TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)— Three Tampa Bay attractions have been nominated for 10Best on USA Today.
An exhibit at the ZooTampa has been nominated for the best zoo exhibit.
Two of Tampa Bay’s botanical gardens were nominated for best botanical garden in the U.S.
Both were nominated after a panel of experts picked their top 20, USA Today announced.
Best Zoo exhibit
ZooTampa’s David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center is nominated for best zoo exhibit on USA Today.
The Critical Care Center at ZooTampa has been taking care of endangered manatees since it was opened in 1991.
Dawlee (ZooTampa)
Romeo (ZooTampa)
(Courtesy: ZooTampa)
(ZooTampa)
According to ZooTampa, the manatee care and veterinary team has treated over 400 manatees and more than 230 of them have been reintroduced into Florida waters.
The Community can vote once per day online until voting ends on Monday, March 10 at noon. The 10 winners will be announced on Wednesday, March 19.
To vote, visit their website.
Best botanical garden
Twenty botanical gardens were nominated by an expert panel as the best botanical gardens in the U.S., two of them are right here in Tampa Bay.
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota was nominated and the community can vote on it as the best botanical garden.
The 15-acre Gardens specializes in epiphytes, orchids, and ferns. They also are recognized for their research and conservation efforts on air plants.
Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg is also nominated for best botanical garden in the U.S. with a variety of tropical plants and birds from around the world.
The gardens have more than 50,000 exotic tropical plants and birds like flamingos, parrots, cactus gardens, and orchids.
Rocky waterfall flowing into pond with purple lotus water lilies at Sunken Gardens, St Petersburg, Florida