Manatee Lagoon — Attraction in Riviera Beach

I had the pleasure of visiting the Manatee Lagoon Center on a sunny afternoon, making it the perfect complement to a morning spent at the zoo. The center's main attraction is undoubtedly the manatees when they are around, and I was excited to learn that they prefer warmer water. Fortunately, there's a nearby power plant that helps keep the water temperature cozy during the winter months, making it the best time to catch a glimpse of these gentle giants. Though, on my visit, I could spot only a couple of them lingering in the deeper parts of the water.

The center itself is a small but educational building that emphasizes the importance of preserving manatees and ocean life. I was impressed with their efforts to spread awareness and promote conservation. What's more, the best part was that the admission was entirely free, making it accessible to all visitors.

The tour took around an hour, giving ample time to stroll around and take in the fascinating exhibits. The building had an upstairs area with a small art gallery, and I noticed what appeared to be a conference room and an observation deck, adding versatility to the space.

Cleanliness is always crucial to me, and I was pleased to find the Manatee Lagoon Center impeccably maintained. The bathrooms were clean and tidy, which is always a good sign of a well-managed establishment.

The ambiance was incredibly relaxing, providing a serene environment to learn and appreciate these wonderful creatures. Being close to nature and understanding its significance left a lasting impression on me. It's an ideal place to wind down and connect with the marine world.

Overall, my visit to the Manatee Lagoon Center was enjoyable and enlightening. If you have an interest in marine life preservation or simply want a peaceful escape from the bustle of everyday life, I highly recommend stopping by this gem of a place. Whether you're a local or a tourist, the experience is both educational and rejuvenating, and the best part is, it won't...

My wife and I stopped here late in the afternoon on June 19, 2025 while on a camping trip at John Prince County Campground about 15 miles south of the Manatee Lagoon. There used to be an oil-fired (steam) power plant here (with tall smoke stacks), whose warmed cooling waters used to outflow into the intracoastal waterway (attracting Manatees, particularly the cool winter months), but it was torn down about 10 years ago and Florida Power & Light installed natural gas powered turbine generators in their place, which are much less polluting and not as ugly. The amount of warm water outflow from the new gas-turbine generators is probably substantially less than the old steam powered plant offered, but the Manatees still hang out in this area during both the summer and winter months, and we even saw a mother and her juvenile offspring cruising down the outside walkway and seawall during our visit. The educational visitor center here is very nice inside, totally free (no admission fee) and open to the public. It takes about an hour to tour it (if you read all the displays) and they have a few staff members on duty to answer any questions you might have. It does close at 4 pm each day, so keep that in mind when planning your visit arrival time. Outside, on the concrete walkway, you can hang out over the safety railings and peer into the very clear ocean water that washes into the intracoastal waterway from Palm Beach Inlet, that's less than a mile northeast of here. The facility also has a few outdoor displays and a solar-roofed pavilion with some picnic tables. There is also a fairly large parking lot that is also free of charge and is guarded by a roving security...

🗣️🗣️OMG 😳😳 My god from Zion A Very Beautiful Big Shoutout to (The best Security (Officers) at Manatee lagoon the male and the female was working they behind off January 25th 2025 it was over 2000 in something guesses was only #2 Security Officers No parking attendance wasn’t There like are you serious 🧐 But hey them 2 security officers had the job done it was mad Heavy traffic They was directing it very well and in a Safe manner They were both very friendly and Respectful They both greeted me with love, almost cried some guesses was very rude to them. It was going to be 4 car accident. If the security wasn’t there somebody was going to get hurt. They did their job very well. I see both of them as a police officer I seen when it was a group of bicycles coming up. They politely ask them to park their bikes. One guy got very rude. That wasn’t call for I hope that the manager of Manatee Lagoon see this The two security officers made my day. It was amazing. How the way how they handle everything by their self with no help I will hire them if I had a security company.a little kid was almost going to get hit by a car. They politely told them to please use the sidewalk Some guesses Had very nasty attitude. Towards them I came there at 9:04 am and watched them doing a great job till it was closing as I speak right now Was crying typing this Congrats to the Security team the male and female. The male had a great Attitude love the way how He greeted Everyone Coming to...