Here are a few fun and free places to see wildlife near Largo, Florida.
Visiting with Mark’s mom over the holidays, we took a short trip across Tampa Bay to the
Manatee Viewing Center. The Tampa Electric Power plant outputs warm water that attracts these interesting mammals on chilly winter days. If you zoom in and count all the bumps in the water you might find over sixty manatees.
Although the center was crowded, we found a parking spot and there was plenty of room on the two large piers that allow views of the canal.
A young manatee exploring a stream coming out of the mangroves.
Another surfacing near shore.
This poor manatee is covered with barnacles.
We spent about an hour on the pier watching manatees leisurely swim past. Shiny silver Tarpon jumping out of the water provided a contrast to the slow moving mammals.
Beth and mom with a manatee sculpture as we left the center.
When we were visiting Largo, Mark drove his mom to workouts twice a week. She keeps very active at 91! While she was busy toning and stretching, Mark went to nearby parks to walk and check out the wildlife.
A favorite place is
George McGough Nature Park. There’s a good walkway to the Intracoastal Waterway with a view of a drawbridge, a very busy turtle pond, and a Nature Center with rescued birds.
This is Sarge, a Bald Eagle that can no longer fly. He had just had his morning bath and was fluffing for the camera.
“Iggy” the Iguana was only outside on warmer days. The park has an inside exhibit for reptiles when it is too cool outside for them to be active.
Another park we like is Largo Central Park Nature Preserve. A settling pond here is circled by a boardwalk where we always see birds and turtles. In past years we’ve seen alligators, but not on this visit.
Ibis were resting in an old oak tree with branches that extended over the boardwalk.
While a young Ibis hopped and flew along the railing as we circumnavigated the pond.
There aren’t just birds in the parks, they end up inside mom’s condo too. Here are Beth and Mom enjoying one of their favorite evening pastimes.
We hope you had Happy Holidays and we wish you interesting adventures in 2024!
