Related video: Manatees staying warm at TECO power plant

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center will reopen for the season this week.

The center will open on Friday morning with its regular hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center is located near the Big Bend Power Station at 6990 Dickman Road in Apollo Beach and is open daily through April 15 except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

“Even after two devastating hurricanes, we recovered sufficiently to open for our guests this season — right on time,” Land and Stewardship Programs manager Stan Kroh said in a statement. “We’re ready to welcome manatees to our warm waters, as well as the thousands of guests who come to see them in the wild each year.”

When water temperatures in the bay cool off, manatees, sometimes hundreds, will gather in the canal at the power station where the water is warm. The area is recognized as a designated manatee sanctuary.

TECO said nearly 400,000 people visit the center each year. Last season, TECO said the center had set a record for the most manatees spotted at one time at the facility.

For more information on the Manatee Viewing Center, visit the TECO website.