FPL Launches Online Manatee Cam!
Each winter when the temperature drops, hundreds of manatees gather in the warm waters near FPL's Riviera Beach power plant. A Florida utility, FPL serves 4.5 million customer accounts and is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources' parent company, FPL Group. To give the public a glimpse of these endangered creatures, FPL recently launched an online "Manatee Cam." FPL has announced plans to modernize the plant into a highly efficient facility, the Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center. While the plant is shut-down for the modernization process, a temporary heating system warms the water, which protects the manatees during the cooler months. FPL works closely with environmental organizations and agencies in an ongoing effort to protect the manatees and foster public education and support. For years, FPL has sponsored aerial manatee surveys during the winter months when manatees often congregate near the company's plants. These surveys have been critical in helping scientists and resource managers determine the number of manatees living in the waters throughout Florida. Approximately 1,200 manatees have been counted near FPL facilities with aerial surveys.
FPL's Manatee Cam will remain online throughout the winter. Future FPL plans include a permanent manatee viewing area adjacent to the plant that would be open to the public.
View the manatees here:
http://www.fpl.com/environment/plant/riviera_cam.shtml