Our quest to find a little Scamp trailer took us to Tampa Bay this week and we weren’t disappointed. The trailer is just what we’re looking for and the owners, Cher and Frank are delightful people. Knowing we had just a few hours to spend in the area that day they suggested a few places we might like to see including an opportunity to see manatees.

In Apollo Beach, the Big Bend Power Plant discharges 78 degree water attracting manatees when the bay temperatures drop below 68 degrees. The plant has built an environmental education building and observation platform from which to view these gentle giants. It was an amazing sight to see over a hundred manatees together in one place, I could have stayed for hours just watching them. Swimming among them were stingrays and spinner sharks energetically jumping out of the water. For more info on the center visit their website at www.tampaelectric.com/manatee/