Manatee season returns: free viewing at Manatee Lagoon starts Nov. 15

Manatee season runs Nov. 15 to March 31, and Manatee Lagoon, the free FPL Eco-Discovery Center at 6000 N. Flagler Drive, is the best place in the county to watch for them. When the water in Lake Worth Lagoon drops to 68 degrees or colder, manatees gather near the clean, warm-water outflow next to the center, and visitors may see dozens at once from the observation deck. The center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the season, including Mondays, with hands-on exhibits and a new augmented-reality solar exhibit. A free Migration Celebration, a welcome-back party for the annual migration, is set for Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Manatee sightings are never guaranteed, as the animals are wild and on their own schedule.