Manatee Observation and Education Center — Attraction in Fort Pierce

Do you love Manatees & want to learn more about them? This is the place. It is mostly run by dedicated knowledgeable volunteers, so it is very inexpensive. $2 entry fee is more than reasonable. They have an interesting movie & history of the Florida Manatee & it's other specie counterparts, located throughout the world. If you love them & want to help them, as they are sadly disappearing from the only place in the USA, where they exist in groups, then go to the center. Learn how you can do your part to save them and pass on that knowledge, that may save them from imminent extinction in FL. They are eco fragile & need their water to be specific. It really depends on the weather, whether or not they'll be there. You can see some tropical fish & turtles & walk thru their butterfly garden.The volunteers are super friendly. Since there were no Manatees at their viewing place, they gave me directions to a place where they might be. They have a nice gift shop with reasonable prices, as well. I also glad that I did my small part in helping Manatees by learning why they are dying out, and hopefully, with the support of many Floridians & visitors, we can save them. I donated what I could, aside from the fee, but was never asked. There is a donation box. Use it if want, if you can't, you can still take your kids for a couple of hours of inexpensive fun, with the "petting" aquarium & scavenger hunt. Let's save the...

The Fort Pierce Manatee Center is located near the Fort Pierce City Marina. A small educational facility dedicated to informing the public about manatees and some of the other animals living in the coastal waters of Florida.

The Manatee Center is strategically located near the water. The manatees and other sea life discussed may actually be swimming nearby. In a previous visit to the marina, I saw a juvenile Manatee pass by in an area with relatively shallow waters.

The Manatee Center has a few tanks that contain marine life much smaller than a Manatee. Small fish that don't have to exercise an enormous amount of caution in the water to be safe from this gentle vegetarian.

The design of the Manatee Center seemed straightforward to me, except for one detail. When I was in the outside area of the building, I felt as if I was on the deck of a boat.

A minor detail that makes the Manatee Center the perfect pit stop before going on a fishing or boat tour. An opportunity to learn about the sea life swimming around or beneath your chosen vessel.

A trip to the Manatee Center can be memorialized with a purchase from the gift shop. Hopefully a small memento of a...

I love the Manatee Observation and Education center in Ft Pierce. Very knowledgeable volunteers and staff. I am only referring to the Manatee 5k race recently held (this being 2 stars out of 5). Being that the race is for the manatees along with other sponsors supporting manatee conservation, I was otherwise very disappointed in the racers/walkers just throwing their cups on the side of the Seaway bridge just after receiving their cups from the water station! I should have taken a picture, but I did not have my phone on me during the race. If we are to be part of a 5k supporting manatees and marine life, what good are the racers/walkers doing when they are throwing literal trash on the side of the bridge? I don't understand those people. We shouldn't throw trash anywhere unless one sees a receptacle. At least help prevent trash going into our beautiful waters. Something needs to done to prevent this happening again for future 5k races, especially this...