A Florida park just saw a record number of manatees gather together in its waters

A manatee swims among seagrass in the Homosassa River on Oct. 5, 2021 in Homosassa, Fla.

Joe Raedle / Joe Raedle

Legend has it that centuries ago, manatees used to be mistaken for mermaids, so a sight last week at one Florida state park would have put ancient sailors in shock.

Blue Spring State Park is home to one of the largest winter gathering sites for manatees in Florida, and recently, the park reached a new record when the number of manatees spotted in one group was nearly 1,000.

“Record-breaking morning at Blue Spring State Park,” read a Facebook post from Friends of Blue Spring State Park. The volunteer group, which helps support the park, said the previous record of manatees gathering was 736 on New Year’s Day of this year.