Sea cow sanctuary
In the winter months, manatees, the large mild-mannered sea mammals of South Florida, flock en masse to the waters of Black Point Marina. When the temperature dips, these creatures congregate here to wallow in the warmest waters around. Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean pale in comparison to Black Point Marina, which has the hot “Jacuzzi” temperatures that sea cows desperately seek when fleeing the subtle chill of the region’s winter waters.
What makes Black Point so unusually warm is a combination of the heat generated by boats traversing the marina and the runoff from the water treatment facility just upstream. This happy accident of converging nature and industry provides ideal conditions for a merry group of manatees. Boats are prohibited from entering the waters beyond the marina, as their propellers have become notorious for maiming or killing these lumbering gentle giants, too slow to avoid the sharp, whirring blades. If you manage to get close to one of the manatees, scars and mangled tails from past encounters will likely be visible.
Info
Address 24775 SW 87th Avenue, Homestead, FL 33032, +1 305.258.4092, www.miamidade.gov/parks/black-point-marina | Hours Open 24 hours| Tip Grab a bite to eat at the Black Point Ocean Grill, located at the northeast corner of the marina. Bring your fresh catch here after a day of fishing and the kitchen staff will cook it for you any way you like.
Although the manatee is on the verge of extinction, many of these half-ton herbivores can still be seen in the wild in the shallow depths of Black Point. Notoriously lethargic, manatees may rest idly in the same spot for upwards of an hour, alerting you to their presence with an audible puff as they surface for air. Fortunately for onlookers, Black Point’s relative isolation from watercraft and sea predators offers a fantastic nursery for manatees and their young. If the stars align, you may be lucky enough to see a mother and her calf, who will remain by her side for the first two years of its life.
The manatees of Black Point appear like floating potatoes, bobbing up and down in the distance. If they venture close enough to shore, their small whiskered faces come into view as they enjoy the sun’s warm rays bouncing off their backs.
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