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| Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center |
Apollo Beach is an unincorporated area of Southern Hillsboro county. It's located on US 41 about an hours drive from Anna Maria Island. Unlike many of the communities that now dot the west coast of Florida, Apollo Beach has been around for a while. The development of the area started in 1923 when the Dickman family decided that the low lying, marshy land located between Tampa and Bradenton that had been used for farming and cattle could be developed into a waterfront community.
It was an ambitious undertaking that bankrupted several companies along the way before finally gaining a foothold in the seventies. Today, thanks in part to being in an unincorporated area it is an eclectic mix of larger, newer homes sitting side by side with condo's, apartments and aging homes and duplexes.
According to Wikipedia, the two most notable people from Apollo Beach are Nick Carter, one of the Backstreet Boys and a somewhat infamous former female teacher. In 2005, she pleaded guilty to lewd or lascivious behavior with a fourteen year old student.
In her plea bargain to avoid prison, her attorney stated that placing such an attractive young woman into a "hellhole" of a place like prison would be like putting a piece of raw meat in with the lions. She ended up with no prison time and only three years house arrest, followed by seven years of probation. I'm working hard to keep myself on the right side of the law, but if I do ever get in trouble I want an attorney as creative as hers, although I doubt he'd use the "too pretty" strategy for me! If you want to learn more about this very sad and bizarre case you can start by going to the "Notable Persons" section of the Apollo Beach Wikipedia page.
Finding Apollo Beach is actually quite simple. From Tampa drive south on US 41 or from Bradenton Drive north on US 41. When you see the huge smokestacks from the Tampa Electric Company Big Bend Power Plant, you've made it to Apollo Beach...……..and there are several good reasons to visit it.
First of all, you gotta eat! Beth did a little research on waterfront restaurants in Apollo Beach and Circles Waterfront checked off all the boxes. Outdoor, waterfront, reasonably priced lunch menu and great reviews. The restaurant had plenty of outdoor seating, several bars and a stage for live music. There was also an indoor dining room for more formal types of people or occasions. Good food, reasonable prices and a casual environment...………… the Tucker Holy Trinity of eating out!
Circles Waterfront Restaurant
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| Plenty of fish on that sandwich! There were also plenty of fries.....I had already shared some with Beth and NaNa. |
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| The outdoor patio area at Circles |
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| Public Service Announcement! |
Without question, the featured attraction of Apollo Beach is the Tampa Electric Company (TECO) Manatee Viewing Center. The backdrop of this federally protected wildlife area is somewhat strange. It's the massive power plant. The power plant takes in saltwater from Tampa Bay for it's operations. It then discharges the clean, now warmed saltwater that it uses into a canal that flows back into the bay. As the water in the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay cools down in the winter months manatees, along with numerous species of fish, instinctively head for this warmer water, creating a jacuzzi like, winter retreat area for sea critters.
TECO has done a great job building an educational center that includes a stingray touch tank and an elevated boardwalk observation area along the canal. The water was clear and from the boardwalk we saw a bunch of different species of fish, including, tarpon, redfish, snook, jack, sharks and rays. Only one thing was missing...………...manatees! Although we did see one or two lazily swimming along in the middle of the canal, the "hundreds" that were reported as being there last week were gone. As it turns out, the weather was too nice!
A friendly and helpful volunteer told us that on average the water in the discharge canal is about 12 degrees warmer than the water in nearby Tampa Bay (currently around 70 degrees). He said that because there is limited food in the discharge canal the manatee only gather in mass when the temperature is cooler. Last week there were several days of cooler (by Florida standards) days, so they had gathered in the warmer water. When we went the temperature had climbed back up into the upper 70's so they were out frolicking and gorging on grass, mangroves and algae out in the bay. He said the ideal time to see the manatees in mass is when the air temperature has stayed in the fifties or lower for three consecutive days.
Tampa Electric Company Manatee Viewing Center
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| This picture came from a TripAdvisor Review. What could have been if the weather had cooperated! |
Although we frequently see manatee around the island it would have been cool to see that many gathered in one spot. It was still a very fun outing and a place we look forward to visiting again...…...when the weather isn't so nice!
