There are several freshwater springs across Central Florida that provide a great way to beat the heat with your family.

Hi friends! It’s Brenda, back for all the Central Florida Happenings.

Manatee Appreciation Day is soon upon us and what better way to celebrate than to educate yourself about these adorable sea cows.

Manatee Appreciation Day is soon upon us and what better way to celebrate than to educate yourself about these adorable sea cows.

A successful day for park workers and volunteers as they carried out five rescued manatees, one by one, into the water.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday visited Blue Spring State Park to talk about the state’s continued environmental restoration efforts at popular springs, rivers and state parks.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is endorsing the Republican front-runner, Donald Trump, saying primary voters want to give the former president another chance.

You’re not the only one who is cold. Manatees seeking a warm spot flocked to Volusia County’s Blue Spring State Park in record numbers Sunday.

Manatees typically migrate to inland waterways in Florida during winter to get away from the cold, meaning Florida residents have a few months to go out and spot them in the wild.

As the temperature continues to drop, there is no better way to spend a chilly weekend than with manatees.

A historic World War II tugboat’s journey home to DeLand, where it was built, now faces another delay.

Bissel has recalled some of its cordless multi-surface vacuum cleaners due to a fire hazard.

A 12-year-old boy made a big catch while on vacation in Florida.

A new record has been set for manatees gathering in Blue Spring State Park

The St. Johns River’s temperature is still in the 50s, and that means manatees continue to pile into nearby Blue Spring State Park in Volusia County.

The drop in temperatures means colder water, and more manatees coming to Blue Spring State Park seeking a warm spot.

A potential nuisance alligator encounter closed all water activities at Blue Spring State Park temporarily Thursday morning, park officials said.

Here's a list of everywhere you can go tubing in and around Central Florida.

The Orange City Blue Spring Manatee Festival returns to Orange City this weekend, and the weather is expected to be perfect for it.

It's another cold start in Central Florida.

ORANGE CITY, Fla. – A manatee that a year ago was seen swimming around Blue Spring State Park with a bicycle tire cinching its waist has returned to the crystal clear waters free of the trap. Officials from Save the Manatee Club said Friday they don’t know how the manatee managed to shake the tire lose but they mentioned that Wheelie, as the manatee was called by the public, was struck by a boat’s propeller in February and that strike cut and weakened the tire. Also called Schwinn by researchers, the manatee now has deep scars around its midsection where the bike tire was once entangled. Wheelie the manatee now has scars from where a bike tire was stuck around its waist. Save the Manatee Club manatee research associate Cora Berchem first spotted Wheelie on Wednesday on an above-water livestreaming webcam.

Blue Spring State Park in Volusia County announced on its Facebook page it is now back open to visitors as of May 8 with limited capacity. “Once we reach capacity, we will not allow entry to any more visitors for the rest of the day.”The park’s spring run is open to water activities. Restrooms in the day use area are open to visitors but the campground and cabins will remain closed for now, park officials said. The park encourages visitors to continue to practice social distancing as they welcome visitors back. Effective Friday, May 8, Blue Spring State Park is open with limited capacity.

The Save the Manatee Club, in partnership with Blue Spring State Park, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute and Volusia County, is in need of volunteers to be manatee observers. The volunteer program operates from March to November at Blue Spring State Park because that is “swim season” when park visitors may come in contact with manatees. The volunteers are there to “help prevent manatee harassment and to educate visitors about proper behavior around manatees. Two mandatory training sessions are scheduled at Blue Spring State Park on March 5 and March 14 at 10 a.m. for two to three hours. To sign up, email cberchem@savethemanatee.org with your preferred training date and whether you’d like a kayak training session.

ORANGE CITY, Fla. – A manatee with a bicycle tire wrapped around its stomach was spotted again Thursday at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City. The manatee, nicknamed Wheelie, was first seen at the park last month. A group of wildlife experts worked for days to catch the manatee but were not successful. The manatee was spotted Thursday on the Save the Manatee camera at Blue Spring State Park, and the sea cow still had the tire around its belly. Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say workers have been made aware and are monitoring the situation.

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VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Crews in Volusia County faced complicated conditions Tuesday while working to capture a manatee stuck in a tire at Blue Spring State Park, according to wildlife officials. The tire poses a risk to the manatee because “the animal is continuing to grow and the tire is not,” park ranger Michael Watkins said. A manatee is spotted Fernandina Beach with what appears to be a bicycle tire around its belly. FWC and SeaWorld spent hours trying to rescue a manatee that has a bike tire around its waist. “The SeaWorld Rescue team were sent out this morning to assist FWC with this rescue – the team was not successful in getting this manatee, but we will continue our efforts when requested again by FWC,” a SeaWorld Orlando spokesperson said.

Crews work to rescue manatee with tire stuck around its bellyPublished: December 10, 2019, 1:52 pmCrews in Volusia County are working to capture a manatee stuck in a tire, according to wildlife officials.