Florida Has a Record 6,200 Manatees in Latest Count

In this photo taken Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014, manatees Juliet, left, and Phoenix, right, swim at the Miami Seaquarium in Key Biscayne, Fla. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing whether the manatee should be reclassified as a “threatened” species, which would allow some flexibility for federal officials as the species recovers while maintaining most of the protections afforded to animals listed as endangered. AP Photo/Alan Diaz

ORLANDO, Fla.—The latest official count of manatees shows there are more than 6,200 of the marine mammals in Florida---a record.

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Thursday that almost 3,300 were counted on Florida’s east coast, and almost 3,000 manatees were counted on the state’s west coast.

AP Photo/Alan Diaz