I've always dreamed of seeing a manatee in the wild with my kids. Last winter I finally made it happen over a long weekend spent north of Tampa. When to see Manatees in the wild near the gulf coast First off, there are only certain times when you can see Manatees in this part of Florida and that's when the ocean water gets cooler. Manatees like it on the warmer side so when the ocean gets cold, they make their way up inland streams and rivers where the temperature is just a