of the Manatee Park. So we were able to see a couple of adults and a couple of baby manatees. Next time we will make sure that the visits are done on cold days, preferably after a string of them! Was OK!
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Manatee Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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